The participants of the Korean language speech contest are not native Korean speakers but they deliver speeches that are generally fluent and understandable.
Kyung Hee University has been hosting the event for 12 years now and the organizers say the event has helped foreign residents assimilate into society more easily.
[Interview : ] "Korean culture and language are being loved and spoken in many foreign countries. And we organized the event to spread the language even more."
This year, the competition was fierce, with more than 1-thousand people entering the contest regardless of background or occupation.
Students, workers, wives of Korean husbands and even a Buddhist monk from Nepal came to participate.
The 20 finalists were given three minutes each to present their speeches and two topics to choose from.
One of them was "my ways of enjoying Korea."
[Interview : ] "I live in Busan and I think the Busan dialect is interesting, so I've chosen this subject as the theme of my speech."
The other topic gave the finalists a chance to express their feelings toward their mothers something people the world over can relate to.
[Interview : ] "I haven't had a chance to say thanks to my mom yet, so I wanted to show how I am thankful for my mom through my speech."
With more than one million foreigners now living in Korea the society is becoming increasingly multicultural.
And the contestants say one of the best ways to explore and understand the culture is to learn the language.
[Interview : ] "The audiences here, were captive as these finalists, from 17 different countries, delivered powerful descriptions, influenced by their experiences in Korea.
Choi Won-young, Arirang News."
MAY 15, 2009
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Arirang Town
Tuesday, FEB 09, 2010, (KST) 
