Russian language popular in RK.

26/10 Tass 156

MOSCOW, October 26 (Itar-Tass) -- The study of the Russian language is
popular among students of the Republic of Korea (RK), which promotes the
success of educational projects, Sergei Mazurenko, Russian deputy
minister of education and science, has said in an interview with Itar-Tass
and the RK newspaper Chunan Ilbo.
"On the whole, the number of RK students who study Russian ranges from
6,000 to 7,000, according to our estimates. I think this is an impressive
figure," Mazurenko said. According to his information, some 1,500 RK
students study in Russia. They pay for themselves for their education or
receive the money from sponsors. Aside from it, 60 Korean students receive
scholarships from the Russian federal budget.
"Koreans show a lively interest in the Russian language, which
promotes the success of our contacts," Mazurenko believes. The first
Russian language department was opened in 1954 on the basis of the Seoul
University of Foreign Languages, while today "the Russian language
programme is being implemented in 30 universities and six university
colleges." Russian is also taught in secondary schools. "There are at
least five specialized secondary schools with special programmes of
foreign languages, where Russian is taught," Mazurenko continued.
On the whole, in his opinion, the relations between our two countries
in the sphere of education are developing successfully. "I think our
prospects for the future look bright, because our cooperation in the
sphere of science and technology develops dynamically. In other words, the
agreement, which was signed between our governments in the 90s, really
promoted the development of contacts in that sphere," Mazurenko said.
-0-rom/ast