On January 13th, middle schools from across Korea come to the Korean Food Institute to participate in a class on court cuisine as part of the Free-Semester program. Students from Eulji Middle School, Boseong Girls’ Middle School, Bumgye Middle School, Soosong Middle School and Pyongchon Middle School participated in the program passionately. Lee Yejin, a student at Eulji Middle School, said, “I joined the program to learn about various jobs in the food industry and to determine if the industry was my calling in life.” Instructors showed the students how to prepare Joraengi Rice Cake Soup and marinate grilled beef slices in boiled pear that had been preserved in honey. To satisfy the demands of students, the program provided abundant explanation on the origin of court cuisine in addition to food preparation. Maeng Minho, admissions officer, said, “Investigation of student satisfaction found students were highly satisfied with the Free-Semester program at Sookmyung. The Free-Semester program offers students a means of discovering possible future career paths early on in life. It is my hope that the young teens who participate in the program are able to discover their path in life.” The Office of Admissions hosts various Free-Semester programs like this Korean food experience for middle school students.
