Auburn University establishing Korea Corner as part of University Outreach

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Korea Corner, an educational and cultural resource center on the Auburn University campus, will open with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:45 a.m. March 28 in 2235 Haley Center. Korea Corner was established with support from the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Atlanta and the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach. The ribbon cutting and a reception to follow are open to students, faculty and staff and the public.

Prior to the ceremony, Auburn President Jay Gogue will host Kim Seong-jin, consul general of the Republic of Korea, in his conference room along with Provost Tim Boosinger, representatives from Auburn’s administration, City of Auburn Mayor Bill Ham and other distinguished guests.

Korea Corner will support the efforts of Auburn University Outreach to meet the changing needs of citizens in a global society. It will increase access to materials on Korea for Auburn students and members of the local community, and will help create educational experiences to strengthen the connection of members of the Korean community to American culture and society.

A variety of programs–workshops, lectures, seminars, educational classes and cultural programs–will be offered for Auburn students, local citizens, industries and professional communities. Students in particular are encouraged to use the Korea Corner to access books, traditional Korean arts and crafts, digital resources, DVDs and CDs and computers to simply learn about or conduct research on a wide range of Korea-related topics such as Korean history, culture and literature.

Hangeul Party, a Korean calligraphy workshop scheduled for April 1, is an inaugural workshop where participants can learn how to write Korean calligraphy through lecture, demonstration, interaction and hands-on activities led by Park Byoung Chul, Korean calligrapher invited from Korea.

Collaboration between the Korea Corner and varied campus and community constituent-related university units such as local K-12 schools, Korean automotive companies and the local community is important in expanding and enriching the activities that can be provided by the Korea Corner in the future.

“Korea Corner is expected to serve as an anchor for promoting cultural understanding between Koreans and non-Koreans and ultimately create a harmonious community climate by widening worldviews of all involved,” said Suhyun Suh, coordinator for Korea Corner.

"We look forward to continuing to engage Auburn's faculty, staff and students with the Korean community through Korea Corner,” said Royrickers Cook, vice president for University Outreach.

For more information on Korea Corner or Hangeul Party, contact Suhyun Suh at suhsuhy@auburn.edu.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.