ShareA Kuwaiti-Korean friendship between Asra’a and Suin has been created through shared interests in one another’s languages, forging a cultural bridge between Kuwait and Korea. To look more into this language-based connection between a Kuwaiti and Korean, Kuwait Times interviewed Asra’a and Suin, who shared their challenges, motivations and cultural similarities they have discovered between both Kuwait and Korea.
Asra’a told Kuwait Times that her interest in Korean culture began with her love for K-dramas. Although these dramas initially sparked her curiosity about South Korea, it was her actual visits to the country that truly inspired her to learn the language. “The warmth and kindness of the Korean people left a lasting impression on me; this motivated me to learn their language to be able to interact better and get closer to the people. I have always had an interest in languages, but my deepening desire to revisit South Korea and interact more meaningfully with its people ultimately led me to learn Korean,” Asra’a said.
On her part, Suin’s interest in learning languages was sparked by her travels to various Asian countries during her childhood. After studying English and Chinese in school, she faced a choice for a second language before entering high school. “I was attracted to Spanish at first, but my mother suggested learning Arabic for its uniqueness and her own interest in Arab culture. This suggestion led me to start learning Arabic, which I have come to love and continue to study,” Suin explained.
Challenges in learning Korean
Asra’a shared the challenging part as a non-native Korean. “The most challenging aspect of learning Korean is the writing system. Korean pronunciation can be tricky as many words sound similar but have different meanings and spellings. This complexity in written Korean has been a real challenge for me,” she said. Another challenge is using Korean outside the classroom in Kuwait. “It is difficult to practice Korean outside of the classroom because the opportunities to use the language are mostly limited to interactions with my teachers, peers and my friend Suin,” she added.
Asra’a shared with Kuwait Times one of her favorite Korean phrases: “다 괜찮아질 거야,” which means “Everything’s going to be okay.” Although she finds it challenging to pronounce, she enjoys hearing this reassuring sentence.
Challenges in learning Arabic
Suin finds the dialects of Arabic to be the most challenging aspect of learning the language. The Arabic she learned in class was quite different from the local dialects she encountered in Jordan and Kuwait. Each dialect presented its own set of words, pronunciations and expressions, which she had to adapt to and relearn. This variation has been a significant and ongoing challenge in her Arabic learning journey. Like Asra’a, Suin finds it difficult to practice her Arabic outside her classroom in Kuwait as many people speak English. However, she recalls a memorable experience in Hungary where speaking Arabic to an Egyptian worker earned her a warm welcome and a discount. She also uses Arabic when traveling to other Arab countries like Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar.
Suin’s favorite Arabic words have evolved over time. Initially, she was fond of the word “الأردن” (Jordan) due to its unique pronunciation. Recently, she has grown to like the Kuwaiti expression “شلونج/شلونك” (How are you?) for its frequent use and distinctiveness in everyday conversations.
Cultural similarities
Asra’a and Suin have observed cultural similarities between Korea and Kuwait, as they told Kuwait Times that both cultures emphasize strong family ties and exhibit warmth, hospitality and care in personal relationships. These cultural commonalities have made Suin feel welcomed and less lonely during her stay in Kuwait, and made Asra’a feel the same way during her visit to Korea.
