Tanzanian resident wins first gwageo exam for foreigners at Seoul's Sungkyunkwan

A Tanzania-born man, Eloi Eseko, 28, took first place in the first gwageo examination for foreign residents in Korea, held on Oct 5 at Sungkyunkwan in Seoul's Jongno District, Kyunghyang Shinmun, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. About 200 participants from 55 countries took part, the outlets said. Eseko received the hongpae certificate dressed in a green aengsam, bokdu and eosahwa, the attire of a Joseon-era top passer, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

The prompt asked participants to choose three things about Korea they would introduce to their own countries and explain why, the three outlets reported. Kyunghyang said Eseko had to write his answer within 20 minutes of the prompt being released; Asia Economy said participants could instead choose to write the event slogan, “Make your dream come true and give it to yourself as a gift,” in Korean. Answers across the field ranged from kimchi, hangul and hanbok to hiking, senior-junior culture, eating together, 24-hour convenience stores and television variety shows, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

Eseko's answers cited Korea's rapid economic development and internet, its safe public order, and “jeong,” a word he said cannot be precisely explained in English. He told reporters that Korea had overcome the Korean War and the IMF crisis, with budae jjigae as a trace of that era and the “ppalli-ppalli” habit as the driving force, and that Tanzania, rich in natural resources, could develop if it moved as diligently, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. He said he was initially thrown off by the short time and the lack of space for notes, comparing the format with the TOPIK Korean proficiency test, according to the three outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

Eseko came to Korea following his father, who studied here, lived in Korea for eight years as a child, and returned in 2017 to study social welfare at Incheon National University, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. Kyunghyang reported he attended a Korean elementary school during his father's doctoral studies and that he likes the animation “Crayon Shin-chan,” which he said was how he learned the language enjoyably. After graduating he worked at a startup for several years and said he wants to serve as a link between Tanzania and Korea, pointing to a shared culture of respect for elders, and to promote Tanzania on Korean broadcasts. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]

Asia Economy reported that 12.5 million won in prize money was awarded to 33 people, including the top passer, and that the event was held as part of the Confucian culture festival marking the 2577th anniversary of Confucius's birth. The outlet quoted Yudohoe as saying the gwageo was historically a system that crossed borders, citing the record that official Ssang-gi of China's Later Zhou suggested its introduction under Goryeo's King Gwangjong, and that Silla's Choe Chiwon passed the Tang dynasty's separate examination for foreigners. [ 4 ]

Sungkyunkwan Yudohoe president Lee Kwon-jae said he was moved by the participants' sincerity in trying to understand another country's history and culture and that he wants to grow the event with other institutions, Kyunghyang reported. Yonhap and Asia Economy reported he also said it was impressive to see foreigners write Korean so well at a time when people worry about Korean children's literacy, and that the organization plans to make the foreigner exam a regular event. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]