On August 14 (Friday) at 2 PM, the Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) at Kyungnam University (Director Kwan-Sei Lee) hosted a visit by foreign university students participating in the 2026 Global Hanma program at the Jeongsan Hall of the Unification Building.

This year’s program was attended by 26 foreign students from 11 universities across five countries: ▲ 18 students from four universities in Japan, ▲ 5 students from four universities in China, ▲ 1 student from universitie in Taiwan, ▲ 1 student from university in Malaysia, ▲ 1 student from university in Philippines.

In his welcoming remarks, Eul-Chul Lim (Director of Research, the IFES) expressed his gratitute to all the students participating in the 2026 Global Hanma and urged them to “use this visit as a valuable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the reality of the division of North and South Korea.

After a commemorative photo session with Kyungnam University President Jae Kyu Park and University of North Korean Studies Chairperson Sun Hyang Kim, the participating international students received an overview of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies and the University of North Korean Studies from Eul-Chul Lim, Director of Research at the IFES. They also toured the library’s special collections room, where they showed great interest in the more than 20,000 volumes of original North Korean materials housed there.

The Global Hanma program, launched in 1996, has been held annually, inviting students from overseas partner universities to Kyungnam University during the summer break to participate in experiential exchange activities with Kyungnam students. The program aims to strengthen student networks while actively promoting the university’s internationalization.