The singing was in Korean, but the joy ringing through the newest summer camp of Concordia Language Villages on July 20 needed no translation — campers, staff, and well-wishers were gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Sup sogŭi Hosu, and its freshly built facilities dedicated to Korean language and cultural immersion.
The first phase of construction of the culturally authentic Korean language village is complete, including a dining hall, administrative complex, and two villager cabins, all featuring abundant natural lighting and materials specifically chosen to harmonize with the outdoor environment.
“This is a space where we cultivate a love of language, a love of Korean language, a love of Korea,” said Dr. Dafna Zur, dean of the Korean language village and director of the Center for East Asian Studies at Stanford University. “It's a place where you can learn from scratch. And it's a place where we encourage every single villager (camper) who comes to find their voice — and to find themselves in Korean, regardless of where they come from.”
Nestled among the pine and birch woods of northern Minnesota, just off Turtle Lake near Bemidji, the new buildings offer significant flexibility, allowing for a maximum of summer camp fun, including crafting, music lessons, taekwondo classes, and more.
“I’m thrilled,” said Kenny Park, South Korean philanthropist and chairman and CEO of the Simone Corporation, which produces luxury handbags for Coach, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, and other high-profile brands. “It’s amazing what we have accomplished this far.”
Along with his company, Park and his wife, Simone Oh, contributed $5 million toward the building of Sup sogŭi Hosu, kicking off the project with their enthusiasm for sharing Korean language and culture with young people from all over the U.S. and beyond.
Sup sogŭi Hosu isn’t finished, though, as Park himself noted.
As interest in Korean language classes has spiked in college classrooms and interest in Korean pop culture has soared, demand for the unique experience offered by the Korean language village has also skyrocketed, resulting in waitlists for hopeful campers.
As such, Sup sogŭi Hosu is already looking to the future, planning a second phase of construction that will include a cultural center, activities hall, additional residential cabins, and traditional Korean archery range.
“We really need to continue to build the physical structure of this Village to continue to meet the demand for the Korean language programming for children, adults, families, and other audiences,” said Mary Maus Kosir, executive director of Concordia Language Villages.
The Korean village’s first family weekend was recently announced and planning is underway for an adult program, she added.
“What I’m most excited about is to see now these incredible young people who are so enthusiastic, not only about learning Korean language, but also about broadening their knowledge of Korean culture, Korean history, U.S. ties with the region, all of that — really, becoming global citizens,” said Kathleen Stephens, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2011.
She was the first ambassador to that nation who actually speaks Korean. Now Stephens is chair of the Korea Society, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the U.S. and Korea.
“I think the future for this village is really kind of unlimited because the ties between the United States and South Korea just continue to grow,” she said. “I hope this will become a real focal point or a real meeting place for people who do want to see the understanding between our two countries and between diverse cultures and people really deepen and improve.”
Stephens praised the completed facilities as an architectural masterpiece, noting how they reflect the architectural traditions of Korea as well as its modern sensibilities.
B.A. You, of Archigroup MA, the principal architect of the project, began his work by investigating the other language villages, but quickly learned that each of the Language Villages is unique, as each reflects the architectural heritage and creativity of the cultures where its language is spoken.
Instead, You drew on Korean ideals for the project, including the shapes of a traditional Korean home, an emphasis on harmony with nature, and the feeling of peace.
“This is not the end,” he said of the project. “This is kind of like a commencement.”
“We still have a way to go,” Park said, adding that he believes one of the best gifts people can offer young people is providing the access, motivation, and opportunity for them to learn about cultures in other parts of the world. And he considers the immersion model of Concordia Language Villages the perfect way to do that.
“Yesterday, as we came onsite with a number of our visitors, it was great to see the village — actually, for my first time — in action on its authentic site. And so what did we see? We saw a group of villagers playing badminton, a group of villagers in the dining hall making Korean shaved ice desserts. There was another group of villagers learning how to play a Korean instrument and singing traditional folk songs,” Maus Kosir said. “And so what the village really is, is simply complete and total immersion.”
“This is truly a momentous occasion, where we come together to celebrate a vision that transcends borders and unites us in our shared pursuit of cultural influence and global understanding,” said Dr. Colin Irvine, president of Concordia College, who spoke during a brief program celebrating the completion of the first phase of construction.
Rebecca Spencer, who has worked at the camp for seven years, as well as campers Sarah Deal and Oren Kim, also spoke at the dedication ceremony, all three in Korean.
The event included a recorded message from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), as well as musical performances from campers, who played traditional Korean instruments and sang multiple songs in Korean. Following the program, attendees shared toasts to the village and had cake.
Throughout the afternoon, guests were served Korean treats, including croissant waffles, kimchi on a stick, Korean corn dogs, and persimmon punch.
As a special treat, Hormel Foods, based in Austin, Minnesota, sent a delegation to the event that included chef Amy Forbis, who created Spam rice balls for the occasion. Spam has been popular in Korea since the Korean War when U.S. soldiers brought the dish with them.
Celebrity chef and Korean actor Ryu Soo-young attended the event too, even filming an episode of his show at Sup sogŭi Hosu. Other notables who made an appearance included Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince and Sejong City Mayor Minho Choi, as well as representatives from the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles and the Korea Foundation.
Dr. Ross King, the founding dean of the Korean language village back in 1999, spoke about its history, and how he got involved.
“As soon as I became a teacher of Korean, I realized how desperately weak our infrastructure for Korean language education was,” he said.
Later, the opportunity arose to get involved, and King did, with a vision of producing expert language speakers with global citizenship skills and the commitment to build bridges between Korea and North America.
“Here’s an opportunity to really impact the future, as we’re thinking about the kinds of communities we want to build,” Maus Kosir said. “We’re thinking of the kind of citizens that we want to continue to educate. We need global citizens because the world is more interconnected than it’s ever been before.”
As a token of thanks, she presented Park and Oh with a handbag created by an Ojibwe artisan, hand-beaded in sky blue to reflect the lakes of Minnesota.
“This is a program unlike any program in the world,” Zur said. “We take children from ages 7 to 18 and cultivate language learning and love for all things Korean.”
Resources
- Concordia Language Villages
- Sup sogŭi Hosu, the Korean language village
- Concordia College, Moorhead
