I like travelling very much, and I always imagine that if I was a travel writer I would be happy to travel all over the world. Last year, my school provided me with a chance to go abroad with 30 other students. We visited Jakarta, Indonesia. It was my first time there.
We had a mission to inform the local people about Korean culture. We performed Korean pop music and made presentations about Korea in a junior high school in Jakarta. We met many people who liked Korean dramas and Korean pop music (referred to as K-pop). They were really interested in Korean culture. They sincerely welcomed us and fed us a variety of Indonesian food. We felt like Korean stars because they liked us and showed us great hospitality. One day, I had an interview at an Indonesian broadcasting station. I was very honored to do an interview in front of the camera. Indonesian people like Korean culture. I wondered why they like Korea. Why have Korean dramas and K-pop become so popular? I talked about the K-pop sensation in Indonesia during my interview. I was very surprised that South Korean TV dramas and K-pop are all the craze in Southeast Asia. Through the internet, people are getting more and more interested in K-pop, and it has become well known by the mainstream in Southeast Asia. I felt regret that while they are interested in Korean culture, we had not taken more of an interest in theirs. Through this experience I became more interested in Indonesia. I was happy to meet them in Indonesia because they made me see the world.
I'm proud that the Korean wave has been a source of national pride for many Koreans. We have informed Indonesian people about Korean culture. It has been successful. Also, tourism to South Korea has increased significantly since the Korean wave. I promised that I would invite my Indonesian friends to Korea soon. While visiting Indonesia, it was precious for me to see my country through others' eyes. It was a great experience for me. I'm very proud of my country.
