The Sydney Korean Education Centre held a special Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) cultural event during Korean language class hours from September 23 (Tue) to September 25 (Thu), 2025. The program was designed for Term 3 TOPIK Korean language students to learn about and experience Korea’s most celebrated traditional holiday.

Learning the Meaning of Chuseok and Tasting Traditional Food

The event began with a presentation introducing the meaning and origins of Chuseok, family-centered traditions, representative foods such as songpyeon, jeon, and hangwa, as well as traditional games like yutnori, ganggangsullae, and tug-of-war.

The highlight of the program was the rice cake making activity, where students dressed in traditional Korean clothing (hanbok) and participated in a tteokme pounding experience. Learners took on different roles such as pounding, coating with soybean powder, and sharing the rice cakes together with sikhye (a traditional sweet rice drink). This hands-on activity offered a lively introduction to Korean holiday customs.

Diverse Activities and Participation Events

Additional programs included a hanbok try-on session and a K-pop singing contest, allowing students to participate in line with their interests and language levels. An Instagram event was also organized, where participants who shared their experience online received a set of traditional Korean bamboo spoons as a gift.

High Student Satisfaction

At the conclusion of the event, students completed a satisfaction survey and provided feedback on the Korean language program. Those who successfully completed the Term 3 course received certificates of completion, presented directly by their instructors.

Students expressed their enthusiasm, commenting that “experiencing Korean culture made learning the language more enjoyable” and “the rice cake pounding activity gave us a real taste of the Chuseok holiday atmosphere.”

Director Ji-Young Kwon of the Sydney Korean Education Centre remarked, “Through this event, students were able to strengthen their motivation for learning Korean while gaining a deeper understanding of traditional Korean culture. We will continue to enhance the quality of our Korean courses through diverse cultural programs in the future.”