An arts university in Cuba is set to open a Korean language class starting next month on a trial basis, the Korean Cultural Center in the Caribbean country said Sunday.

The language course, which began preparations in January, could become a part of the Instituto Superior de Arte's (ISA) regular curriculum as early as September amid a growing demand for Korean language education and the recent establishment of Seoul-Havana diplomatic ties, the center said.

"Since Cuba puts great emphasis on its public education system, it is very meaningful that the country is running a Korean language course for university students," said Chung Ho-hyeon, the principal of the Korean Language School in Cuba. "It will help promote the Korean language following the establishment of diplomatic ties."

South Korea and Cuba established diplomatic ties in New York on Wednesday, with the two countries' representatives to the United Nations exchanging diplomatic notes to mark the establishment of formal ties.

Founded in 1976 by the Cuban government, the ISA offers higher education in various genres of arts, including music, visual arts and theater, among others. The school has offered language courses in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese, but not Korean.

In 2012, a Korean language course was opened at the University of Havana, a public school located in the country's capital, but was closed in 2018, due to various factors inside the country.

 

Students attend a Korean language class at the Korean Language School in Havana, Cuba, on Feb. 17, 2024 (local time). (Yonhap)

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