South Korea with Iris

In the next section, you can see how points are distributed. You must have heard about the TOPIK exam. TOPIK is short for Test of Proficiency in Korean. And it is the most popular exam to determine the level of knowledge of the Korean language. Let's get to know this exam a little closer. The TOPIK certificate is asked for when entering a university in Korea when applying for a job when applying for a visa. Also, many universities in Korea can give you a grant in the form of a tuition discount depending on your TOPIK level.  History of TOPIK The very first TOPIK exam took place in 1997, and then only 2,274 people took it. And in 2021, a total of 330,016 people registered for the exam! Types of TOPIK Previously, TOPIK was divided into 2 types: B-TOPIK and S-TOPIK . What is the difference? S-TOPIK or Standard TOPIK is a regular TOPIK, i.e. for general purposes. A B-TOPIK or Business TOPIK for employment. S-TOPIK, in turn, was divided into elementary (1-2), intermediate (3-4) and adva

 Let me take you to the last Wednesday walk this month! It is freezing cold here. I don't remember such a cold winter here in Korea. And if the forecast says it is above 0C outside, don't trust it. In Korea, it always feels much colder! So, I want to take you to the Lantern festival and New Year market! In many countries, you call it a Christmas market and it goes on in December, but here in Korea we have it at the end of January. Why? Because January 22nd was a Lunar New Year here. And it is more important to Koreans than Christmas. However, it doesn't matter how do you call it. The important thing is the magic that you can feel here! I went there after lunch before the sunset, and it wasn't as marvellous as it was at night. You can see it for yourself. Just compare the next 2 photos! So, I decided to go to the museum which is located on the opposite side of the road and to come to the festival later... You know, when I came here back later at night, I thought I came t

 Today we will go to the Christmas market in my district. It takes around 15 minutes of walking to get here. If be honest, they started installing Christmas decorations here at the end of October. So, we started waiting for Christmas for more than a month. And the interesting thing is that when you are surrounded by all those Christmas signs, you start feeling the Christmas vibes. And yes, I have had a Christmas mood since October. I even took out my Christmas cup (which I broke yesterday, so no photos of it...) Anyways, let's look around. I took lots of photos but can't share them because in most photos I have people's faces. And I can't share their pictures without permission, some law issues here. I think that place reflects the 'Alice in wonderland story, or maybe any other magic story. There is something like a labyrinth decorated with lights.  And in the centre, there is a huge Christmas tree with hundreds of lights and Christmas tree balls. You can go inside

It was a while since I took you with me on my trips around Korea. I have lots of photos, notes, and emotions that I want to share with you. And today I want to show you one of the museums, that I visited a couple of weeks ago. It is a National Aviation Museum of Korea that opened its doors just in July 2020. National Aviation Museum of Korea The museum is located in Seoul, right near the Gimpo Airport. So, if you will be around the Gimpo Airport, and have free time, visit the museum. It is free of charge, except for different activities that you can try in the museum. But most of them are not so expensive, around $1-3. At the entrance to the museum, you will meet a cute plane robot. It has a name but I don’t really remember… The museum looks small from the outside, however, there are 3 floors full of different exhibitions, rest zones, etc. 1st Floor of the museum We started from the very 1st floor. It is the largest hall I think. It starts with a history of world aviation. Visitors can

I love museums! Because they can tell you a lot of interesting historical facts. Also, museums can help people to understand the culture of that country better. And sometimes, nope almost always, you can learn something new, even if you already have been to that museum before. Hangeul means the Korean alphabet, so the museum is dedicated to the Korean alphabet. About National Hangeul Museum The National Hangeul Museum has opened its doors on October 9th 2014. It is an Hangeul Day in Korea. The museum is located in Seoul close to the National Museum of Korea. And there is a park zone around the museum. There are 5 floors in the museum and 3 of them are museum exhibition halls. You know almost every museum in Korea has a kids zone. It can be a special exhibition hall or a playing learning zone. And I think it is really cool! So kids don’t get bored, they can play and they can learn at the same time. Hall with Korean folk songs for children We started our excursion from the top floor, and

Let's talk today about admission to a Korean university or university. Many people are afraid of this question. It seems to be very complicated and confusing. But really, nothing is impossible. You just need to figure out what's what. Let's start in order. Admission to a Korean university for international students First of all, I note that Korean students and foreign students enter separately. And the recruitment for local students takes place under completely different conditions and at a different time. I also note that it is much easier for foreign students to enter a university in Korea than for Koreans themselves. I will tell you about how the process of admission of local students to the university goes next time. Today we will focus on international students. To make it clearer, I will make this article in Q&A style. I hope you feel more comfortable this way. Main questions about admission The process of entering a university is almost the same in all universiti

Temple of God of mercy or where our desires can be heard. It is one of the most popular Buddhist Temples in Busan. I send everyone warm spring greetings from South Korea. Now the whole world is in a terrible pandemic of the coronavirus, and many countries are isolated. People are sitting at home and going out is not so easy. In South Korea, despite the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, here is no mandatory home quarantine. More precisely, quarantine was prescribed only for those who had just arrived in the country. But I didn’t want to talk about the virus today. Today I suggest you take a virtual trip to one of the most unusual temples in South Korea, which was built in 1376. “You will receive an answer to at least one of your desires through sincere prayers”  … This is the motto of the Yonggungsa temple . So the choice of our current tourist destination is not accidental. The history of mankind has always been intertwined with the sea. Sometimes the sea is quiet and