한국 속에 이란 President Park's visit to Iran has been squarely focused on raising business opportunties for both countries... but it appears her landmark trip is resulting in much more. Iranians in Korea are expecting and hoping that it will also create better cultural understanding and exchange. Oh Soo-young met with three Iranians who live in the capital of Seoul. Sourena Behbahani, an Iranian undergraduate student at Sejong University, came to Korea five years ago to study animation. But his reasons for moving here went beyond education. He came on a path of self-discovery. "I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and I'd always been interested in East Asian countries. Between Korea, Japan and China, I found Korea the most fascinating." Behbahani is one of the more than 300 Iranians in Seoul,... here to work, study or settle down. Adjusting to life here for students like Behbahani involves making new friends, doing his studies in Korean and finishing tough assignments around the clock. Still, he makes it his priority to support his peers as student president of the animation department. "No one sees Sourena as a foreigner. He's actually more Korean than some. He's dedicated to his responsibilities and is passionate about serving other students." "I received only love and support from my senior classmen and professors. So I wanted to pay forward this love. I would like to help my classmates as much as I can." Taking his experience and life lessons he learned in Korea, Behbahani hopes to share his story through his animation works. "Animation can be a way to express the emotions I feel, my thoughts on life, my philosophy. I want to return to Iran and share what I've learned in Korea." Another Iranian student is building up her experience in Korea -- literally -- through a huge textile-art piece. Sudeh Najafizadeh is here working on her postgraduate degree in textile arts at Hongik University, Korea's most prestigious visual arts university. To make the work, Najafizadeh put together some of the photos that she's taken during her two years in the country. "I collected my memories here to create a silhouette of my friend." For her, her friends are everything. Her Korean friends in Iran were the ones who led her to Seoul, introducing her to Korean food, music and, most of all, her favorite TV dramas. "I was sixteen when I watched my first Korean drama, 'Daejanggeum.' I was fascinated by the story, the food and the interior decor." Once she decided to experience Korea for herself, Najafizadeh made a great effort to master the language, which she now speaks fluently. And in the same way she was introduced to Korea, she now wants to share with her friends back home... the country she fell in love with. "I want to be a bridge between Korea and Iran and show Iranians that K-pop and dramas aren't all there is. There is also fine art and culture." On the eastern side of Seoul, a businessman called Shin Se-jong goes through some numbers. "My Iranian name's Garun. But I've changed my name to Shin Se-jong, after Korea's King Sejong. I'd like to be great like him." During his sixteen years of living here, Shin is an established member of the Iranian community in Korea. "When I return to Iran, I feel homesick after about ten days. I consider Korea my country now. Though if there's a football match between the two countries, it's Iran all the way. But of course, I root for Korea if it's playing another country." Shin has built a sturdy business in auto parts, steel and machinery,... and he is keen to promote trade between his two home countries. "Korea has the technology and Iran has natural resources. Doing business in Iran will also open doors to the surrounding countries. I think Korea will profit greatly -- but they need to hurry." But beyond business partnerships, Shin hopes that cultural ties between Korea and Iran will deepen and that misconceptions will be broken. "Koreans think Iranians are Arabs, but we're Persian. They also think of danger or terrorism, but those are misconceptions. I do think they will fade away through President Park's visit." "There are some 820 Iranians living in Korea, a minority of the foreign population. But with President Park Geun-hye's trip to Tehran this week, anticipation is high for closer relations, economically, culturally and interpersonally. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News." Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS): http://www.facebook.com/newsarirang Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangtv Twitter: http://twitter.com/arirangworld Instagram: http://instagram.com/arirangworld

• published: 02 May 2016
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