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As many as 24 Korean students who joined Pacific Asia Society (PAS) revisited UGM and Yogyakarta. The visit starting from 19 January until 5 February 2010 was to review cultural exchange with students of Korean Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM.
For three weeks, students from various universities in Korea, 80 students of UGM’s Korean Department, and 3 students of Communication Department in Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM learned culture, dance, music, and traditional costume from each other. In the weekends, the Korean students visited tourism destinations in Yogyakarta such as the Palace, Tamansari, Borobudur Temple, Malioboro, Kotagede and Sekaten Night Market.
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“The Korean students have the opportunity to learn Saman Dance and try Kebaya (traditional costume) and sing Indonesian songs. Meanwhile, our students practice taekwondo and Samulnori music,†said Head of Korean Department of UGM, Suray Agung Nugroho, S.S., M.A., alongside the Performance Art Collaboration of Korean and Indonesian Students at the Auditorium, Thursday (4/2).
Suray explained that one of the basis of PAS organization was to bridge Asian people such as by doing social service. Together with Korean Department’s students of UGM, the group visited “Sayap Ibu†orphanage in Kalasan, Sleman regency. In 2009, the PAS group held social service in a kindergarten in Kuwon Village, Gunung Kidul regency. Suray added that starting from year 2010, PAS decided to visit UGM regularly and help bridge academic and non-academic activities involving the two countries. “That has been discussed in the meeting between the leader of the Korean group, Kwon Soon Gil, and Dean from UGM, Dr. Ida Rochani Adi, S.U.,†Suray said.   Â