This July in Malaga, a meeting was held between Instituto Cervantes directors, whose inauguration was presided over by the Queen Letizia of Spain.
Current Director, Juan Manuel Bonet, announced the opening of a new centre in Seoul, in addition to two others next year in Switzerland and Senegal, with the main goal being to teach and spread the Spanish language.
The centre in Seoul is part of an expansion in Asia and the Pacific, as the vast majority of Europe’s cultural institutes are looking in that direction.
Currently, the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies enjoys a programme approved by the Instituto Cervantes, however, starting next year, a centre administered directly by the Spanish Government will open.
The South Korean Ambassador to Spain, Park Hee-kwon, said that, with the establishment of the Instituto Cervantes in South Korea, more systematic education will be offered for a the language that is used by 500 million people in some 30 countries, while also promoting a connection between South Korean youth and Latin America.
