韩国学生在中国的生活

As part of Xi Jinping's time in South Korea, it's expected issues connected to cultural exchanges are going to be discussed.

Beijing is already home to a large and growing population of South Korean students, who have become social ambassdors, helping link young people from both countries.

CRI's Li Dong has more.

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Lee Laehyun is a South Korean student at Beijing Normal University. He has been studying Chinese for 4 years. Like many other Korean students, he politely bows when he meets someone.

Lee has been living in Beijing for a long time and has witnessed the development of a Korean community in Beijing.

"I think after the 2008 Olympics, public service facilities became more developed, like the newly built subway lines in Wudaokou and Wangjing. Now, I can always find stores that sell products from my hometown, and restaurants run by Korean people. It makes our life convenient and cozy."

Lee has been interested in learning foreign languages since he was a kid. When he came to China with his parents years ago, Chinese became his major.

He likes Chinese culture. As the overseas student leader of the Institute of Literature at Beijing Normal University, he used to organize Korean students to learn Chinese calligraphy.

"In South Korea, we have calligraphy. But it's not as profound as the Chinese calligraphy. We Korean students don't know how to write it. So I organized an activity, inviting calligraphy artists and Chinese students who are also interested in this art to share their experience. It was an experience of fun."

In recent years, the South Korean entertainment industry has had a significant impact on China. People in many different age groups like to watch Korean TV shows. Lee says those shows, the actors and actresses, and even Korean food are big topics of conversation among his many Chinese friends.

"This is a big topic. Whenever I meet Chinese friends for the first time, they will always ask me whether I have met their favorite Korean actor or actress when I was in Korea, and is it true that in South Korea people really match beer and fried chicken. I laugh and say it's true. We ordinary people do drink beer when having fried chicken. We think they taste good together."

Lee Laehyun says his father has been doing business in China for a long time.

"My father has been in China for more than 10 years. His company, a clothing business, is in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Doing business in a country other than your motherland is tough sometimes. But he says China is a fast developing country, and China has many opportunities that other places can't provide him. So he stays here. I agree with him."

Figures from the Ministry of Education last year show that the number of South Korean students continues to top numbers from other countries in China.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.