Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan officially inaugurated the Yunus Emre Institute’s cultural centre in Seoul on Wednesday, during her visit to South Korea, accompanying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Following the opening ceremony, she visited a classroom where South Korean students were studying Turkish and listened to two students perform a dialogue in the language.

She also watched artist Hikmet Kadir Bozok demonstrate ebru, the traditional Turkish art of paper marbling, and joined him in making a piece of marbled art.

Language and culture as bridges between nations

Emine Erdogan told students that those learning Turkish would serve as ambassadors between Türkiye and South Korea.

In a post on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, she described the centre as a bridge between cultures and expressed hope that it would strengthen ties between the two countries.

She said learning another language allows people to discover different ways of life and perspectives, adding that mutual understanding provides a strong foundation for friendship between nations.

Centre offers courses and cultural activities

The Seoul centre has been operating since 2024. It was previously based at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and was recognised as a diplomatic cultural centre by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry in 2025.

It offers Turkish language courses alongside activities including Turkish cuisine classes, traditional handicraft workshops, cultural events and educational exchanges.

Twenty-one South Korean students are currently receiving Turkish language instruction at the centre. 

The Yunus Emre Institute works internationally to promote the Turkish language, culture, arts and heritage while encouraging mutual understanding between societies.