Our People Abroad: A Girl from Toktogul Was Mistaken for a Korean in a Country Where She Tried Seafood

Sezim Zamirbekova shared her two-year experience of studying and working in South Korea as part of the "Our People Abroad" series.

From a young age, her passion for K-pop inspired her to start learning the Korean language and enroll in a Kyrgyz-Korean college. After successfully passing the competition in 2022, she went to Korea, where she studied at universities and worked as a waitress.

Upon returning to her homeland, Sezim created Korean language courses and continues to study German.

Sezim was born in 2004 in the village of Uch-Terek, located in the Toktogul district. She studied at M. Nurgaziev School until the 9th grade. "Like many in my circle, I fell in love with Korean music and decided to learn the language," she shares.

At the age of 15, she enrolled in the Kyrgyz-Korean college in Bishkek. "At first, the Korean language seemed difficult to me, but gradually I began to speak without an accent and even started teaching it to others," Sezim shares.

In 2022, after passing the competition, she went to Korea. "When I first started this journey, many doubted my success, thinking that my interest would quickly fade. But thanks to my parents' support, I was able to go to Korea, and this experience turned out to be incredibly valuable," she says.

She studied at Hoseo University in Cheonan and Sojeong University in Ijeonbu, while dedicating her free time to part-time work. "I spent two years in Korea. At first, it was difficult to get used to the local cuisine, especially seafood. I was afraid of octopuses, but over time I learned to enjoy shrimp, crabs, and octopuses with various sauces," she recounts.

In her first semester, Sezim studied for free, then switched to a contractual basis. At the same time, she worked in cafes and stores. "While working, I realized that family outings are an important tradition in Korea. Families come to cafes together, and I saw for the first time how adults calmly drink 'sul' — a traditional alcoholic beverage. Even in bars, people behave respectfully," the girl notes.

Many Korean women mistook her for a local resident. "They called me Sidjim Pak, and when they found out my last name was Zamirbekova, they were surprised because my accent was no different from theirs," Sezim recalls.

After returning to Kyrgyzstan, she organized Korean language courses both offline and online. "My youngest student is only 10 years old, but he is already showing excellent results," she emphasizes.

Sezim is convinced that success in language learning depends on the persistence of the individual. "The Korean language is one of the simplest, especially for Kyrgyz people, as it has a lot in common with our language. Now I am studying German and planning a trip to Germany. In the future, I dream of traveling around the world," Sezim shares her plans.