Ohio State will get a dose of the eastern influence next week with the first Korean Culture Week.

Next week the Korean International Student Organization and the Korean Student Association will host Korean Culture Week to promote and raise awareness of South Korean culture in the OSU community.

The Korean Culture Show, offered on the last day, has been in existence since 2006, said Ji Hoon Oh, a fourth-year in strategic communication and member of the public relations team for Korean Culture Week. This year, the groups decided to dedicate a week to presenting different issues and topics within Korean cultures.

Oh said the event’s objectives are to motivate young professionals and scholars to have interest in Korea and to establish a network between OSU students, scholars, alumni and local Asian businesses.

“This week is sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Washington. They supported our event by giving us $5,000 to fund the week,” Oh said.

Three guest speakers will discuss Korean culture, economy and education at “The Seoulful Journey,” a forum scheduled for Tuesday. The discussion will run from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in 131 Hitchcock Hall.

Kyungrok Kim, a fourth-year in accounting and one of the event’s coordinators, said the discussion will not feature any Koreans.

“All three of the speakers are non-Korean. We want our participants to understand the view of Koreans from individuals like them,” Kim said. The speakers include Kelchi A. Kalu, director for the center for African-Studies, Danielle Pyun, professor of East Asian studies, and Justin DeBrosse, who teaches English to international students.

At 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the week will present “Movie Night: Jeon Woochi,” a 2009 Korean film based on a novel. Before the movie, Kim said participants will discuss traditional South Korean values, which are present in the movie. After, members of the committee will dress up in costumes from the movie for a comedy portion.

An entertainment show on Thursday will end the week. The show will include performances of Korean Pop, or K-Pop, songs and dances, cultural exhibits, instrument and martial art demonstrations and Korean trivia during intermission, Oh said. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Ohio Union Performance Hall.

President E. Gordon Gee said in a statement that Korean Culture Week is a way for students to expose themselves to other cultures.

“Events such as Korean Culture Week are perfectly in keeping with that priority (of global perspective). Whether you attend a forum or a film, you will no doubt gain insight into the rich cultural history of Korea and its vibrant place on this campus,” Gee said.

All Korean Culture Week’s events are free and open to the public.