JEDDAH: You can stumble upon a K-pop video somewhere on the Internet because it’s taken the world by storm, and for good reason: K-pop is fun!
The hype is no longer a trend and many are looking toward learning the Korean language in larger numbers than ever before.
The phenomenon has reached the shores of the region, and teens and tweens are flocking to the Internet to learn more, not only about K-pop, but Korean culture as well. This series will cover mini-stories of young ladies who have not only expressed their interest in Korean pop culture, but have taken the extra step to learn the language, perfect it and dream big.
Twenty-one-year-old Samira, a fresh graduate from a Saudi private University has had a love for Korean pop culture since her years in middle school. She explains how in 2010, she accidentally found a TV show online as she was searching the Internet; she stumbled across a Korean drama called “Playful Kiss.” She fell in love with the show from the very first episode and spread the news among her friends, who also recommended other TV shows. She got hooked and called upon her sister to join her and share the love. The friends told other friends and a circle of appreciation grew larger; they had all been watching as well but never told one another.
It started off with dubbed TV shows such as “Jewel of the Palace” or “Dae Jang Geum,” of which she proudly says watched 8 times, and then she grew to love music and more. Of the most famous K-pop singing groups, BTS is her favorite. “They’re international, they have many English lyrics in their songs and that’s very relatable to the international audience. The band is more real than anything. Their music talks about real life issues such as struggles in school which I can relate to immediately,” said Samira.
Samira has since made an effort to learn more. “The first Korean word I learned was ‘dream’ or ‘kkum’ in Korean. I go to learn Korean every week at the Korean International School in Jeddah and I have a dream to go there one day and experience life in Korea. Their values are more prominent than anything else; the level of respect they have for one another and their culture are what drove me to love everything about Korea,” she explained.
Eighteen-year-old Shaima, a freshman at a Saudi private University, was drawn into the world of Korean culture by her elder sister, Samira. The first Korean television show she saw was “Super Junior,” and she hasn’t looked back since.
Unlike Turkish television dramas with the 100+ episodes per season, Korean dramas have significantly fewer. According to Shaima, they are easier to watch and you don’t get bored. She checks specific websites on a daily basis to catch up on what’s new on the Korean drama scene. “After checking for the show I’m interested in at the moment, I can either watch them in their original form or subtitled, depending on the drama, of course,” said Shaima. Of course!
“The dramas are different from what others watch; there’s a different sense to them and you feel like they’re not mastered to be fake. No offense to other international dramas, but Koreans do drama as if they were telling their own life stories— raw and authentic,” exclaimed Shaima.
Just like her sister, Shaima also attends weekly language lessons at the Korean International School in Jeddah, and with the Internet nowadays connecting people far and wide, her lessons served her well. “I have many friends from all over the world and I speak to them in Korean. On our last trip to Paris, I was able to meet up with some of my online friends there and I can’t explain how polite they are. It’s one of the aspects of their society that drew me to them.”
Her love for Korean pop artists has no limits. It was by sheer coincidence that on one of her visits to Paris, a popular K-pop band was performing in the city. With the help of friends back in the Kingdom, the sisters were able to obtain tickets and attend the concert, calling it one of their wildest dreams come true. “It was raining heavily but we didn’t care; we shared a wonderful experience with concert goers from all over the world. Everyone loves Korean bands and that concert did not disappoint one bit!”
Having been exposed to K-pop and Korean dramas from the age of 13, Shaima has fallen in love with everything that is Korean. Her dream and ambition is not only to go and visit, she also strives to live there in the near future.
Big dreams from such a young woman; dream big, kid, you’ll get there one day.
Saudi girls catch ‘K’ fever
Saudi girls catch ‘K’ fever
3rd Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity underway in Riyadh
- More than 300 talented individuals and local and international speakers from over 50 countries were attending the three-day conference
RIYADH: The third edition of the Global Conference for Giftedness and Creativity opened in Riyadh on Sunday, bringing together a select group of experts and talented individuals in science, technology, and innovation.
More than 300 talented individuals and local and international speakers from over 50 countries were attending the three-day conference, which was inaugurated by Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, governor of Riyadh region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, also known as "Mawhiba," the conference is being held at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) until Tuesday.
Themed "Beyond Creative Minds," the conference aims to showcase the potential of the gifted, develop a comprehensive care system to support them, bolster integration and strategic partnerships, and enhance opportunities for global exchange and cooperation.
An exhibition and various cultural visits are being held on the conference sidelines, the SPA report said.
According to the Mawhiba site, the conference reflects the success achieved in the two previous editions, and "provides an opportunity for partners to contribute to sponsoring the journey of talented people from different countries of the world."
Saudi-European talks to strengthen cooperation in environmental fields
- Saudi minister, EU security and political officials discuss reinforcing existing work on coping with climate change
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir met with European officials on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Jubeir, who is also the Saudi climate envoy, held talks with Delphine Pronk, chair of the EU Political and Security Committee, and Luigi Di Maio, EU special representative for the Gulf region.
They discussed issues surrounding climate change and environmental cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the EU, as well as ways in which existing cooperation on tackling climate change could be strengthened. They also talked about the recent development in foreign policy in Europe and the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia maintains a strong dialogue with the EU, with both parties sharing views on several foreign policy issues, including the Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative for the Middle East.
The EU and Saudi Arabia are also linked through trade relations, with the EU becoming the Kingdom’s second main trading partner after the volume of trade exchange between Riyadh and Brussels peaked at $80 billion in 2023.
Saudi FM arrives in Italy to attend G7 ministerial meeting
RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Italy on Sunday to participate in an expanded ministerial meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Fiuggi, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The meeting will discuss the current situation in the Middle East, SPA added.
During his stay in Fiuggi, Prince Faisal will hold a number of discussions that will address regional and international issues.
Saudi fund chief receives Tajikistan’s deputy prime minister
- Saudi Ambassador to Tajikistan Walid Al-Rashidan was among the officials in attendance
RIYADH: CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development Sultan Al-Marshad received First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan Hokim Kholiqzoda and his accompanying delegation in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, the Saudi fund’s development projects were discussed, as well as ways to enhance development cooperation between both sides, the official account wrote on X.
Saudi Ambassador to Tajikistan Walid Al-Rashidan was among the officials in attendance.
Kholiqzoda’s visit included a tour of the Saudi fund’s exhibition center, which showcases the organization’s 50-year journey, including notable development projects and their impacts on the lives of beneficiaries.
World’s first International Conference on Conjoined Twins kicks off in Riyadh
- Top World Health Organization official commends Saudi Arabia’s efforts in the field
RIYADH: The inaugural International Conference on Conjoined Twins kicked off in Riyadh on Sunday.
The event unites leading medical experts, humanitarian organizations, and families from around the globe to share vital insights, discuss innovative separation techniques, and forge collaborative pathways in the pursuit of improved lives for conjoined twins.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar delivered a speech on behalf of King Salman celebrating the achievements of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has become a global leader in the field.
“Since 1990, 143 cases of twins from 26 countries have been reviewed by my dear colleagues, who have successfully separated a total of 61 pairs of twins to date,” he said.
Prince Faisal added that it is the only program globally specializing in separating conjoined twins, making it one of the largest humanitarian medical programs in the world.
He also highlighted a recent milestone: the UN General Assembly is considering an initiative by Saudi Arabia to designate Nov. 24 as the annual World Conjoined Twins Day.
In a video address, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, congratulated Saudi Arabia on its leadership in organizing the conference.
“I commend Saudi Arabia for its leadership in organizing this important World Conjoined Twins Day Conference,” he said.
This recognition would honor the medical and humanitarian efforts in this field and highlight the challenges faced by conjoined twins and their families.
Ghebreyesus praised the initiative as a model for global collaboration in rare and complex medical cases.
“The conference provides critical insights, from surgical innovations to long-term strategies, shaping rare initiatives. A broader platform and registry for congenital anomalies would benefit low and middle-income countries,” he said.
A keynote address was delivered by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor to the Royal Court and supervisor-general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
As the head of the multidisciplinary team for the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, Al-Rabeeah provided insights into the occurrence and challenges associated with conjoined twins.
The history of conjoined twin separation reveals both the challenges and progress in medical science.
“The first successful separation was by Johannes Fatio back in 1689 by using a constricting band for a set of Omphalopagus twins or those sharing liver and gastrointestinal organs,” he said.
With a 0.5 percent incidence rate, this early success involved “presumably, a small joining in the skin, probably a little bit of the liver,” said Al-Rabeeah.
He added that a major breakthrough came in 1957 with the first successful separation of Craniopagus, or twins sharing one brain.
Al-Rabeeah said that the epidemiology shows distinct patterns: “In Western countries, it’s been estimated that we get one conjoined twins in every 50 to 200,000 births.”
He added that, however, it is more prevalent in Southeast Asia and Africa, “presumably because identical twinning and twinning is (found) more in dark-skinned people in Africa and also in Southeast Asia, increasing the incidence.”
The survival statistics, Al-Rabeeah reported, entail that “60 percent of conjoined twins are stillborn, and those who live 40 percent of them will die in the first few days of life, and 70 percent of those who would survive will be females.”
He emphasized that the reasons behind this regional disparity remain unknown and require further research.
Throughout the conference, leading medical professionals presented their expertise on various aspects of caring for and separating conjoined twins. Topics included embryology, multidisciplinary team-building, antenatal care, and labor management.
Dr. Nadia Al-Ghilan, from the maternal-fetal medicine department at King Abdulaziz Medical City, gave a presentation titled “Caring for Conjoined Twins: A Prenatal Journey,” describing the complex process of managing pregnancies involving conjoined twins.
She said that caring for conjoined twins is a complex and delicate process as it requires meticulous prenatal planning and a dedicated medical team.
Al-Ghilan said that “this journey is filled with unique challenges, ethical considerations, and the utmost care to ensure the best possible outcomes for the twins and their family.”
Early diagnosis, she stressed, is critical for effective prenatal referral, counseling, and planning for delivery and postnatal care.
Al-Ghilan also underscored the importance of genetic testing in understanding the chromosomal health of conjoined twins.
“Techniques like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling can help identify genetic abnormalities, providing valuable information for developing treatment strategies.”
The conference not only serves as a platform for scientific exchange but also fosters dialogue on building global partnerships to support conjoined twins and their families, particularly in low and middle income countries. The conference emphasized the importance of comprehensive care, from prenatal counseling to post-separation rehabilitation.
For over 30 years, the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has stood as a beacon of hope for families worldwide. The inaugural International Conference on Conjoined Twins is set to continue this legacy, inspiring further advancements in the care and treatment of conjoined twins globally.
