A weekly Korean teaching programme has been started on Vietnam Television Channel 2 (VTV2), according to a representative of the Korean Cultural Centre.

The programme is broadcast at 9 am on Wednesday and repeated at 2.30pm on the next day, with the first lesson aired on Jan. 4.

The progamme, co-organised by Korea Foundation in Vietnam , KBS TV, VTV2 and Vietnam National University - College of Foreign Languages , is the first Korean language class to be screened to meet public demand, and also to celebrate 20 years of Vietnam-Republic of Korea diplomatic relations.

The class syllabus, with 20 lectures for beginners, is based on the curriculum of the Korean Educational Institute and will be extended to higher levels if successful. It will help learners who cannot attend classes to gain access to the language.

Thirteen universities in Vietnam have Korean language faculties and 18 others include Korean language in their teaching courses, with a total of 2,200 students./.