Aitalieva Nurzhamal (from left), from Kyrgyzstan, Karimov Suhaili, from Tajikistan and Hartane Alaa, from Morocco, pose for a photograph after receiving the grand prize at the Sejong Hangeul Olympiad held on Tuesday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

A trio of young language enthusiasts from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Morocco who met through a chat group, triumphed at the first Sejong Hangeul Olympiad on Tuesday where they demonstrated their exceptional Korean language skills.

United as the team "Stars of Sejong," they won the grand prize in a competition that brought together 105 participants from 24 countries to celebrate Hangeul ahead of Hangeul Day.

A total of 35 teams, each comprising three members, participated in the Hangeul Olympiad, which featured four competitions: creating short videos by visiting locations related to Hangeul, discussing a topic in Korean, answering an OX quiz about Hangeul, and delivering a presentation on dialects.

After intense competition, the grand prize was awarded to the “Stars of Sejong” team, composed of Karimov Suhaili (27, from Tajikistan), Aitalieva Nurzhamal (25, from Kyrgyzstan), and Hartane Alaa (22, from Morocco).

Aitalieva Nurzhamal (center) sheds tears of joy after receiving the grand prize at the Sejong Hangeul Olympiad held on Tuesday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

The serendipitous formation of the team happened through an open group chat. It all began when Hartane posted that he was looking for teammates to participate in the Sejong Hangeul Olympiad.

Though they came from different backgrounds and cities -- Karimov residing in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Hartane studying at Sogang University in Seoul, and Aitalieva attending Soongsil University, also in Seoul -- their shared passion for the Korean language brought them together.

Reflecting on their victory, the team expressed a mixture of disbelief and joy.

Karimov said, “Though we received a grand prize, every participant here loves Korean. I was happy to be with them.” Hartane echoed this sentiment, saying, “I’m so happy to have participated with such wonderful teammates.”

For Aitalieva, the victory was particularly emotional. “Unlike my teammates, I’ve never participated in a speaking competition before. I didn’t believe we could win, and I cried when we did. I’m still overwhelmed and incredibly happy.”

Each member shared unique challenges on their journey to learning Korean.

For Karimov, the early stages of learning the language back in Tajikistan were full of difficulties. “I made so many mistakes. For example, I once said ‘yeobo’ to my teacher, meaning ‘honey’ when I meant to say ‘yeoboseyo,’ which means ‘hello,’” he shared, laughing at the memory. Despite these early hurdles, he has now studied Korean for five years and feels confident in his progress.

Hartane, as an Arabic speaker, found Korean grammar and pronunciation particularly tough. “Korean grammar is so different from Arabic. At first, it was overwhelming, but making Korean friends and practicing daily helped me improve,” he said. After three years in Korea, his hard work is paying off.

For Aitalieva, who has only been in Korea for one year, listening comprehension was the most challenging aspect. “I started learning Korean in 2016, but I had never spoken to native speakers before arriving here. I found it hard to respond when friends asked questions, but over time, I’ve improved.”

Each member offered tips for those aspiring to learn Korean.

Karimov emphasized the importance of speaking with confidence, even when mistakes are made. “We are not native speakers, and it’s okay to make mistakes. The key is to speak as much as possible with confidence. Nobody laughs at you, even if you make mistakes.”

Hartane recommended watching Korean dramas and YouTube videos. “Watching interesting Korean content made me feel more comfortable with the language. Repeating scenes and practicing dialogue helped me a lot.”

Aitalieva advised reading out loud and watching Korean variety shows to understand the culture and context behind expressions. "It’s very effective to read aloud, and shows can teach you how to use certain words in different situations."