New Delhi [India], February 7 (ANI): South Korea has gifted 13,500 masks to 26 Indian schools, their embassy said in a press statement on Monday.

"With the announcement of re-opening of schools, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea took a thoughtful step of delivering 13,500 masks with Indian flags printed on it to 26 Indian schools that have been conducting Korean language classes since 2021," the embassy said.

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This step was taken for welcoming the students back to schools after a long interval due to COVID-19.

"I hope that the Indian students who have been through these hard times of the COVID pandemic are able to overcome it by staying healthy and can continue with their lives and studies in the school and to deepen the understanding of Korean language and Korean culture," said Chang Jae-bok, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India.

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Through this, he conveyed his expectation from the Indian students to become a bridge between Korea and India in the future.

Korean Cultural Centre India has been conducting pilot classes for Korean Language Education at Indian schools since 2015. Currently, 15 schools are conducting Korean Language classes as a part of their curriculum.

As many as 18 schools are conducting Korean Language classes as hobby classes thanks to the Indian government's Korean language course recommendation through its 2020 National Education Policy and the popularity of Korean culture since the Covid 19 pandemic. 9 of them are in Delhi and nearby, 3 in Chennai, 2 in Punjab, and 1 in Imphal.

Particularly, 7 schools are conducting Korean Language classes as a part of their curriculum and hobby classes at the same time this year. 1,536 students have been learning the Korean Language from a total of 26 schools. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)