On May 24, Indonesian participants hold up boards with their names written in Korean during the “2025 Overseas Youth Unification Golden Bell” competition, hosted by the South and Southeast Asia Chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council at Jakarta International Korean School (JIKS) in Indonesia. (Yonhap)
JAKARTA, May 24 (Korea Bizwire) — An Indonesian college student has won top honors in a Korean-language quiz competition focused on Korean unification and history, outshining nearly 100 peers and securing a trip to South Korea for a global finals event.
The event, titled the 2025 Overseas Youth Unification Golden Bell, was held Saturday at Jakarta International Korean School (JIKS) and organized by the South and Southeast Asia chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council, a body under South Korea’s presidential office that promotes peace and reunification awareness abroad.
The competition featured two divisions: one for Korean youth residing in Indonesia, and another for local Indonesian university students studying Korean. Participants tackled a range of challenging questions in Korean, covering the Korean War, North-South relations, and modern political history.
The winner of the Indonesian student division was Pirli Fadila, a 22-year-old senior majoring in Korean Language Education at Indonesia University of Education (UPI). Fadila credited her victory to weeks of nightly study and a deep personal interest in Korean history, which she pursued through YouTube videos and online resources.
On May 24, Pirli Fadila (22), the winner of the “2025 Overseas Youth Unification Golden Bell” competition, poses for a commemorative photo holding her award certificate at Jakarta International Korean School (JIKS) in Indonesia. The event was hosted by the South and Southeast Asia Chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council. (Yonhap)
“I studied every night for three weeks with the sample questions. It was tough, especially the terminology, but I’ve always been curious about Korean history,” Fadila said. “I learned about the accomplishments of each Korean president, and I hope the next one will work toward peaceful reunification.”
Her victory comes with a cash prize and a fully-funded trip to South Korea, where she will participate in the international finals of the Unification Golden Bell competition later this year. It will be her first visit to Korea, and she hopes to pursue graduate studies in media and journalism there.
In the Korean youth division, Woo Eun-su, an 11th-grade student at JIKS, emerged as the finalist and received top honors among Korean students living in Indonesia.
The event was attended by notable figures from the Korean expatriate community in Jakarta, including Park Soo-deok, acting ambassador of South Korea to Indonesia; Kim Jong-heon, head of the local Korean association; Lee Kang-hyun, chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce; and Lee Sun-ah, principal of JIKS.
The event not only celebrated academic excellence but also reinforced cultural ties and educational diplomacy between South Korea and Indonesia.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
