Seoul: The third Persian Speech Contest was recently hosted at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea. This event was co-organized by the Iranian Embassy in Seoul and the university's Department of Persian Language and Iranian Studies. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the competition took place on a Saturday and commenced with a speech by Iran's Ambassador Saeid Kouzechi. A video message from South Korean Envoy to Iran Kim Junpyo was also featured. Ambassador Kouzechi emphasized the role of languages as tools for communication and cultural connection, while highlighting the significant impact of the Persian language on global literature. In his video message, South Korea's ambassador to Tehran compared learning a new language to embarking on a new journey that reveals new worlds. The Iranian ambassador later met with Park Jeong-Woon, the head of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, on the following Sunday. During the meeting, Kouzechi recalled the establishment of the Persian Language Department at the university 50 years ago. He remarked on the department's long-standing contribution to fostering cultural ties between Iran and South Korea. Furthermore, the Iranian envoy expressed his country's willingness to engage in cultural and scientific cooperation with Seoul, a proposal warmly received by the Korean university official.