The Diplomat
Once again, the Centro Cultural Coreano belonging to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea has delivered a batch of books in Spanish by the Korean author Heena Baek to the Pediatrics Area of Hospital Universitario La Paz.
In commemoration of the International Book Day (23 April) and the Children’s Day in Korea (5 May), the director of the Centro Cultural Coreano and first secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Jaekwang Shin, accompanied by the team of the Cultural Centre, visited last Wednesday the University Hospital La Paz to make delivery of books to children hospitalized in various areas of pediatrics.
In addition to the donation of books, children had the opportunity to dress up in hanbok, traditional Korean clothing and learn about various aspects of Korean culture in a playful and close way.
The titles delivered were: Caramelos Mágicos and Pan de Nube, both written by Heena Baek and translated into Spanish. These children’s books with amazing illustrations and a unique narrative invite imagination and wonder.
In Caramelos Mágicos, a lonely boy finds marbles that turn out to be magic candies. Through a strange and moving story, the book teaches the importance of listening to others, recognizing what doesn’t seem obvious and how words can change people.
In Pan de Nube, two kittens find a small cloud and take it to their mother, who turns it into delicious buns. This charming book explores the magic of everyday life with illustrations that combine the flat and three-dimensional world, offering a fun and magical reading for the whole family.
The event was attended by representatives of La Paz University Hospital: Doctor Javier Cobas, deputy managing director of the center, Esther Rey, director of nursing, and Mónica Díaz, responsible for the Hospital Classroom.
In Korea, the Children’s Day is a very special celebration where it is a tradition for the little ones to wear the hanbok, the country’s traditional costume. In honor of this holiday, the children hospitalized at La Paz Hospital had the opportunity to try colorful Hanboks and live closely some of the Korean customs and traditions, thus immersing themselves in an essential part of the cultural heritage of Korea.
During the event, Jaekwang Shin, director of the Centro Cultural Coreano, thanked the warmth and cooperation of the hospital staff and expressed his joy at being able to share with children the opportunity to discover the pleasure of reading.
For his part, Dr Javier Cobas, Deputy Managing Director of the Madrid Center expressed his gratitude to the Centro Cultural Coreano for bringing the Korean tradition to hospitalized children, and for joining in this cultural and solidarity event the celebration of Book Day in Spain with the Children’s Day in Korea, highlighting the human and cultural value of the initiative.
