For anyone who would like to ride the 'Korean wave', here is your chance to learn the language and culture of this fascinating nation with two online courses for beginners.

In just a few decades, South Korean culture has taken the world by storm, from the film Parasite which won the best picture Oscar in 2020 to K-pop band BTS who became the first Asian band to surpass five billion streams on Spotify. A combination of the relaxation of censorship, the reduction of travel restrictions, and the push to diversify the economy have all contributed to the global spread of its culture.

Jointly organised by Richmond, The American International University in London, and the prestigious King Sejong Institute Foundation, two new online courses will be led by highly renowned experts with guest lectures on Korean history, art, food and film and are open to anyone interested in attending.

The King Sejong Institute Foundation is a public institution backed by the Korean Government under the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and was established to promote Korean language education and culture around the world.

Richmond, The American International University in London, is the UK's pioneering liberal arts University, with two locations in London in Richmond and Kensington.

The two 12-week courses began on Saturday, March 20 and will run until Saturday, June 5 (with no class on Saturday, April 3). Students are still encouraged to enrol. They can attend the sessions live online or, as they will be recorded, can view the sessions online at a time convenient for them.

What's in the curriculum

The first course, Beginner Korean 1, is designed as an introduction to the Korean language and culture, where you will learn the Korean alphabet Hangul system, and some conversational Korean, as well as participating in sessions on Korean film, food, history and politics.

Beginner Korean 2 develops the conversational communication skills learned in the first course while building on vocabulary and grammar patterns, in addition to attending guest lectures on topics like Korean film and food.

The cost is £100 for each course. Click here for more information including details of how to register.

Five fun facts

• The majority of South Korean restaurants will deliver food directly to your door
• Korea has the world's national highest IQ
• South Koreans are one year old when born
• Korean culture is very hierarchical, much of it is based on age
• Upon release of 'Gangnam Style' in 2012, South Korean musician Psy, became an unlikely global treasure but many people don't know that the song is about the Gangnam District, an affluent district in Seoul, South Korea