School will be out soon, and for college students who want to learn more about Korean culture there's a great summer program in Korea. Dong-A University in the city of Busan (the second-largest city in South Korea) is holding its fourth Korean Culture Experience Program for Foreign Students.

I had spent a year in Korea during my junior year in college as an exchange student in a similar program at a university in Seoul. My school years started after immigrating to Hawai'i, and it did not include formal learning of the Korean language. I understood some Korean spoken to me, but could not speak, read or write in Korean. The year abroad really helped my understanding and appreciation of the culture and Korean language. Being immersed in Korea really speeds up your language learning curve as you are surrounded by it 24 hours a day.

The summer vacation program at Dong-A University offers college students a chance to live in Korea for three weeks with full exposure to the Korean language, culture and many opportunities to meet and talk with Korean college students. The program, June 30 to July 19, includes Korean language class from 9 a.m. to noon; 2 to 4 p.m., Korean culture class; and from 7 to 9 p.m. opportunities to interact with Korean college students.

The $700 tuition fee covers the cost of classes, room and meals. That's about only $34 a day. If you count in the cost of the education portion of the program, it shows that the school, government and private sectors are assisting with the funding.

Students will have to pay for the cost of airfare to get to Busan, which is located on the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. If you follow the program schedule, airport pickup service is available. If you opt for an independent schedule, you will have to take a cab to the campus or find your own way of transportation. The deadline for the application is May 30. If you would like more information, go to www.wekorea.net or contact Ms. Sohn Sun-ae at sunnyzzai@dau.ac.kr, and fax 82-51-247-5658.

Busan, a port city known globally for the Pusan International Film Festival, has a population of about 4 million. It has been a location in the filming of Korean movie hits such as "Chin-goo," starring Jang Dong-gun, and "A Love," starring Ju Jin Mo. There are many parks, beaches, resorts, temples and various other historical sites in and near Busan.

My personal favorite must-do in Busan is to enjoy the abundance of fresh seafood in markets, such as Jagalchi Market. I was once there and with a budget of $100 purchased 8 pounds of live king crab, two live abalone, live snapper and a live squid after much negotiation. I then took all the food to the second floor of the building where there are cooks who, for a nominal fee, will prepare the food for you. The king crab was steamed; the abalone, served up sashimi style; the snapper, in a spicy stew; and the squid boiled then dipped in a pepper paste. Merchants do give a little more of a discount to college students. So, feel free to show your ID card and negotiate.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'KING & I'

EPISODES 59 AND 60

Tomorrow at 7:45 p.m.: Chuh-sun tells Chi-gyeom that the department of eunuchs must make a stand should the king bring bloodshed to avenge the late deposed queen. Chi-gyeom tells Chuh-sun to be wary of Ja-won. The queen mother chides the king for tarnishing the late king's accomplishments. Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.: Chuh-sun gets a flogging after telling the king to be fearful of his people, not to scare them, and to keep the sweet-talkers at bay. Despite the flogging, Chuh-sun urges the king to stop the bloodshed. The king's smitten with Jang Nok-su the minute he meets her.

'ON AIR'

EPISODES 9 AND 10

Wednesday at 7:45 p.m.: Suh notices Lee's hat on Seung-ah, and begins to infer that something is going on between them. On the business side, Choo Yun-woo switches to the "Diver of the Deep" project, which causes an uproar with everybody involved in the production of "Ticket to the Moon." Thursday at 7:45 p.m.: Lee wants to use a new actor for the project while Suh adamantly opposes the idea. Aiden, who has been helping Seung-ah with her English, plans to leave for the United States, feeling that his mixed-blood heritage is limiting his chances in the Korean entertainment industry.

'HAPPINESS'

EPISODES 11 AND 12

Tonight at 7: Sae-young makes Seo-yun sign the inheritance forfeiture agreement. Jun-su urges Seo-yun to live with him and his family after the wedding. Eda and Kang-suk go on a date at a theme park and Jong-ah and Jun-young tag along. Tonight at 8: Grandma collapses at the formal family meeting and everyone rushes to the hospital. The Lee family doesn't get a good reception at the hospital, but the tone of the reception changes when Chairman Park steps in.

SCARY GIRL

EPISODES 71, 72 AND 73, 74

Friday at 7:45 p.m.: Kyung-pyo opens the safety deposit box and finds a contract that was drawn up when Chairman Baek first established Shin Sung Group with Jung-jin's father. Kyung-pyo also finds Chairman Baek's will. Overcome by feelings of betrayal, Kyung-pyo burns the will. Joon-chul gets upset when he comes back from his trip and finds Young-rim taking care of Chairman Baek. Saturday at 7:45 p.m.: Eun-hae and her aunt are upset that Young-rim is staying in Eun-hae's father's room. So they have the housekeeper tell Young-rim to leave. The chairman wakes up to find Young-rim's gone and gets upset. Eun-hae tells the chairman to call Young-rim and tell her to come back.

Jeff Chung is the general manager of KBFD-TV, which televises Korean dramas with English subtitles in Hawai'i. You can reach him for comment at 521-8066 or jeffchung@kbfd.com.