A taste of Chuseok brings Seoul's senior citizens and foreign students together

For generations, Korean families have gathered during Chuseok to make songpyeon, the half-moon-shaped rice cakes associated with the holiday.

On Monday, that tradition was shared by a different kind of family gathering in western Seoul — older local residents and international students.

Hosted by the Seodaemun-gu Family Center, the event brought together about 40 international students and 40 older residents to make songpyeon and share stories about Korean culture and holiday traditions.

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Park Un-gi also attended, thanking participants and expressing hope that similar programs would help international residents feel more connected to the local community.

Participants were divided into small groups of four, with two international students and two older residents seated together around each table.

"I've always been fond of the traditional culture of Korea," said Dai Yuan, a 24-year-old business student at Sejong University. "I found the program on Instagram and immediately signed up."

Sitting beside her was Kim Geum-ja, 82, who carefully showed Dai how to shape the white and green rice dough and add fillings such as roasted sesame seeds and chestnuts.

"When we were young, we looked forward to making songpyeon every Chuseok," Kim said. "These days, people are busy and often just buy it instead."

The gathering drew exchange students and Korean-language learners from countries including the United States, China and the Philippines, many of whom were making songpyeon for the first time.

Crystina Young, 20, an exchange student from Hawaii, said she had known little about Chuseok before attending the event.

Older residents in her group explained that the holiday traditionally involves giving thanks for the year's harvest and honoring ancestors.

Young found herself comparing it with Thanksgiving in the United States.

"We have a similar tradition, Thanksgiving, but I guess the reasoning is different," she said. "Thanksgiving seems more for the community."

For Malbataan Ursuline, 23, from the Philippines, the event offered another chance to learn about the country where she hopes to build a future. She is studying Korean at a language school with the goal of working in Korea.

"It's my first time making songpyeon," she said. "Back home, our families only get together for Christmas and New Year's."

The gathering was designed as both a Chuseok activity and a cultural exchange, giving older residents a chance to pass on traditions while offering international students a more hands-on introduction to the holiday.