Ready to meet them were their enthusiastic and welcoming host families, who will be providing accommodation for the students during their stay as part of a Yass High School - South Korean exchange program that began last year.

The Korean Year 7 to 9 students are from Eungye Middle School, located in Siheung, about 30 kilometres from the centre of Seoul.

Now in its second year, the exchange program was initiated by principal Sandra Hiscock, who sought to broaden the horizons of her students.

“We wanted to provide them with inter-cultural contact so they could gain an appreciation of the wider world beyond Yass, and even beyond Australia,” she said.

“Some schools in the Wollongong region had been doing a similar thing so we approached them, found out how they did it, and brought it here.”

Under the program, Yass High School students alternate with Korean students in spending time at each other’s schools, and in the first year of the scheme, 20 Yass High School students spent time in Seoul schools last September.

The current visiting student group, comprising 8 girls and 2 boys, is following an action-packed program designed by PE teacher James Harding which includes tours of the Yass region, BBQs, visits to Canberra attractions, an Aboriginal experience in Brungle, and plenty of opportunities to sample the Australian way of life.

But it’s not all excursions and picnics. The visitors will also have to spend several days doing regular schoolwork in class with the local students.

Of course, the learning goes both ways.

“While they were out and about some students found a Korean grocery store and taught their host family about Korean food by preparing authentic dishes for them,” James said.

As the relationship between Yass High and Eungye Middle School grows and deepens, Yass High is considering adding Korean as a language study option, alongside French.

“This would help us draw closer to our Korean ‘sister school’, and our students are already picking up some basic Korean words just from the interactions with our visitors, and many strong friendships are being formed,” Sandra said.

So what has been most exciting so far?

“Two things. A visit to the zoo, where they were able to feed the animals and got to experience a beautiful rainbow. And their first ever rugby league game at the weekend, where we took them to Canberra and they watched the Raiders defeat the Kiwis in a cliff-hanger that went into extra time.”

Yass High School students will be visiting their newly made friends on their home turf in Siheung in 2017.