In order to provide opportunities for the younger generation of Koreans to explore elements of Korean culture in Japan, the Pride of Korea program has been initiated by the Korean Student Aid Foundation (KOSAF). The main objective of this program is to promote a correct historical awareness of Korean cultural assets in Japan.

The participants of this program will be given a chance to travel to Japan and explore the Korean cultures present there. The regions covered will be Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. After taking in various experiences, the participants will be required to produce visual or written works based on specific themes. The main topics are Korean cultural assets and humanities in Japan, remnants of ancient Korea in Japan, and exchange between Korea and Japan. By providing these opportunities for students and through the production of these materials for awareness, KOSAF wishes to promote public interest in Korean cultural assets.

This program is available to all interested undergraduate students. The applications can be submitted individually or in teams via the KOSAF website (http://www.kosaf.go.kr) by April 30. After the submissions, interviews, and screening processes, a total of 100 participants will be selected for the final departure.
The overall schedule of the program goes as follows. In March and April, introductory sessions to promote the program were held throughout the nation. The applications will be open for the entirety of April. At the end of May, the announcement of the final participants will be made and in June, there will be a departure ceremony. In July, the participants will travel to Japan and upon their return, there will be an awards ceremony.

This international exploration program is run by KOSAF and organized by KT&G. Additional support is provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration and International Cultural Assets Foundation.