On Jun. 15, a rare event occurred at Lium Korean School (Lium Ecole Coréenne) in Lyon, the center of southeastern France and the largest city after Paris and Marseille. Choi Jai-chul, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in France, traveled 400 kilometers from Paris to inspect the school. Typically, such visits are conducted by the Korean Education Center under the Ministry of Education. However, special circumstances made this school distinct from other Korean language schools.
Lium Korean School, located in the Michelet Public Elementary School building in central Lyon, is France’s only Korean language school supported by French education authorities. This unique arrangement allows the school to operate with minimal rent, unlike other Korean language schools that use private facilities. The special treatment is credited to Magali Philit, 57, the principal of Michelet Elementary School. Philit, born Jung Hye-kyung in Seocho-dong, Seoul, is a French adoptee who secured permission from the French education authorities to use the public school facilities.
Philit was adopted at age eight and grew up in Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d’Or, near Lyon. Despite facing challenges related to her identity and discrimination, she pursued her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher in 1995 and has been the principal of Michelet Elementary School since 2016.
In early 2022, Philit facilitated the relocation of Lium Korean School to its current site. Lee Eui-hyung (49), a Lium Korean School Management Association representative, said, “Philit was kind enough to embrace our school, which was previously housed in an English language academy due to a lack of suitable facilities.” The school, which started with 10 students, now has over 50, including 30 children and teenagers and 20 adults, many of whom are adoptees living in and around Lyon.
“Because of my love for Korea, my ancestral homeland, I couldn’t ignore the conditions at Lium,” said Philit. “Helping my fellow countrymen receive a proper Korean education so they can learn more about their culture feels like a mission to me. It feels surreal when I hear Korean being spoken in the classroom where I teach French history and language. Sometimes, we organize ‘Korean Week,’ and it’s thrilling to see French students singing K-pop, writing in Korean, and making Korean dishes.”
Philit reunited with her biological parents after enrolling in a Korean language program at the University of Lyon III in 1988. She now holds dual citizenship. She is the first Korean adoptee in France to be recognized as a dual citizen.
Lium Korean School, managed by an association of more than 80 parents and supporters, prides itself on transparency in teacher hiring, financial management, and curriculum, adhering to local French regulations. Despite its achievements, the school has faced delays in registering as an “overseas educational institution,” preventing it from receiving Korean government funding for materials and operating costs.
