SIXTH formers who took part in a cultural exchange trip to South Korean found themselves the subject of national interest when they arrived.

Pupils from The Hermitage School in Chester-le-Street visited the country on a ten-day visit where they stayed with host families, took in the cultural sights and attended lessons at a local school.

While the students were there, they found themselves the subject of two half-hour documentaries by Korean programme-makers and were showered with gifts.

Such was the interest in the exchange scheme that the Korean teacher who helped arrange the visit was invited to talk about the project at an international teaching conference.

Lifelong learning co-ordinator Gill Dobson, who organised the visit from Chester-le-Street, said they were overwhelmed by people's generosity. Several of them were presented with traditional Korean dresses by their hosts.

She said: "We were treated like royalty while we were out there. When we came back we were laden like pack horses with all the gifts."

During the visit students toured temples, tombs and palaces and attended lessons at a Korean school.

Pupils in Korea start work at 7am, when they help clean the school. The first lesson begins at 7.40am and the school day finishes at 10pm.

The Chester-le-Street school has taken part in previous cultural exchanges with South Korea, but the visits were halted when the country went through a period of economic instability. They resumed last year and earlier this year local families hosted a party of South Koreans.