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 for ten days.

They stayed with host families, visited cultural sites and attended lessons at a school.

While 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 also invited to talk about the project at an international teaching conference.

Chester-le-Street teacher Gill Dobson, who organised the visit, 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."

Pupils in Korea begin their school day at 7am, when they help clean the school. Lessons begin at 7.40am and their school day finishes at 10pm.

The Chester-le-Street comprehensive has taken part in cultural exchanges with South Korea for several years, but the visits ceased when the country went through a period of economic instability.

The exchanges resumed last year and earlier this year, the school hosted a party of South Koreans.