KOTA KINABALU: A 14-year-old girl who works at a stall selling chicken wings has become a hit with social media users after a video of her speaking Korean to a tourist went viral.
Nur Sidah Faisal said she took the initiative to learn Korean to make it easier to communicate with tourists, given Sabah's popularity among Koreans.
"I only learned a few simple sentences for business, like 'how much,' prices, numbers, and greetings," she said.
"I wouldn't be able to have a full conversation because I'm not that fluent," said Nur Sidah, who works at a stall at the Anjung Kinabalu market.
She said many Korean tourists were surprised when she spoke to them and were happy to hear her speak the language.
Nur Sidah said she learned Korean using TikTok and Google Translate.
"Sometimes, I hear a tourist say something and I try to look up the meaning, and that's how I learn.
"I don't know if my pronunciation is correct, but the Korean tourists say it's okay."
Nur Sidah added that she is not the only one at the market who can speak Korean and that most of the people who work there can speak a little bit of Korean.
"I'm doing this to improve my skills. I can also speak a little bit of English, though I'm not fluent."
She said she believes it won't be impossible for her to hold conversations in Korean and English if she keeps working on it.
Previously, Facebook user Kate J. Quintin shared a video of Nur Sidah speaking in Korean to a customer.
The video, which has received over 3 million views, has been met with praise for Nur Sidah's initiative in learning a new language.