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Chance to Personally Experience the Culture and People of Korea

Recently, I was one of 40 teachers selected to visit Korea as part of the Korean Studies Workshop for American Educators 2009. I have been teaching Asian Studies at an Independent Catholic Women’s College Preparatory High School for almost 10 years. However, this was my first trip to Korea, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I am of course familiar with many aspects of Korean history, such as the Korean War and the current situation between North and South Korea, but after that I’m afraid my knowledge was somewhat limited.

When the reading materials came from the Korea Society (a cooperative partner of the Korea Foundation) just prior to my departure, I became fascinated by the prospect of visiting the various UNESCO sites, as well as the Hyundai Heavy Industries complex, and trying makgeolli. I read all the travel literature I could get my hands on, watched the Korean movie “Forever the Moment,” and read several short stories by various Korean women authors, but I still felt unprepared for my visit.

Upon landing at Incheon, I was immediately impressed by the modern airport. I had flown out of O’Hare International and the Incheon airport made O’Hare look really dated and shabby. As we walked out of the airport, a local professional soccer team was dropping off its ps. I was struck by how accessible the ps were to their fans. They willingly gave autographs and didn’t display the usual arrogance so often associated with professional athletes. These two observances should have ed me to a general trend that I would experience throughout my stay in Korea: thoroughly modern, very friendly and respectful.

The lectures for our group by various professors at Yonsei University were very interesting and definitely made me feel more in tune with Korea. Professor Michael Kim’s lecture on Korean history gave me the foundation I needed for understanding many of the things that I would be visiting, as well as insight into Korea’s personality. That combined with the two economics lectures by professors Hahn Joonho and Sohn Yul gave me a good understanding of just how incredible Korea’s current economic standing in the world really is. To visit Seoul and see the contemporary buildings, the efficient and clean mass transit system, and how well-dressed the people are, one would never believe the hardship that Korea has had to endure in the recent past.

I have spent time in Shanghai, Tokyo, and New York, and while each of those cities are remarkable in their own right, nothing compares to the transformation that Seoul has experienced. Each day, on our travels to various sites I was amazed at how clean the city was and how polite the people were to each other. If my friends and I looked a little confused in the subway someone would immediately approach us and politely ask if we needed help. Sadly that rarely happens in New York or Chicago. I was also impressed by the genuine politeness that I saw Koreans exhibit toward each other. Simple things, such as a slight bow, offering a seat to an older person, or the way a sales clerk would give back change, were just a few examples. America is such a new country that our history has little influence on any of these day-to-day occurrences, yet Korea’s history is reflected in all of them. So while Seoul is a reflection of its past, it is also at the forefront of urban planning. The stroll that we took along Cheonggyecheon Stream was so relaxing. What a wonderful way to incorporate nature into a busy urban environment. Korea is definitely leading the way in “green design.” But this shouldn’t be a surprise when one considers the technology that was incorporated into the Hall of the Sutras and the Hall of Dharma at Haeinsa Temple. Using simple, easily accessible materials, the designers were able to preserve the woodblocks stored there for hundreds of years. The ondol heating system is another example of Korea’s historic respect for nature combined with ingenuity to a very efficient product.



One afternoon, we visited Goyang Foreign Language School. There, we were treated to a wonderful afternoon of meeting with the students, touring the facilities, having lunch, and watching the students perform. What struck many of us was the warmth and friendliness of the students and faculty. What was truly remarkable was this friendliness existed with teenagers that were in class much longer than American high school students. This emphasis on the importance of education is nothing new for Koreans, and is definitely a key to their success. This love of education was further exemplified by a visit to the Kyobo Bookstore. We loved the huge selection, but what impressed us the most was how busy it was, not only with older people, but teenagers as well. They weren’t just looking at the fun novelty items, but were actually browsing and buying books. But this love of reading shouldn’t come as a surprise when you realize that the Koreans were the first to develop moveable metal type.



One of the strongest impressions I have of Korea is its ability to keep what is culturally important and something that is completely contemporary. This skill was beautifully expressed in the performances of ‘Jump’ and ‘Yeoul.’ Both of these groups have managed to capture what is essentially Korean and make it accessible to the whole world. This ability to transform itself into a contemporary masterpiece, yet retain its uniqueness, is what makes Korea so special. When viewing Korea’s rise to global power, the question shouldn’t be“how did this happen?” but rather “of course this has happened.” All those things that make Korea so special are the very things that have made Korea the economic power that it has become. Considering how well Korea has handled its transformation, this is indeed a very good thing for the world.

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