"Comfort Women"

This past week our group has been learning about a tragedy from Korean history. During World War II, Japanese kidnapped young Korean women (aged 13~) and forced them into sexual slavery for the Japanese soldiers, as a means of "motivating" the Japanese soldiers to continue fighting. This happened on a large scale, and over the course of the war, many women were taken and abused. After the war, some of the girls were able to come back to Korea. However, they were not received with open arms; because they had been raped, society disapproved of them and shunned them, forcing them to come together to live. In today's world however, the halmoni's (the women who had suffered) are seen as very courageous and receive the support of the Korean community. Every Wednesday from noon until 1 PM, the halmoni's protest by sitting in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, still waiting for an official apology.

We went to the protest this past Wednesday, and it was very interesting to observe it. There were many people there - adults, students (perhaps on school field trips?), and other groups. The halmoni's sat on chairs, not speaking aloud, while different people performed songs in front of the group or spoke to the audience. The atmosphere felt strong in support of the halmoni's.

This individual level of action enacted by the halmoni's is the stepping stone to creating international change. The Japanese government no doubt hears of the halmoni protests, and tries to downplay the entire comfort women situation (the US put up a statue about comfort women, and the Japanese asked the US to take it down). By individuals taking action, we can see the amount of pressure they put on a large group such as the Japanese government and the difference they can make.

Overall, the justice the women seek is: an official apology issued by the Japanese government and a more peaceful future. Every week they protest, rain or shine, waiting for the Japanese to recognize the halmoni's suffering and apologize. Government's seek the same sort of justice for the halmoni's, maybe with an additional goal of the halmoni's receiving money compensation. The Japanese government still refuses to provide this justice to the halmoni's, perhaps waiting until the last of the halmoni's age out.

Meeting People Internationally

Meeting new people in Korea has actually been pretty easy. People, especially students, are much more eager to interact than I had expected before coming to Korea. Although there is a language barrier, preventing me from communicating with non-English speakers, much of the student population here knows a good amount of English (enough to hold at least a conversation). From my understanding, it is difficult for Koreans to meet one another, however Koreans are more open to making exceptions when talking to foreigners because societal norms don't apply. As a result, as international students we may have not experienced the typical Korean social structure, however instead we experienced an easier exchange in which people here are actively wanting to meet us.

On the other hand, for international students visiting the United States it may be more difficult. While Americans tend to be very outgoing and willing to meet new people, the international students may be the ones holding themselves back from meeting people. For example, a Korean student going to study in the US may feel overwhelmed by the social structure; it is completely different from the one they are used to and may have trouble adapting. Without knowing people, the student may feel that they have no one to introduce them to new potential friends; instead, it is assumed they must put themselves out there to meet new people. Being bold and outgoing is a different concept for these students, which may take some getting used to. However, once students get over the initial hurdle of becoming outgoing, I believe that it is not difficult for them to meet new people in the US.

Overall, I feel the two exchanges share similarities and differences. In each situation, a person enters a different social structure from the one they are accustomed to and must adapt. The ability to adapt is determined by the students own perseverance along with the openness of the society they are entering (which varies country by country).

"Buddy Topic" - Inherent Privileges and Challenges

On the way to the school in rural Korea, Ayesha and I talked about the buddy topic regarding what privileges and challenges we have. We both talked about how we felt privileged to be fluent in the English language, as it allows us the most international access of any language. Being brought up learning English was very fortunate, rather than having to learn it later in life as a second language in which it is tougher. We also talked about education and the large emphasis on higher education in the United States. While schools in the US cost much more money than other countries, at least compared to Korea and Taiwan, they also are more technologically-equipped and provide strong curriculums. Many of the top-ranked schools in the world are within the US, showing the educational advantage of having these schools readily available to us.

Another undeniable privilege of mine is being Caucasian and male. Unfortunately society has allowed for there to be a discontinuity in various aspects of life between Caucasian males and other races/genders; for example, Caucasian males tend to earn more money in their jobs compared to others. While I am able to benefit from this privilege, others do not have the same luck, and their race or gender could be seen as a challenge to them. To deal with this challenge, people advocate for social justice and equality amongst races and genders, hoping for a change to come.

English Internationally

Throughout my trips abroad, I've noticed that English is becoming more and more prevalent as a second language. Especially in Korea, the government has recently begun to require students to begin studying English around 3rd or 4th grade until they go to university. As a result, talking to many young people here is easy because they know at least some conversational English, whereas speaking with the older generations can prove to be more difficult. I believe English has become so important because it has transformed into the "international language;" it serves as the one language that different societies can share and speak with one another. For example, one person we met with commented on how he saw two people from different East Asian countries communicate to one another through English. Although English was neither of the two peoples native language, because English is becoming more international, it can serve as the single communication link between two varying cultures.

Consequently, the Korean government has taken an initiative to up the amount of English education within Korea. A main goal of the government is to provide English education to all students on at least a useable level, to make them more prepared and equipped to tackle the professional world. The Korean government has newer goals of hiring foreigners to help teach English, which may be because foreigners (say from America, Britain, etc.) are more fluent in the language and thus teach it more correctly. Also, having a foreigner as a teacher can be beneficial to the students as they can also better understand the culture behind which uses the language - the teacher has first-hand experience living in English-speaking societies.

Being fluent in English has many benefits compared to being fluent in other languages. Because it is becoming the international language, no matter where I go, I always have at least an okay chance at finding someone else who speaks a little English there. To show the opposite end of the spectrum, imagine a Korean couple wanting to visit France. If the Korean couple does not know French, then they will most likely be completely shut off language-wise once in France; from my understanding, Korean is not a popular language outside of Korea. Whereas if I visited France, I would likely run into some English speakers and be able to get by relatively well.

National Art Museum of Korea

Previous to entering the National Art Museum, I expected to see grand paintings, large sculptures and the like. Instead, I saw a range of elaborately detailed to quite simple ceramics, scrolls with various depictions of nature, carefully drawn calligraphy, and a painting and sculpture here and there. While different than I had expected, I enjoyed the museum because it represented the flow of history of Korea through it's different exhibits. I also appreciated the museum's incorporation of other cultures, such as containing an exhibition on India. I believe other visitors, and myself included, enjoyed the fact that exploring the museum is a different experience from the rest of Seoul; whereas Seoul is very technological and things happen very fast, the museum is a nice break in which one can move at their own pace and slowly explore the history and culture of Korea.

The museum is a prime example of how art and culture come together and benefit from one another. I believe art and culture are intertwined; culture guides the way art is made, and artists create art to depict the cultural aspects of the environment surrounding them. Through this mutually beneficial relationship, museums can collect and display generations of artwork to tell a visual story of the history and culture of a society.

United Service Organizations

Beforehand I did not know much about the USO or their purpose. However, after listening to their presentation I better understand and respect them for what they do to help the military. The USO's main goal is in providing entertainment to military members during times of despair. While it is not a required service for the military members, many use it to revitalize themselves.

Speaking about the relationships between the U.S. military and Korean communities, there are multiple perspectives. The older generation tends to appreciate the U.S. military presence because they understand how much help the U.S. were during previous wars. However, the younger generation dislike U.S. military presence because they feel they are infringing upon their land/home. This presents challenges in developing positive relations between U.S. and Korea, which hopefully can be alleviated in the future.

In the meantime, the USO works to keep the spirits of the military up within Korea and various other parts of the world. The USO provides areas for the military to relax and enjoy entertainment, along with welcoming them home with a big shebang. Another service the USO provides is helping U.S. soldiers learn about the culture of the area they are residing within. This can help both the U.S. and home culture groups develop better relationships with one another, rather than being two entirely separate groups. The KATUSA program is another example within which we can see Korean citizens join the U.S. army to help them; in the meantime, relationships are also being developed. In relation to myself, things I've taken away from this presentation include: learning about cultures before visiting them so that I can better understand the community I am within, and actively intermingling with the home community to develop meaningful relationships.

Poverty on an International Scale

Talking with Christal Phillips was a great experience. She works within an organization that helps to alleviate global poverty; while we did talk about her work in Korea, we mainly talked about planning for the future and finding what we want to do in life.

Specifically about her work, Christal came to Korea a couple years ago to work at Yonsei University. She joined a new program, IPAID (Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development) and has since been working with them to help "alleviate poverty and promote sustainable international development" in developing countries through research and the like. A question was asked whether I believe government's helping to alleviate poverty in a country when their own country suffers from poverty is hypocritical. I believe that as long as the government puts a substantial effort in helping to reduce poverty within their own nation, it is perfectly acceptable to also help support other nations simultaneously. In a similar vein, earlier in the trip our group volunteered to help pass food out to the homeless around Seoul. This was a great experience, and it can also be related to the government's goal; while we do have poverty in America, and we should be helping out with that, we can also help Korean citizens who are suffering similarly. In the end, we are all a part of a single global community that should look out for one another.

Additional Questions

Before and since coming to South Korea I have always wondered about the use of the English language in various aspects of Korean culture. For example, English is sometimes used in K-Pop songs at random intervals, before reverting back to Korean. I've heard before that this is for "cool" factor, but I wonder if there's more to it than just that (like perhaps trying to bring in the overseas crowd?). Also, I've noticed English used in many stores; for example, yesterday I went into a large Korean bookstore. While there, I noticed that even though almost all the books were in Korean, English words were used along with Korean throughout the store for helping signify sections of books (Non-fiction, Business, etc.) and also to signify the location of the cashier. I'm wondering what is the reason for using English if the store is directed towards Korean-speakers?

Another smaller question I had, and I know many others feel the same way, is about the lack of trash cans in South Korea. It always seems to be a scavenger hunt trying to find a trash can, I only see a few a day! In particular, I was wondering what the reason for this may be, and also if South Koreans find this bothersome or have adapted to it?

One last question, being an American, I wonder how Koreans stay so thin given how much food they consume daily. While I have a few guesses for answers already, in that the food is most likely more healthy and balanced, and also that Seoul requires lots of walking, it still seems surprising to me. Is there more to it, are Koreans more conscious of their body image, or anything else?

Thanks for reading :)!

Volunteering with Children

Volunteering overall was quite an experience. It was very enjoyable, and I’m very happy I partook in it, however it was not without difficulties. Immediately upon entering the room, we observed kids running around, being loud and rambunctious. We proceeded to split them into groups, and we tried to calm them down and play some games with them. “Simon Says” was popular with the older kids, along with an interesting Korean game I had learned last year (in English it is called the Korean frying pan game) from some friends. Halfway through, our group switched to work with the younger kids who did not know much English. This group was very active, and our main way of controlling them was through a body language game. Very similar to the idea of “Simon Says,” we pointed to one person as the “leader” and copied their movements. The younger kids quickly caught on and really enjoyed the game.

From the experience, I learned both how to better work with kids and also how to communicate through non-verbal means. There were also some cultural surprises that caught me off-guard; for example, the kids walk home on their own and some even use the bus system themselves. At first I thought the kids were running away and I was very worried, until our event leader told me this is normal for them.

Meeting these children and knowing that I would most likely never meet them again did not impact the way I interacted with them. I still tried to entertain them the same way I would any other kids I know, trying to make their time as enjoyable as possible. However, I do tend to interact different with older people that I will/won’t meet again. If I know I will meet a person again, I try and develop a base relationship with them before departing ways. On the other hand, with people I will most likely not meet again, I am more likely to be more passive; I may or may not pursue developing a relationship with them. While I find interactions with people I will not meet again easier (because I do not feel pressure if I mess up, it’s not like I’ll see them again anyways), I more enjoy speaking with people that I will see repeatedly because I look forward to developing relationships amongst one another.

Namdaemun and "Copy Culture"

When exploring Namdaemun for the first time, I immediately noticed the concept of “copy culture”. Louis Vuitton, Coach, and Calvin Klein products were spread throughout market stands, being advertised as high-class, desirable products sold a cheap price. However, these items all share one thing in common: they are copies and fake versions the real brands. These copies are different than the original, true versions because the copies are made with cheaper material and not by the company themselves. Thus, the copies are of lesser quality; for example, while in Italy last summer, my friend was about to purchase a “copy” Coach bag until she noticed that the inside contained poor stitching and overall low quality.

I believe these products are marketed towards two groups of people: the ones who do not understand that they are copies, and people who desire these products but do not have the financial means to buy the real versions of the products. These copies provide a cheaper means of obtaining a seemingly real version of a high-stature product. Much of the reason they items are desired are solely for the image they contain and the reputation they hold. 

While these items are very similar looking, and personally I would have trouble discerning between real and copy versions of the same product, they do signify different statures. Real versions signify great achievement and financial security, along with prosperity in one’s own life. Copies, if gone unnoticed, can convey the same qualities. However, if one if known to own a “copy” product, they can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Overall, copies signify a status of low-finances and deceitfulness. While I do not care whether one owns a real or copy version of a product, others may feel the same way or instead actually criticize the person and lose respect for them.

Visiting the DMZ

Visiting the DMZ was a unique experience for us, as it was much different than other activities we have participated in thus far. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, as I was unsure of what to expect: would the entire trip be heavily structured and strict, or would it be more lax than I believed. Overall, the trip was actually a bit more relaxed than I had expected; beforehand, I had believed that tensions were still great enough that North Korea was willing to attack at any moment. As I earnestly moved throughout the tour, I learned more and more about the weakening state of North Korea and came to better understand the relationship between North Korea and the rest of the world.

Before talking about North Korean’s relationship with the world however, I am going to talk about my personal experience. In specific, three spots at the DMZ really opened my eyes about the reality of the South Korean-North Korean tensions: the binocular area overlooking the minefield, the underground Third Tunnel, and the mine fields themselves.

The binoculars showed me a glimpse of North Korea and through them, I could see a physical representation of a country that I had always been curious about. Seeing the North Korean flag across the land from the South Korean flag really grounded me and represented to me the physical separation of the two nations.

The underground Third Tunnel was another cool experience, because this one revealed another aspect of the two Korean nations relationship: North Korea’s active goal of invading and taking over South Korea. The idea that the North Korean’s were able to get to far with their tunnel is somewhat scary; it reignites the idea that there could be other tunnels spread throughout the DMZ. While it seems that North Korea does not have the power to take over South Korea and become influential in the world scheme, there is still an uncertainty that leaves an uncomfortable atmosphere.

The last areas that had a very large impact on me were the minefields. These affected me because they were so close to the area we were at. Driving up a road with barbed wire on either side, covered with signs saying “MINE” and a skull-and-crossbones design was truly intense. I could really feel the gravity of the situation, how we were within an unresolved warzone.

When describing the DMZ to family and friends, I feel I would mention the above points I made. I would present the realities of the area, however I would most likely also make a note that war-like action on either side is unlikely. Branching off of that, I would feel safe living in Seoul because I believe that North Korea does not have enough resources to even contemplate invading South Korea. This seems to be the general belief of South Korean’s; most seem relaxed and enjoying life day-by-day, without an active worry over North Korea.

As a United States resident, I feel that U.S. plays a large role in negotiating peace amongst world powers. The U.S. can sometimes act as the mediator amongst two opposing nations, offering help whilst preventing active war. Sometimes active war can be prevented because the U.S. may supply one side with troops, and thus the other side does not want to fight against two countries at once. While this role is important, I do not really think about it everyday. While I am over here in Korea, and especially when seeing U.S. soldiers near the DMZ, I do contemplate it more because I see their active roles and responsibilities. However, back in the U.S. it does not really come into my mind unless I read a specific news article relating U.S. involvement in other country’s affairs.

I believe nations such as South Korea and the U.S. have had difficulty developing open relationships with North Korea because of the stubbornness of North Korea. While this may not be true, and is just a hypothesis on my part, I believe North Korea is unwilling to compromise with other nations; perhaps they believe that compromising shows a sign of weakness and vulnerability.

Questions

I've had a great amount of fun so far in South Korea, and also feel that I have been learning many things. However, there are some things that I still am unsure about. If any of you have input on my questions, I would love to hear from you :)!

The main topic I wonder about is the drinking/night-life culture of South Korea. While the night-life culture seems to be very visible, I question how many Koreans actually participate within it. This may be a generalization, and please correct me if I am wrong, but from previous experiences I've come to believe that Koreans tend to be shy. Perhaps Koreans use drinking as a means of loosening up a bit, but I'm not quite sure. I know back at the University of Michigan, drinking is popular amongst students because it allows them to feel more free and relaxed on the weekends, where they just want to enjoy themselves.

However, there are also many students at the University of Michigan who do not participate in drinking for a variety of reasons. Is this the same at SNU, and if so, is this just a very small amount or a sizable minority that is drowned out by the visible majority? Also, as a side-question, I was wondering what some students like to do at night if they do not participate in the drinking/clubbing culture. Any help would be appreciated, thanks :)!

Interactions

Hello again everyone! Today I'm going to be posting about my interactions with people in South Korea: difficulties, breakthroughs, and learning.

When I first entered the country, the language barrier presented itself very fast. I had difficulty understanding people, whether it was due to a lack of mutual language understanding or me misinterpreting their hand gestures. What I've realized from being in a non-English language country is that gesticulation (or body language) becomes the major means of communications. The unfortunate part is my difficulty at interpreting this body language - I'm optimistic I will improve at this however!

There have been a few times where I've talked to Koreans that know English. These cases are very exciting, and typically I learn the most when talking to these people. For example, the Seoul National University students that we are working with are very interesting to talk to and I always enjoy eating lunch with a couple of them after class. Having somebody to translate is also invaluable; because we are friends with these SNU students, they can take us to places that non-touristy and help interpret our surroundings for us. As a result, us American students can experience more of the true Korean lifestyle and better understand the culture we are immersed within.

Overall, interactions in South Korea have been quite interesting and each and every conversation is different. While there are many times in which an attempt at communication results in nothing, there are other times in which breakthroughs are made through repeated hand gestures and basic language. In general, I feel welcome within South Korea and am very excited to continue interacting with new people.

Introduction :)

Hi everyone!
My name is Ryan Schrader, and I am a sophomore Engineering student. Currently I am unsure what field of Engineering I want to major in, however I am interested in Computer Science.

This summer I am traveling to South Korea as a part of a study abroad trip through GCC. In South Korea, I will be taking a class along with another group of students at Seoul National University, in which we will be comparing cultures and learning from one another.


I particularly chose the trip to South Korea because it resonated with interests of mine. I've always been interested in South Korean culture, including things such as art and music. I've also made many South Korean friends in the past, and am excited to better understand their background roots. On this trip, I hope to gain a better understanding of general Korean culture and experience new things (cuisine, entertainment, etc.).

So far, Seoul has been pretty cool. I arrived at the airport 6 hours ago, and immediately began to notice the language barrier. While navigating the airport was straight-forward, it was sometimes difficult speaking with workers (for example, renting a cell phone was a bit confusing when I was trying to figure out more details). I have yet to see Seoul during the day, however the city looked bustling and lit up late at night; I am much looking forward to exploring and seeing what Seoul has to offer over the next few weeks.


Below is a picture of Cheonggyecheon, a creek flowing throughout Seoul that I’m especially looking forward to visiting :).