Antonio Gomez ’25 shares his experience studying in South Korea as a recipient of the Don Reid Sogang University Scholarship. Learn about the program »

What I thought was just another k-pop performance at a street fair in Seoul, was actually a celebration of artists who fled North Korea to Seoul in pursuit of better lives. To stumble upon the event was an incredible opportunity to explore the relationships between North and South Koreans. Everyday moments for learning like this while studying abroad in South Korea as a recipient of the Don Reid Sogang Scholarship made living in Seoul and attending Sogang University such an educational experience. From the classes to the field trips, my time in Seoul furthered my education with USF.

 

 

Classes at Sogang provided the flexibility to attend courses in new disciplines and subjects. As per the requirements of our summer program, we all took two courses, a Korean language course and another of our choice. I chose International Business to explore something distinct yet relevant to my major, International Studies. The course was taught by an incredibly well-practiced instructor who had studied around the globe. Our dynamic class discussions explored what foreign investment looked like at every level of entrepreneurship. As an International Studies major, we take some economics courses, thus making it worthwhile to observe these economic theories from a different lens, especially with how business practices of other cultures can affect markets. Though it was only one course, learning alongside business students will shape how I consider policy questions moving forward. I’d also like to note that no one in Sogang’s international business course held the same country of origin, which made class discussion really interesting!

The Korean language was another new frontier for thorough exploration! I was in the beginner Korean language course and admittedly… it was hard — albeit rewarding.

The course pace matched the briefness of our stay as we covered an entire semester’s worth in 4 weeks. It was often a lot of effort to keep up, almost like mentally running 5 kilometers every session; but with only 4 weeks in Seoul, it was essential to quickly learn how to read and speak. Our Korean language courses relied on a strategy of extensive language immersion with Korean being the main form of communication — if something could be expressed via hand gesture or picture, it was. This method of teaching felt quite distinct from beginner foreign language courses offered in the U.S. but truly pushed my brain to think abstractly and fully in Korean. Interestingly, what was taught in English were snippets of Korean etymology and history. Through the written form, we were able to uncover how Chinese influence affects the language. Studying Korean at Sogang opened my mind to new ways of teaching and deepened my understanding of history.

No coverage of our summer program would be complete without a mention of the field trips, specifically our trip to the demilitarized zone (DMZ). This accessible strip of land along the border of North and South Korea signifies hope for the future through its on-site amusement park which feels almost out of place. I was told that it is a location for a “celebration for future reunification.” The oddly happy tone permeates all advertisements on the site. The DMZ brings you to understand the complex sentiments of the North and South’s complicated past and future.

Like all study-abroads, it was a formative experience to learn and bridge understanding. P.S. If you are looking to travel to South Korea, don’t miss Seoraksan Mountain!

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