The Luring Destinations of Korea
This past winter quarter, I applied to a study abroad program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. It was scheduled for this fall but of course was cancelled due to the unprecedented spread of COVID-19. Though I am saddened by its cancellation, I know that I will still get the chance to travel to Korea in the future.
I chose Korea out of all the countries to study abroad at because travelling to Korea has always been a bucket list item for me. I’ve always had a love of Korean culture, voraciously consuming their cultural exports like drama shows, pop music, and food. I really want to experience firsthand the place and culture that I have only been exposed to through a computer screen.
There are several places that I want to visit specifically. The first one is Myeong-dong street, a buzzing area for endless shopping and global dining (think of Times Square!). The next one is Namsan, a beautiful peak with hiking trails, the famous Namsan Tower and a park! Personally, I love shopping, eating, hiking and admiring nature, so these destinations are perfect for me. I also want to visit Changdeokgung, a Joseon dynasty palace. I absolutely love looking at historical buildings, and this is a top place for me to visit due to the historical Korean dramas I’ve seen. It would be so cool to see the places where these dramas may have been filmed! Lastly, I want to visit the Kimchi Field Museum, a museum filled with exhibits of kimchi! That simply sounds amazing to me, as I am a great lover of Korean food (though my spice tolerance could be better).
Another thing I am looking forward to is learning Korean. Learning any language, not just Korean, would benefit me in so many ways. In this case, personally, I’ve always been fascinated by Korean culture, whether it be dramas, music, variety shows, etc., so learning the language would allow me to understand and relate to Korean pop culture. Academically, I feel that learning Korean will not only be helpful while abroad, but also when I return home and want to communicate with different students and teachers who are Korean. It could also help me professionally as knowing Korean would be a great asset to my resume, making me a desirable candidate for companies. All in all, learning Korean would allow me to broaden my cultural awareness and knowledge.
To me, Korea is the ideal place to study abroad because I would get to experience a new culture that I’m super interested in and potentially meet lifelong friends. To connect and create long-lasting bonds with people from all around the world, I have recently begun to use Jetzy, a global social network app that allows travelers to connect with each other virtually! Not only that, but the app also rewards people who enjoy travel and unique lifestyle experiences. I will now be able to share my former and future trips, along with the value of traveling with others easily. To find out more useful local tips for travel, check out: www.jetzyapp.com. I aspire to become more culturally aware and meet people from backgrounds dissimilar to mine, and I know that Korea is the place for me to go.
