Group Photo in Hanbok

Author: A.J. Navarro | Major: Finance | Semester: January Intersession 2024

I’ve always been surrounded by Korean friends growing up. Since high school, they would always chat in Korean together and would try to include me by teaching me some basic words. It was a fun experience; however, I never took the endeavor of learning the language seriously until one of my mentors at my previous internship told me of how they lost clients simply because they didn’t have any bankers who spoke basic Korean. So, I decided that it would be in my best interest to immerse myself at Korea University in Seoul and learn Korean.

I attended Korea University where I began in Beginning Korean 2. I skipped the first Beginning Korean class as I had prior experience in Japanese, a language that shares some grammar structures and vocabulary, some experience speaking with my Korean friends, and I wanted more of a challenge. I was rewarded when I was able to put my language skills to use and made some friends with local students at the university! Getting out of my comfort zone and approaching my newfound friends contributed to my study abroad experience more than I expected. They taught me how to get around on the seemingly impossible transportation system, showed how the local students go out to eat, and even supplemented my language class with some colloquial slang.

When we made plans to go to a traditional restaurant, I experienced the overwhelming busyness of the Seoul rush hour. People pushed each other without apology, something I completely didn’t expect. Having studied abroad in Japan, I imagined an overly polite culture, so when I asked my friend at Korea University who had also studied in Japan if this behavior was normal, she confirmed that while there are many similarities, there are a ton of overseen cultural differences you only experience if you speak with a Korean or visit the country itself.

Once we got to the restaurant, we tried some 순대 (pronounced “soondae”, but spelled sundae when romanized to English), a blood sausage commonly eaten by the locals. Hesitant at first, I thoroughly enjoyed dining with them while trading college stories from back home. After that, they wanted to show us more traditional spots, so we visited Gyeongbokgung Palace. They educated me on its history, and how it was burned down during the Japanese invasion which led to the Korean-Japanese international relations present today. Had I not had my friends to lead me around, I would’ve never learned of this subtle, but deep and important history and relationship between the two countries. While it was educational, I along with my Arkansas friends got to dress up in Hanbok and explore the palace.

I also got the opportunity to be taken by my friend’s aunt, a local in Seoul, around Samseong Station, a huge commercial and cultural center. With my friend’s aunt, I got to practice a ton of Korean while also seeing some cool places. We visited Coex mall, one of the largest malls in Korea, and saw one of the aquariums. We also found and posed in front of the Gangnam Hands statue, commemorated to the viral hit song Gangnam Style which brought South Korea to the forefront of pop culture. Finally, we saw the Starfield Library, a public library located in the center of the station. All of these spots are pictured below.

My experience in South Korea was absolutely unforgettable. Any student wanting to study abroad to learn a foreign language should definitely pursue it and make friends to while abroad! It’s such a rare experience to meet cool, smart people that can teach you about their own country. Had I known I would meet such great friends, I would’ve brushed up on my Korean more before going abroad. Though I could’ve prepared better, I learned a ton in class and from my new friends, and I can’t wait to try out my new Korean on my friends back home!