Savoring genuine Korea at Yonsei

 

 

 

Korea is known to be a marketing and advertising student’s dream. Seoul’s creativity and unique style is a fascinating subject for those studying the field. This, and the equally mesmerizing lure of hallyu, make Seoul a must-see for students like Tania Cheong of the National University of Singapore, and the Yonsei International Summer School (YISS) program allowed her to satisfy her cravings.

 

At home in Singapore, there is a Korean boom that is impossible to ignore. Tania’s friends and family, even, are sure to watch the latest hit k-dramas and go to noraebang to sing and dance along with internationally famous boybands. Cafes offer selections of bingsu and small shops sell idol merchandise. Colleges have k-pop dance crews and Korean as a third language is quickly surpassing Japanese in popularity in school. Tania was eager to see and experience Seoul firsthand.

 

With a to-do list that included hiking and shopping, and an academic itch to learn exactly why k-pop is so popular, Tania packed her bags for Yonsei for the summer. At YISS, she enrolled in Economic Sociology, Terrorism and Political Violence, and of course, Korean language classes.

 

Studying here at Yonsei has helped Tania develop critical thinking skills to look at subjects from diverse perspectives and build her communication skill set to work with others in an intercultural environment. She also welcomed the opportunity to compare magazines and print publications to those of other countries like Singapore and Japan: “Korean designs are very creative and layouts are very eye-catching.”

 

Continuing a career in publication, the chance to personally witness the marketing culture while at Yonsei is a valuable asset for Tania. Expectations set from a distance, as learned from dramas and TV spots, would lead the average onlooker to believe that society here may be superficial and exclusive, but the welcoming environment she felt here at YISS has reassured her that Koreans, and Yonseians in particular, are warmhearted and accepting. Tania is confident that she will be back to travel Korea again.