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Host Country Report

South Korea is part of an ancient East Asian people located on the southern half of the Korean peninsula and the currency used there extends back several centuries to the Iron Age during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) when the first iron coins were minted. South Korea is now issuing a new form of currency that is much smaller and more colorful but the old form of currency is still spendable.

The only country with a land border to South Korea is North Korea and the two share one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. They are in a constant state of war and though the threats from North Korea to South Korea are mostly rhetoric, it is advisable to follow news and government announcements in case anything escalates.

Finding out the latest news in South Korea is no problem because South Korea is a media rich country with several major television stations, radio stations and newspapers. Three major TV networks run daily, KBS, MBC and SBS, popular newspapers such as the Chosun Ilbo and Dong-a Ilbo and radio stations, the Airirang, CBS and KBS all provide daily information on current affairs along with a host of other programs from dramas to documentaries. English speaking tourists will find that The English-language dailies, along with TBS e-FM 101.3 and KBS TV have ample programs for English speaking audiences that mostly consist of the US military contingent that live there.

There is also a booming film industry there. The South Korean film industry exports increased by 82% to total $101m in 2016. Genre films such as Cannes Midnight title Train To Busan, about a zombie apocalypse, sold to 156 countries including France, the US, Japan, China and India, while Gaumont picked up English-language remake rights. Park Chan-wook’s period thriller The Handmaiden, was picked up by Amazon Studios and Netflix picked up the disaster thriller Pandora. Na Hong Jin’s horror thriller The Wailing is also a major seller.

South Korea is also a high tech country so finding wifi isn’t a problem. 93 percent of the population has access to the internet and 72 percent of South Korean children own their first smartphone by the time they turn 12.

Culturally speaking, South Korea shares a lot in common with its neighbors, China to the west and Japan to the southeast. They are all Confucianist societies with a patriarchal stem family and a tradition of ancestor worship, filial piety and predominance of men over women. Social class is determined by education, wealth, and career and other factors such as family background, and marital status can determine your status.

Aside from being very similar to its neighbors in culture and ancestry, South Korea is also very different because it’s had several centuries to evolve its own culture, language, dress and cuisine. The official language spoken there is Korean and it is spoken by nearly all Koreans. You may find some that speak English it is usually a broken form and mostly among the youth who don’t have much chance to practice it outside of school.  

When communicating directly with Korean people it’s helpful to know that Koreans communicate in a high context manner, meaning that messages can be indirect, abstract and highly dependent on context. Koreans tend to value Confucianism which emphasizes harmony and egalitarianism so it’s important to Koreans that others as well as themselves save face. It’s the preferred way to communicate, so anything direct and forthcoming might be seen as an insult.

When greeting a Korean for the first time in a formal setting such as meeting your future parents in law or your child’s teacher, it’s polite to bow in a respectful manner, not just a quick nod of the head or causal nodding style that you would give to a convenience store person. When meeting in a more informal setting, like meeting friends of friends at a local pub, a small short bow and smile will work. It’s also important to know that personal space should be respected such as not touching a person you are just meeting. A pat on the back might seem harmless in the US, but it can make things awkward in South Korea. Touching, holding hands and hugging are mostly reserved for close friends and family members. It is best to keep your body within its own personal space and limit arm movements when speaking to someone as to evade other’s personal space.

 The national dish in South Korea is Kimchi, a spicy cabbage dish that is served with most meals. Meals are usually eaten at home with family and friends and done while seated on the floor in front of a short table.  The staple dish is rice and it too is served at most meals including breakfast. Most youth however are beginning to adopt a more western style breakfast that includes, cereal and waffles. Restaurants are also plentiful in South Korea especially in the major cities. Most are traditional but many cater to western tastes such as Route 66 in Itaewon and Pizza Muzzo in Seoul City.

The meals in a Korean household are mostly prepared by the women who are traditionally responsible for household chores including cooking and cleaning. However, women are beginning to take on larger roles outside of the home. They comprise over half of the labor force but still rank below men in status. Despite the growing Westernization of South Korea, many traditions pertaining to marriage and family life still exist. The father reigns as the head of the family, and males in the family, especially the father and eldest son, receive an abundance of respect. The role of the wife of an eldest son is to take care of her husband’s aging parents. Traditionally, men are the sole providers and decision makers, however, in the modern day, this tradition is slowly decomposing.

When traveling around South Korea, Seoul City, Korea’s capital is a hot spot for tourists and attracts much of the countries’ 14 million tourists a year. It is a huge metropolis where modern skyscrapers, high-tech subways and pop culture mingle with Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets. It is densely populated with 10 million of Korea’s 51 million people living there and is second to only Paris in population.

Other important cities to visit while touring South Korea include Jeonju Hanok Village, located in the city of Jeonju. Visitors can try many types of traditional Korean food, see different Korean arts, and even walk around on the old cobblestone streets wearing traditional Korean clothing or Hanboks.This is an excellent place to visit if you want to get a crash course on Korean culture. Other historically important places include Gyeongju and Busan if you want to get an in depth look into the history, culture and religion of the country.    

Within the several  major cities to visit, are several temples, palaces and monuments of great  historic value to the Koreans. They include prehistoric sites, fortresses, ancient tombs, kiln sites,  dolmens, temple sites and shell mounds. The most important historical  monuments include Poseokjeong Pavilion Site of Gyeongju, Bonghwangdong  Archaeological Site of Gimhae, Hwaseong Fortress of Suwon, Garimseong  Fortress in Buyeo, Busosanseong  Fortress of Buyeo, Hwangnyongsa Temple Site of Gyeongju,  Mangdeoksa  Temple Site of Gyeongju, Sacheonwangsa  Temple Site of Gyeongju, Gongsanseong  Fortress of Gongju, and the Songsalli  Ancient Tombs of Gongju.

 Along  with many of the ancient Buddhist temple sites, The cities and country sides  are dotted with modern day Buddhist temples that imitate the old temples as  much as possible. Buddhism  was introduced into Korea in 372 CE during the Koguryo Kingdom period by a  monk named Sundo who came from Qian Qin Dynasty China. Since then, Buddhism  has produced several tens of thousands temples across the country. 43% of the  58% of Koreans who practice religion are Buddhist followed by 35% Catholic  and 21% protestant. The remainder of the population practice Confucianism and  Islam among other religions.

Of all  the religions in South Korea, Buddhism, it’s most ancient religion and  Confucianism have been the most influential over the daily life and politics  of the Korean people. Religious and political functions were combined since  ancient times and over half of the country’s listed cultural heritage are  related to those two religions. However, with the spread of Christianity since  the 1960s and its promises of material wishes such as wealth and health, the  Christian religion is now having a larger influence on the South Koreans from  social class, politics, and attitudes toward social values. The Buddhists now  generally have a lower level of educational attainment, occupy a lower  economic class and hold more conservative political views and social values  than Christians. South  Korea, is now gradually stabilizing into its most recent form as a  liberal electoral democracy.

Overall  South Koreas is a safe place to travel and The U.S. State Department rates  South Korea as Level One on its travel advisory list. With the proper  research into the history, politics, religion and culture of this country, a  person should be able to enjoy an incredible experience exploring this  beautiful, ancient Asian country.

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Travel Risks and Precautions

The greatest risks I’m concerned with when I begin traveling to my host country, are the ones that could seriously impair my health. In the Study Abroad Student Handbook, it mentions how important it is to get to know the various illnesses, diseases and inoculations a person will need when traveling abroad. It’s really important to get the appropriate shots to prevent any illnesses that may be prevalent in your host country. South Korea, for instance, is a developed country with good healthcare, sanitation practices and clean drinking water but the CDC still recommends that most travelers get their Hepatitis A, and Typhoid shots to prevent getting these diseases which might crop up in the food or water. Here is a link recommending these vaccines when traveling to South Korea, https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/south-korea .

Other risks that are a major concern of mine are the crime rates in South Korea. Although the small peninsula has a good reputation for being a safe country with low rates of violent crimes and homicides, the 14 million tourists that visit there each year tend to attract a lot of petty criminals such as pick pockets, and bag snatchers.  Most of these crimes take place on a public transport, big transport hubs, markets and other popular places, which are frequently visited by tourists. You can read more about it here http://traveltips.usatoday.com/safety-seoul-korea-102007.html .

There have also been reported instances of after drink/food spiking in bars and clubs, so it’s best to avoid visiting these places alone at night and to look after your drinks wherever you are. Cities such as Hongdae, Myeongdong, Itaewon, and Sinchon are well-known shopping and entertainment areas, where crowds and alcohol can bring a higher risk for crime.

Additional precautions when out and about in the cities, is to avoid using unofficial taxies. It’s not uncommon for tourists to encounter unfair taxi drivers whose prices can exceed the normal rate by 2-3 times. Sites such as SafeAround, https://safearound.com/ , advise using a trustworthy service like Uber, which can save a good deal of money in the long run. SafeAround also advises being aware of being ripped off in cafes and restaurants, where 2 type of menus can exist, one for the tourist and a different one for locals. ATM frauds are also common, so it best to exercise caution while withdrawing money from an ATM. Keeping an eye on your credit card and monitoring your transaction statements regularly is a good habit.

Another risk of traveling to South Korea is the risk of cybercrime. South Korea is a world leader in Internet connectivity and has the world’s fastest Internet connection speed and the highest Internet penetration per capita at over 85%. The smart phone penetration rate is around 80% and though the risk of cybercrime is moderate, it’s increasing. Phishing schemes and ID theft are on the rise. Follow this link for more details  https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21265 .

Though less common in South Korea, there have also been reports of more serious crimes, like sexual assault. Reporting has shown that the majority of reported sexual assault cases involve alcohol, and in many instances, the victim may have known the attacker. South Korea has begun its own Me Too movement which is now sweeping the United States. Read more about it here

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/south-korea-sexual-harassment-revenge-porn-abuse-get-real-9987316 . It’s also important to note that reports of sexual assaults against foreigners continue to occur, so it’s important to stay abreast of this.

And last but not least, The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, that is North Korea, and South Korea remain in a state of war and the conflict may escalate any time. Though most of the threats coming in from North Korea are mostly brushed off by South Korea, the Study Abroad Student Handbook recommends following news and government announces, concerning the state of relations of whatever country you wish to visit. It also highly recommends avoiding “political rallies, which can increase tensions and emotions or breed angry mobs for which a U.S. citizen may serve as a scapegoat,” and to “avoid political Conversations about contentious political issues with locals and avoid retaliating against hostile or bigoted remarks about Americans.” Find the recommendations at this link http://www.studentsabroad.com/handbook/strategies-to-reduce-risk.php?country=General#section1

Overall South Koreas is a safe place to travel and The U.S. State Department rates South Korea as Level One on its travel advisory list, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/south-korea-travel-advisory.html , which means everyday safety precautions generally are enough when traveling around. While there are occasional reminders of the ongoing tensions with North Korea, such as the gas mask dispensers in subway stations, danger from any sort of political violence or terrorism remains low. To stay up to date, travelers should sign up for the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which will send alerts should any security issues arise. Here is a link to the program https://step.state.gov/step/

While studying the Study Abroad Student Handbook, I’ve learned that although South Korea is a safe place to travel, there are significant risks that need to be addressed. Among the risks that I find least threatening is access to good healthcare. According to the medical tourism site, South Korea is filled with top-notch private hospitals and clinics, which account for 93% of all medical facilities. http://medicaltourism.com/Forms/Country/SouthKorea.aspx?cid=124 . I am also not concerned much with how to dress. The handbook stresses the importance of dressing conservatively by local standards. Fortunately the South Korean way of dressing is very similar to western styles and fashions. So it would be easy to shop and find appropriate things to wear. I am also not worried much about finding international sources of information about South Korea. The handbook recommends using sources such as online, radio and news agencies that are outside of the US. This class has taught me to dig deeper into these sources and I feel more confident about planning my trip. I will continue to study up on my host country and am really looking forward to traveling there!

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South Korea Mini Report

For this assignment I browsed the internet and found several pictures, videos and blogs about my country of choice, South Korea. Being that my mom is Korean I’ve been exposed to a lot of Korean media in the form of books, newspapers that were mailed to our house and tons of movies that we watched on a regular basis. What was interesting however was that I realized after completing this assignment, I’d never really collected my own items and planned out what my own experience would be when I travel to Korea. For instance our home growing up was full of beautiful Korean furniture, artwork, magazines, calendars and paintings. I fully appreciated the craftsmanship and beauty of it all but my experience was more passive than active in what parts of Korea I really liked and what really attracted me. So as I was searching online for what was required of us, I realized that this was my own personal collection aside from what I was used to and that this sojourn was fully my own and I truly needed to own it. The prospect got me really excited and after completing my collection I now have my own agenda and more importantly, a clear picture of where my journey will begin and where it will end. This will help tremendously in knowing what I want to do, where I want to go and how to budget for it.

So it seems that I am really attracted to Korea in the spring, so I’m positive I will travel there around that time of year. Especially in time to see the Cherry blossoms.

I’ve collected several pictures of the most beautiful cherry blossoms I’ve ever seen and I ran across an annual cherry blossom marathon in Gyeongju City that they hold every April. I would love to be there to participate in one of those races and though it’s been several years since I’ve taken running seriously, I’m sure that running under the cherry blossoms will motivate me to want to start running again. This link is worth checking out, especially if you love running in exotic places http://www.cherrymarathon.com/english/index01.php .

Also in April there is a large nationwide festival honoring Buddha’s birthday. Several cities will be covered in the most beautiful lanterns and literally millions of people will set their own lanterns free into the night sky. The scene is truly breathtaking.

Go here for more information about the lantern festival https://wanderpi.com/2015/05/11/all-aglow-at-seouls-lotus-lantern-festival/ .

Here is a great video (below) showing the event.

One great thing about my sojourn to South Korea is that I can save a lot of money by staying with family members in Gwangju and Seoul city. It will be nice to have my own personal tour guides and I can also save a ton of money on food. My aunt owns a restaurant there so there will be plenty of free food, but also a lot of work for me to do helping out in the kitchen.

The food in Korea is super fragrant and colorful. The staple food, Kimchi, is known to be a super food because it is rich in probiotics. If a person is not familiar with the food in Korea, it may take a while to acquire a taste for some of the dishes which feature a lot of fermented and raw foods.

Also while in Korea I really want to check out the K-Pop culture that is all the rage right now. I have two young daughters who watch the videos daily and though I’m more the traditional Korean music type, I have to admit I’ve really grown to like the newer music. It reminds me a lot of US based music and is an eclectic mix of pop, rock, and hip-hop which is in a way really comforting because I grew up in the MTV era. Check out  K-Pop here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ips2mM7Zqw  My daughters favorite girl band is here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2hlQkVJZhE

Check it out below.

Now take a peek at the traditional music I grew up hearing and am in love with.

Finally, as I look over my collection I realize that I have a lot of lovely spring time pictures and travel blogs about the cities, songs, country sides, monuments and festivals but I don’t have much about the history or politics of Korea. I would really like to look into these and add them to my collection. I know that Korea is similar to the US in that it is a democratic nation and that it has a rich long history but I think gathering media and information about these will help tremendously before I sojourn there. I really want to know the country I’m visiting. Also I would like to continue studying up on the culture to relieve any culture shock I might feel while staying there. Our last module was really informative and though I may feel that I have an edge on culture shock because I grew up with a partial Korean mindset and am familiar with the food and language, I am still very much western and am used to the day to day western culture and experience. My mother, who’s been to back to Korea to visit has told me that even for her, visiting Korea for the first time after being away for more than a decade, was surreal and that it took her a while to adjust to the pace and way of doing things there. I am really looking forward to my visit and I plan to continue building my collection of pictures, videos and media. It has really helped me to put things in perspective and plan out my trip.

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International Sojourn - South Korea

Why South Korea?

I chose South Korea as my host country, not only because I feel like it would be a beautiful place to travel, but also because it is the country I was born in. I left Korea when I was three years old and have since become a US citizen, but I have always wanted to go back to visit. My mother who was once a Korean national and now a US citizen herself, used to tell me stories about Korea when I was growing up. I learned about the history, culture and way of life of the average Korean and also about the ancient Buddhist practices that used to dominate the religious thought of the country. Christianity is now the main religious culture.  

Other than wanting to go back because it is a part of who I am, I also want to go back because I am drawn to the beautiful scenery of Korea. Only about twenty percent of the people live in big cities, but the remaining population live in rural untouched landscapes. The pictures I’ve seen are breathtaking. I especially love the mountain ranges in the spring. Korea has been blessed with four seasons and each one looks inviting in my opinion.

Finally the only thing that bothers me about my sojourn to Korea is the tensions that have been mounting between South Korea and Its neighbor North Korea. The two were joined at one time and then split up after the Korean War. The south enjoys a peaceful, stable democracy similar to what we have in the US, and the north is ruled by a sovereign, authoritative regime that threatens South Korea with war on a regular bases. Although so far these threats have been all talk, there is always the possibility that something could escalate, so I’m always keeping up on the current events. One of my main concerns about traveling has always been safety and even though I long to visit my country of origin, I’m pretty sure I won’t visit unless I feel it’s safe to do so. This International Sojourning class I am taking has caused me to question my planned sojourn like never before and I feel more confident that wherever I go, I will make the most of my trip.