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I have two names. At school, my friends would call me over saying, “Hey Claire!” At home, I was “윤아야” or “Yuna,” my Korean name. I used to joke as a child that there were two separate versions of myself and I would “switch” between the two, going from Claire to Yuna and back again. As I grew older, I started hearing terms such as “Korean American,” “Asian American,” and gyopo (someone with Korean heritage but born outside of Korea). All of these labels sent my mind spiraling. I had always been either Claire or Yuna, so I had no idea how the two could coexist together.

Amidst this confusion, I applied for the Sejong Korea Scholars Program to explore my heritage and the country I’ve had such a complex relationship with. Each unit, my classmates and I analyzed textbook excerpts to news articles, sharing our thoughts through written assignments and discussion boards. We concluded with an end-of-unit virtual classroom, featuring expert historians and professors who generously shared their knowledge.

Spanning from the Joseon dynasty to post-colonial Korea to the Hallyu wave, this course took me on a journey throughout all chapters of Korean history. From the colonial independence movement to the post-war democratization protests, I continued to be in awe of the sheer grit and courage of the Korean people. As we delved deeper into modern Korean society by examining topics of education and nationalism, I was also able to contextualize my upbringing and the complexities of my Korean American identity.

Furthermore, the curriculum allowed us the freedom to lead our own learning. For my final paper, I analyzed the impacts of online feminist societies and gender violence on the prevalence of gender animosity in modern-day Korea. Taking this unique opportunity to explore my personal interests further fueled my passion for modern Korean history, social movements, as well as the ways the oppressed fight for a voice.

I would like to deeply thank Dr. HyoJung Jang for being an invaluable mentor throughout this course with her incredible expertise and dedication to learning for learning’s sake. I would also like to credit my talented classmates who inspired me with their insights and always pushed me to view the world from different perspectives.

This course challenged me in countless ways: as a learner, a Korean American, and a person. SKSP is a unique opportunity to learn with rigorous coursework and top-tier resources while exploring one’s own academic interests. I genuinely encourage students to apply, no matter their background, as anyone with a passion for knowledge will be wholeheartedly welcomed and rewarded.

SKSP has been pivotal in discovering my passion for East Asian and Korean studies, one that I wish to pursue both personally and in higher education. In terms of my personal journey, I am still navigating the complexities of my identity and will continue to do so throughout my life. But my SKSP experience has truly opened my eyes to all facets of my identity and their complex intersections. I know now that Claire and Yuna were never two separate people nor two separate parts of me. Rather, they are the ones who make each other whole. 

SKSP is one of several online courses offered by 91�Թ�.

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I have always wished to learn more about Korea. Since I am only half Korean, my grandparents’ stories of Seoul made up the extent of my knowledge for much of my childhood. As I grew up and began to slot together my identity in a patchwork of personality and truths, my Korean identity simply did not fit. I could barely stomach the spice of bibimmyeon, my mother’s favorite Korean noodle dish. Wearing hanboks, the traditional Korean dress, never gave me the elegance my cousins seemed to embody. Speaking Korean didn’t come to me as easily as it did for my sister. What I did have were my grandparents’ firsthand stories, with rich history peeking through childhood anecdotes and accounts of war. Korean history always felt quite accessible to me, even if it didn’t make me feel Korean enough.

Accordingly, getting to participate in the Sejong Korea Scholars Program was a dream come true for me. I sensed that it would be a unique and incredible opportunity, and that perception was immediately confirmed by the first introductory meeting on Zoom. If anything, the online format made the focus of the program even clearer, and each virtual classroom felt just as grounded as any in-person class I’ve experienced.

It was especially exciting to be surrounded by 18 other like-minded and talented peers. We were all in pursuit of the same learning, the same deep dive into Korean history—and many were in the program for reasons similar to mine. There was a deep affinity for culture in the group, and not just for Korean culture. With so many Korean Americans in the group, it was fun to post or comment about our connections to Korea, and just as exciting to learn about Korean Americans from esteemed Professor Kyeyoung Park, who graciously answered all of our questions. I also must commend the students who weren’t Korean and simply were excited about Korean history; their passion was always quite inspiring.

Above all, what made SKSP so special was the historiography, which had long been a personal area of interest. Dr. HyoJung Jang, our extraordinary instructor, curated a diverse assortment of sources each week, ranging from U.S. government documents to articles to contemporary qualitative experiments. In between each virtual classroom, I pored over several sources, and reflected on the way they interacted with each other. As I worked on our biweekly writing assignment, I found myself making multiple connections for each source and forming my own mini arguments in the paragraphs. By the time we got to each lecture, I had stewed on my ideas long enough to get quite excited about the questions I wanted to ask.

Each lecturer gave a spectacular presentation and was quite generous with their time. In particular, I’ll highlight Professor Gi-Wook Shin and Professor Nancy Abelmann, who taught us about different facets of contemporary Korean society: nationalism and the education system, respectively. Their talks were grounded in Korean norms of filial piety, respect, and also patriarchal systems, a topic I intended to write my paper about.

At the time, however, my paper topic was, quite frankly, a mess. I knew I wanted to involve pop culture somehow into my discussion of ingrained misogyny in Korean society, but had written some incredibly vague topic proposal about sexist dating norms present in music and TV shows. Luckily, Dr. Jang gave some much-needed feedback about the large scope of my proposal. In the process of reading through academic papers around sexism, I came across digital feminist movements, and decided that the accessibility and weaponization of the internet was going to be my new focus. Of all the incredible experiences in the program, I think I’ll always remember writing my paper, how Dr. Jang was an especially important personal mentor, and the overwhelming feeling (as I was writing) that I was connected to my culture, somehow.

When I think back to the way I worried over my lack of a connection to Korea at the beginning of the year, I find my concerns a bit silly now. I now know that I have always been connected to my heritage through my history. Even if that didn’t feel like it was enough before, my scholarship and pursuit of Korean history through SKSP have now proven that to me. I will forever remember this program as a place where my writing became true to myself, and went beyond what I ever could have imagined. To all interested students, I urge you to apply without inhibition. You will surely find something you didn’t know you needed—whether it’s a reassurance about your culture, a reignited passion, or simply growth—in the Sejong Korea Scholars Program. 

SKSP is one of several online courses offered by 91�Թ�.

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When I attended Korean school as a child, the class hours were long and I had to complete an inordinate amount of homework. However, through these classes, I gained an outlook on Korean culture, history, and traditions that were important in connecting with my heritage.

As I grew older and became increasingly worried about not being able to explore my ethnic Korean roots and heritage further, I came across the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP), an online course hosted by 91�Թ� that gave me a unique opportunity to delve into my growing curiosity. 

Little did I know how enriching this online program would turn out to be. Gaining personal interactions with guest speakers and professors, getting a chance to further my knowledge in a range of international topics, and thinking on a deeper level with every discussion post I wrote… it was a dream come true.

The four and a half months of SKSP were genuinely an exciting time for me in gaining knowledge about Korea. I found that studying about Korean history and U.S.–Korea relations contributed to a greater appreciation of my ethnic roots.

Most importantly, SKSP provided me access to an incredible set of people, including fellow students from across the country who were participating in the program and the professors who led our weekly lectures. These two aspects of the program, in particular, gave me a chance to reach out and forge connections with people. Above all, I’m grateful that I was able to establish a relationship with Dr. HyoJung Jang, the instructor of SKSP, who greatly expanded my knowledge of Korean societal issues, education, conflicts, and international relations.

As SKSP came to an end, I discovered a missing part of my identity by delving into a topic that I found myself wanting to explore more: the way in which the contrasting cultures of the U.S. and South Korea have differentially shaped their education systems. As someone who had experienced both American and Korean-style education, this topic was particularly meaningful to me. I came to be more aware of how education systems work in other countries, and this experience nourished my interest in diversifying education for all. For my final research paper, I decided to analyze how the education systems of both Korea and the U.S. could be improved.

Through this experience, I came to the conclusion that I would like to pursue a career in education. Not only was I ecstatic at this realization, I was extremely thankful to Professor Nancy Abelmann, whose lecture provided me with knowledge about the South Korean education system. Dr. Yoon Choi’s lecture on Hallyu (“the Korean Wave”) also provided me the inspiration to grow my interest in media, making me want to pursue the field of journalism even more than I already did.

SKSP was a truly unforgettable experience that allowed me to grow as a person, a student, and a speaker. As I came to reflect on my experience with SKSP, I have realized how it truly diversified my knowledge in many critical areas, allowed me to develop my love for improving education systems, and motivated me to become a more influential person in the media. In all these ways, SKSP was a genuinely influential force in my life, and I anticipate that it will continue to shape my identity as a Korean American and influence my academic interests and career direction in ways that I am unaware of now.

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Like many Korean American children, my Saturday mornings growing up consisted of a reluctant drive to Korean school and a subsequent trip to the Korean market. A day filled with bubbly Korean sounds and characters, Choco-Pie, and tteok-boki would flash past until Monday came around and it was back to flat intonations, Oreos, and bow-tie pasta.

If you asked me then, I would say that I was fairly knowledgeable of my Korean roots. Even though my language skills were never the best, I spent plenty of time with Korean relatives and knew my way around a menu. However, during the four months I attended the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP), my eyes were opened to the vast complexity and truth of Korea.

Every other week, I connected with incredible students from all over the nation who each offered unique perspectives, opinions, and knowledge. My classmates and I learned the country’s story from its beginning to its present from a multitude of renowned professors from diverse institutions. Dr. HyoJung Jang gave us access to a myriad of college-level resources and challenged us through thought-provoking assignments that were by far the most fulfilling I have ever done.

We learned the history of unique Korean architecture and fashion and the beautiful traditional practices infused into Korean life. We learned how King Sejong, the program’s eponym, created a new alphabet—the same one I had studied on Korean school Saturdays—in order to escape Chinese origins and give further distinction and pride to the Korean people.

However, we spent equivalent time learning about the country’s more unpleasant, bitter chapters. We studied how Korean society tends to measure the validity of a person’s “Koreanness” in terms of their race—the plague of ethnic nationalism. When we were given the freedom to explore any aspect of Korean history for our final research paper, I chose to research comfort women, the system of sexual slavery instituted by Japan during the occupation. In my studies, I investigated how deeply systemic misogyny runs in the cultures of both Korea and Japan, but also discovered the immense strength and anger portrayed by Korean citizens’ more recent protests of the Japanese government’s denials, revealing an important evolution in Korean culture.

Learning these difficult things gave depth to my comprehension of Korea: in order to truly understand the essence and culture of a country, it is also important to face the hard-to-swallow pieces of its history, its being, and its future. After completing the course, I became inspired to provide similar opportunities to my peers. I’m currently working on creating an in-person, day-long forum to help teenagers realize a similar depth of knowledge of Korea.

Taking SKSP transformed my perspective on life and my ambitions for the future. This program has sparked my desire to build a new relationship with Korean culture in college and beyond so that I can gain a deeper understanding of myself, my heritage, and my connections with the world.

Among the blank screens and muted microphones that plagued remote high school learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, I enrolled in the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP) at the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91�Թ�) and found a completely opposite learning experience.

My passion for Korean history and geopolitics first began when I learned the Korean alphabet system, Hangul, in my history books for Advanced Placement World History. My class, however, only covered the Han Chinese Dynasty briefly before moving on to Europe. Upon asking if we would return to the Asian continent, my teacher hastily replied that we already covered what we “needed to know to pass the test.”

I needed to learn more than what my classroom provided. Then I discovered SKSP, which provided an opportunity for me to learn from top Korea scholars about various perspectives of Korean history and more. SKSP taught me the rich history of Korea that is not covered by the limited high school academic curricula. After being admitted to the program, I was also honored to accept a scholarship that covered the tuition, given my status as a low-income student.

Classes swiftly started in the spring semester. We received textbooks, log-in information, and a warm welcome. I met the faces of my peers as they voiced their passions and motivations leading them to SKSP. Alongside these top students representing 13 states, I found a rigorous environment and yet never once felt “less than” any of my peers.

Our weekly seminars followed in a highly organized manner and had exceptional professors from across the country. We began with the three ancient kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, and then delved into post-1900s Korea, Colonial Korean history, the Korean War, the Miracle on the Han River, and the nation’s final emergence as a trillion-dollar economy.

Korean economics was especially intriguing. SKSP allowed me to converse live with leading experts like Professor Danny Leipziger from George Washington University. In his lecture, he described the factors for South Korea’s economic expansion and how they contributed to the nation’s unprecedented global accomplishments. This topic strongly influenced my final research paper on the current housing crisis in Seoul, in which I analyzed how the collaboration of public and private sectors in South Korea created a unique Jeonse, also known as “Key Money Deposit.”

On top of these experiences, the true learning came from our peer review process for our research papers. I read outstanding papers from all of my exemplary peers and observed how each student developed a unique style of incorporating evidence to defend their thesis. Some incorporated game theory and U.S sanctions in their papers.

SKSP provided an otherwise unattainable learning opportunity in terms of intercultural literacy, historical perspective, collaboration, critical thinking, and global awareness. It gave me the chance to develop into an intelligent global citizen, who is able to comprehend alternative views and pursue interests in a career in ambassadorship. As I attend university, I will pursue a double major in Korean Studies and Language and Engineering.