KOREA FOUNDATION

Letter from the Korea Foundation’s Visiting Fellow

Greetings. My name is Sotova Kateryna. From September 2018 to August 2019, I took part in the Advanced Academic Korean Program at the Inter-University Center (IUC) at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) on a KF Fellowship. For three semesters, I learned Korean and conducted research into topics of my interest.

I’ve been studying the Korean language for nearly eight years now, but the first time I developed an interest in Korea was 12 years ago. As a middle school student, I happened to hear a Korean song by chance and loved the language. I entered Kyiv National Linguistic University, and I obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Korean translation and interpretation. Dreaming of becoming a Korean language professor upon graduation, I made up my mind to take a doctoral course in Korea to study Korean language education.

While studying at SKKU on the KF Fellowship, I was able to foster my ability to read and write academic papers. I also obtained a broad knowledge of the history, literature, society, and current affairs of Korea, and studied Chinese characters.

Over the past year, I conducted research on the utilization of K-dramas, and other genres of popular culture in Korean language education, as well as on the teaching of the first-person pronoun and Korean vocabulary. I also attended classes on Korean language education at SKKU and special lectures on various topics at the IUC.

Additionally, I went on a KF field trip to Jeju Island, where I learned about the island’s history and culture, and to Jeollabuk-do. I also visited places including the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju and the March 1 Independence Movement Centennial Memorial in Gunsan. It was a significant experience to personally go to those historic sites showing the tragic history of Korea and the patriotism of the Korean people and to feel the atmosphere there.

For me, as someone who plans to participate in a doctoral course in Korea, this fellowship was a great help in fostering my Korean language skills and research capabilities while gaining a deeper understanding of my major.

While on the KF Fellowship, I not only advanced my command of Korean but also broadened my perspective on Korean studies. I feel extremely lucky to have been given this opportunity and would like to express my gratitude here once again.

Inter-University Center, Sungkyunkwan UniversitySotova Kateryna (Ukraine)

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