KF뉴스레터-The KF Global Challengers Program

KF Korean Language Education Internship

I prepared and taught a Korean culture course for students on summer break who had completed their first year of study. The class included 10 students, and we met three times a week for three-hour sessions. The lectures delved into Korea’s ancient history, related to the Gojoseon era, Three Kingdoms of Korea, Goryeo, Joseon, and the Korean Empire, along with tracing the course of the country’s cultural development. The students also learned about noteworthy UNESCO sites, such as Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temlple, Gyeongju historical sites, Tripitaka Koreana, Haeinsa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the royal tombs of Joseon, as well as meaningful artifacts like Goryeo celadon. In addition, I introduced several shrines and altars in Korea and various Korean cities such as Seoul, Suwon, Gyeongju, and Jeonju. Although the materials were rather unfamiliar and could have been perceived as lacking in relevance, the students earnestly pursued their studies and our time together felt like an enjoyable club activity, rather than a lecture series.
After classroom instruction and research, we headed out on a field trip to tour various shrines and altars in Huế. Korea and Vietnam have both been heavily influenced by Chinese culture, so the traditional architecture from the three cultures is distinctive but also similar in several regards. Throughout this field trip, the students were able to carefully observe and compare the Korean and Vietnamese structures.

Huế University, Vietnam
Yum Jung-eun

▲State Department visit / Interview with North Korean defector

KF Think Tank Internship

This past month has been hectic because of the approaching final internship presentation at the Institute. Firstly, there was the monthly meeting to inform my supervisor of how I was preparing for my presentation. Then, I visited the Library of Congress (LoC) to examine data on the Wall Street Journal’s portrayal of North Korea, and prepared interviews for my research on North Korea.
I conducted an interview with a North Korean defector, and incorporated her impressions about American filmmakers’ depictions of her native country into a video. After our work was done, I had the chance to have lunch with her and hear about her life and the realities of North Korea. I also carried out an interview with Dr. Katharine Moon, an East Asia expert from the Brookings Institution, on the problem of the American mass media’s depiction of North Korea and its implications for the two countries’ relationship. Dr. Moon provided excellent information, and her thorough analysis greatly contributed to my research. Lastly, I carried out a public interview at George Washington University. It was very exhausting to recruit interviewees—especially amid the scorching hot weather. However, it was rewarding when I got to hear their unique responses, which revealed Americans’ perceptions of the conflict between North and South Korea.
Apart from the research project, I participated in social events such as a welcoming lunch and a farewell dinner for interns in the North Korea International Documentation Project (NKIDP). I also attended a lecture about contemporary North Korean art given by a South Korean artist and professor based in D.C., and partook in a panel discussion about inheritance disputes between South and North Korean families, which was hosted by a KF fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.