I would like to give everyone who reads this article/report a little insight into my experiences during my semester abroad in South Korea and hope that it will inspire them to get to know this wonderful and yet still somewhat unknown country for themselves.
My stay abroad began on 10.8.2021 with the flight to South Korea and ended on 23.12.2021 with the return flight home. The semester in South Korea lasted from 30.8.2021 to 17.12.2021. I applied via TUM Exchange at Yonsei University in Seoul. It should be noted at this point that I had already visited South Korea in 2018 and it was therefore one of my favorites for a stay abroad.
South Korea, or the Republic of Korea, is about an eleven-hour flight from Germany, close to Japan or the far eastern end of Russia (Vladivostok). The only direct national border is with its neighbor North Korea. South Korea is best known here for K-Pop and K-Drama, also known as Korean Wave. The capital of South Korea is Seoul with almost 24 million inhabitants, where my university was located. The country is one of the tiger economies, which have been characterized by rapid economic growth. South Korea and the Korean peninsula have a long history, which has been shaped by many kings but also colonization. South Korea emerged as a state after the Second World War in the course of the division by the USA and the USSR. Shortly after the division, the Korean War broke out, destroying many parts of the country. After the war, the current border with neighboring North Korea was created. South Korea also experienced a rapid economic upswing, which still contributes significantly to its development today. Well-known companies include Samsung and Hyundai.
Today, Korea is an industrialized country with a lot of high-tech and, despite the war, many historical sights and a lot of culture. The best example of this is probably Hangul (한글), the Korean language, which was introduced by King Sejong in 1443 and is the official language today.
If you look at the data (especially for those who read it later), you will notice that the period is still in the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea was also only one of the few countries that allowed people to stay abroad. A stay abroad in Japan would, as of now (7.2.22), still not be possible or only with great difficulty. South Korea, on the other hand, allowed it, but some conditions had to be met. These included a negative PCR test and a two-week quarantine in South Korea. There were two ways to complete the quarantine. The first was to stay in a room at the university and the second was to find a service provider for the quarantine. As I didn't have a room at the university, I only had the second option. However, the service provider was well organized so that you were picked up at the airport and taken to your hotel to spend the two weeks in isolation. After the two weeks, you were allowed to move around freely again.
Unlike us, South Korea did not impose a lockdown, but only issued restrictions on the number of people or the time of day when stores could be open. This made it possible for everyday life to be more or less normal, even if one or two events could not be attended or were closed as a result. It is also interesting to note that everyone was wearing a mask from the moment they left the house and the whole time, even outside. During my stay, the rules changed from time to time. However, the changes could always be found online. As my stay progressed, the "vaccinated" status became increasingly important, but this was not officially recognized by foreigners until shortly before the end. There was the occasional problem that access to some restaurants was not permitted. Fortunately, this was limited in my case.
My host university was Yonsei University in Seoul. It is located on the north side of the Han River near Hongdae. Alongside Seoul National University (SNU) and Korea University, Yonsei University is one of the SKY universities and therefore one of the best in Korea. For my stay, I had to choose courses worth at least nine credits. Unfortunately, there were also restrictions, such as only being allowed to choose courses in English, which meant that the choice of courses shrank very quickly. As I had already completed the remaining courses for my degree, I chose a very diverse range of courses. I chose a mixture of technical and business subjects, partly to broaden my own horizons.
Unfortunately, the studies themselves were almost exclusively online (via Zoom) due to Corona. However, the content was taught well by every professor. The language of instruction was largely English, so there were no problems with communication. However, some of the courses were structured very differently. Some of the courses had live sessions, while others only uploaded the material and checked whether it had been viewed by a certain date. Still others had a mixture of both, so that the uploaded material was discussed once a week. From time to time there was also occasional homework, but this could also simply be uploaded. It is also interesting to note that attendance is compulsory and you can even fail the course if you are absent too often.
In South Korea, it is common for there to be two examination periods during a semester.The first, about halfway through, was only a small test, depending on the course, or a lot, as there was a large group assignment at the end.For one course there was a multiple choice exam with an essay question.In the second examination period, at the end of the semester, there were two group assignments, a multiple choice exam and two reports to hand in.The group work was different, with one working very well and the other only producing a result after various problems.The multiple choice exam was in the same style as the previous one and the reports were rather easy to write.Overall, however, it was an exciting semester and I am really happy with the result.
I used the time outside of my studies to undertake various activities and discover the country. As everything was via Zoom/online, I had the opportunity to change locations over a longer period of time and still pursue my studies without any problems. One of my main activities was hiking in the national park directly north of Seoul and visiting various markets in Seoul. I was also able to visit the cities of Busan, Daejeon and Daegu. These cities are the next largest after Seoul. During the harvest festival, I also visited Jeju Island in the far south. I also visited a few temples and palaces in Seoul itself. I also got closer to Korean cuisine over time, which takes some getting used to due to its spiciness. Once you've done that, you can expect lots of delicious food and dishes. The best known is probably Korean BBQ, where meat is grilled together on a table grill in a large group, which is then eaten in one bite on a lettuce leaf with side dishes.
I thought the semester abroad was worth every second and an experience that I had never had before. I'm already looking forward to visiting South Korea again. I am also very happy that everything worked out despite Corona and that I was able to experience a lot. The only thing I find unfortunate is that the online university meant there was hardly any contact with fellow Korean students, which meant I didn't get to experience the mentality of the people as much. Also, unfortunately, it makes almost no difference whether it's an online university here or there. More life on campus would certainly have been even more interesting, but even so it was a great experience. I can only recommend South Korea to anyone, whether for a semester abroad or as a vacation destination for a few weeks.