Kylie Oh, '28, Theatre, Dance, Media, Harvard Summer School Abroad Program in Korea, Summer 2025

This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in an unforgettable study abroad program at Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea. When first hearing about this program, the prospect of Korean language learning paired with taking the Anthropology course “Global Korea” struck me as a compelling combination, where one would get to develop their Korean speaking skills while deepening their understanding of the place spatially surrounding them. I am so appreciative and thankful to say that my time at Harvard Summer School fulfilled these hopes of mine. 

During my time at Ewha, the intellectual and physical immersion in Korean language and culture contributed to a unique learning journey where I got to navigate the powerful link between the material learned in class to its application beyond the classroom. Although they passed by quickly, the two courses of Korean language and Anthropology were extremely valuable in enriching both my knowledge and lived experience of Korea. When taking my Korean language class, integrating new grammar patterns I had learned that same day later in conversations with native Korean speakers created a challenging, yet rewarding learning dynamic that pushed me to expand lessons to real, organic contexts. 

At first, I was worried about how the four-person class would feel in comparison to my previous Korean classes of fifteen or more people, however the intimate classroom setting was one of the biggest strengths of the class. The tight-knit, supportive environment lent itself to not just an enjoyable learning experience, but one that fostered empowering growth, as my classmates and I felt comfortable trying out new verbal patterns and taking risks within the communal space we built. Furthermore, in “Global Korea,” I deepened my understanding of Korean institutions, events, systems, and hierarchies through a diverse set of topics that ranged from the architectural and social development of Gangnam to national memory of the Park Chung-Hee regime. Engaging in fieldwork was the highlight of the class, as the opportunity to draw from my firsthand, physical observations of a site such as Seodaemun Prison History Hall and connect them to complex, historically charged origins was a new and fascinating way of conducting research. Forming connections with the Ewha students in the program was a pivotal part of the program for me. After first meeting each other, immediately traveling to Jeju Island as a group made for a bonding trip that set the foundation for cherished friendships that only got stronger as we spent more time together. The perspectives the Ewha students shared cultivated a special atmosphere where our conversations brought in diverse opinions that both overlapped and diverged, depending on a collection of factors including ethnicity, nationality, upbringing, regional belonging, and familial history. These distinctions between our identities manifested in eye-opening discussions that sparked an immense amount of listening and discovery. 

This sentiment echoed both in and out of the classroom, which leaves me awed and grateful that we were always learning from each other, whether it was at our classroom table, in the dorm, or over a meal. My gratitude extends to the entirety of the program as well, where this surreal opportunity to study and live in a different country impacted my cultural, social, linguistic, and personal growth more meaningfully than I could’ve imagined.