Sally Williams, '27, TDM/Anthropology, Intern at CJ Cultural Foundation in Korea, Summer 2025

This summer I interned at CJ Cultural Foundation, a corporate foundation of CJ Group. CJ Cultural Foundation’s work supports rising indie artists in music, film, and performing arts. CJ Group uses their unique skills and resources to fund programs that make use of this to better support applicants and aid in spreading Korean artistry and culture. After learning about the breadth of industries CJ Group is involved in and how they give back to Korean communities and culture I was intrigued and inspired and wanted to learn as much as I could by working alongside my coworkers.

This summer was my first time working at a corporate company so I didn't know what to expect besides what I’ve seen on TV, but I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and experiences I had. I had my own cubicle and was provided a laptop and a notebook to work with. I was given two research topics to focus on, CJ Cultural Foundation’s short film program STORY UP- watching award winning short films, and STORY UP short films to compare them and write a report on the qualities of films that win awards- and Korean pop-up shops- learning about why they are engaging to consumers and how pop-ups in Korea differ for those around the world. I wrote two final research papers and created a final presentation that I presented in front of my department and the EVP, Head of CJ Social Responsibility.

My work was all in English, writing my notes, to my research paper, and my presentation, but I presented partly in Korean when I discussed my experiences over the summer that entailed events I staffed and attended as a part of my work, as well as extrusions I went on outside of work with fellow interns and Korean friends. I was asked to present this part in Korean, since my supervisor knew my Korean proficiently as throughout the whole summer I had been speaking with my coworkers in Korean. All of my coworkers could speak and understand English, but felt more comfortable speaking in Korean, and since it was a perfect opportunity to practice I took every chance I could get. During lunch, which was provided by the company, we ate in the cafeteria most days and would talk about our weekends and upcoming plans as well as other things mostly in Korean. Doing this everyday definitely helped me improve and increase my confidence in speaking, which I was lacking in a bit at the beginning of the summer.

I learned a lot of new words and phrases from my coworkers as a result of pushing myself to speak, listen, and try to understand everything in Korean. I made Korean friends as I stayed at Ewha Women’s University dormitory, where I had Korean roommates throughout the summer. I was able to learn Korean slang and practice casual ways of speaking with them. I felt even more immersed in the culture and language this summer, compared to my time spent in Korea last year.

My internship also included weekly events that I was able to staff and support. This gave me the opportunity to see firsthand how the work being done by CJ Cultural Foundation was being run. I was able to attend concerts- meeting artists backstage, staff scholarship auditions- guiding applicants and making sure everything ran smoothly, and preparing for an award ceremony. With the support of CJ Welfare Foundation I was also able to attend a children’s center where I gave a presentation in Korean about my cultural background, my experiences with art and performing arts, and my future goals, as well as opening up a discussion about what the children dreamed about.

Lastly, as a result of my supervisor's efforts, the other interns and I were able to visit CJ ENM’s Virtual Production Studio and attend MNET Countdown. These special opportunities are moments I will not forget and have tinted my memories of this summer. The generosity of the Korean Institute and my coworkers at the CJ Cultural Foundation have made possible such a wonderful summer full of laughter, excitement, and joy and I would recommend anyone who is interested to apply!