I have grown up with the Korean language and culture all my life since my parents are both from Korea. But while I did grow up learning the elementary parts of the Korean language, such as how to read and write simple sentences and how to speak informally and formally, my passion to become better in Korean only truly began when I got older and I realized my Korean was becoming less and less adequate for my age. I became more interested in the Korean culture when my older brother introduced me to my first Korean song, “Wedding Dress” by Taeyang that is still to this day, one of my favorites. As I got more into K-pop I quickly discovered other Korean entertainment as well such as Korean dramas.
Before my senior year of high school, my mother had promised for years that we would be visit Korea the summer after I graduated. I patiently waited and waited with this trip in mind, since the only other time I visited Korea was when I was five years old. Unfortunately, when the time came around we were suddenly unable to go due to complications. So as I began my first year at UR last semester, and learned that there was actually no Korean class but instead an independent study option, I immediately decided that learning independently was better than keeping my Korean skills at an elementary status. Through this program, I am hoping to become proficient enough in Korean to carry on a conversation with any person (elder, friend, stranger, etc.) while also improving my reading and writing skills, expanding my vocabulary, and gaining more knowledge of Korea’s history and culture.
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