Exploring Modernity and Tradition in Seoul

I’ve been in South Korea for three months and have had life-changing experiences.

I can still remember the anxiety that consumed me as I stepped foot off the plane. Will South Korea be different from what I imagined? How will I adapt to a new culture and language thousands of miles away from my family?

Once I left the airport and drove through the city of Incheon, it finally hit me: After years of dreaming, I had officially made it to South Korea.   

I passed hundreds of skyscrapers, which shook me out of my small-town mentality. I was met with honking cars, fast-driving taxis and the warmth of the taxi driver who greeted me with welcoming arms.

As I exited Incheon and entered Seoul, the scenery started becoming familiar. I stared out the window into the busy streets of Itaewon, wondering why everyone was rushing around. Soon, I became part of the crowd, hauling my luggage across the street and into my hotel.  

Tradition Meets Modernity

In the weeks after arriving in South Korea, I familiarized myself with the streets of Seoul. While exploring the city, I realized that despite being extremely modern, Koreans deeply value tradition. Much of the architecture here strikes a balance between rapid modernization and existing traditions.   

One example is Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty. This palace sits next to skyscrapers, highlighting the difference between Korea’s past and its vision for the future. Many Hanbok rental shops near the palace allow people to experience wearing traditional-style attire as they journey back to the Joseon Dynasty.   

I recently visited Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, which features numerous cafés and restaurants in traditional buildings. While there, I ate sotbap (rice served traditionally in a pot). Many other restaurants have modern interiors even though they sell traditional cuisines, such as kimchi (fermented vegetables), bibimbap (rice dish) and kalguksu (noodle dish). These dishes have become my comfort foods, allowing me to appreciate the pride Koreans hold in their cuisine.   

Science, Technology and Society

Korea has modernized through science, technology and society, which is the focus of my Take the World by the Horns program. I’ve explored these topics in my classes at Hanyang University, where I learned about the history of science and how the advancement of technology has contributed to scientific discoveries.  

Through a collaboration of EF Study Abroad and UT Austin, I have gone on many excursions that wouldn’t have been easily accessible to me otherwise. 

I visited a motion-capture studio, where my peers wore motion-capture suits and experienced themselves as digital characters. At the EA Sports studio, the staff members held a presentation about the process of creating video games. 

My favorite technology-based excursion was visiting the Samsung Innovation Museum. Considering that South Korea is the home of Samsung, it was interesting to tour the museum and see how Samsung’s products have evolved throughout past decades.   

I also interacted with Korean society through service-learning activities, such as volunteering in a soup kitchen, cleaning up an ecological park and teaching English to children.  

Life as a Hanyang Lion

As an exchange student at Hanyang University, I’ve experienced life at a Korean university firsthand. Since Hanyang University’s student population is split almost evenly between Korean and international students, I have made many friends from diverse backgrounds. Due to Hanyang’s multicultural environment, everyone is open-minded and willing to make new friends.   

Many cultural and music festivals happen at Korean universities. Chinese and Indonesian students recently held a festival to celebrate their cultures, where they gave away free goods.

Hanyang also hosted a free music festival, where K-pop groups Le Sserafim and StayC performed at our campus. In addition to these benefits, Hanyang gives many perks to its international students, such as free Lotte World Adventure Park and Everland Amusement Park tickets.  

Riding the Korean Wave

South Korea is home to K-pop and K-dramas, which can be viewed everywhere in the world. Many ads feature Korean celebrities’ faces in subway stations, cafés and along the streets.

While living here, I have attended two concerts, and I plan to attend three more before I leave Korea. I have also met multiple celebrities by attending “Mudae Insa” events, where actors greet the audience after a movie screening. Fan culture is a huge sensation in Korea, with fans even camping out in front of event locations to meet celebrities.   

Whenever there’s a concert or a celebrity event, the subway is always packed with fans, which can be quite overwhelming if you’re alone. Therefore, I always recommend going with a friend or making new friends at the event. Although it may be initially difficult to communicate, fan culture transcends any language barrier.  

Looking Forward

I only have six more weeks left in South Korea. While here, I’ve explored the depths of Seoul, Incheon, Ilsan, Suwon, Gangneung, Gyeongju, Busan, Sokcho and Daejeon.

Experiencing my first semester of college while living abroad has proven to be the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve experienced the highs and lows of the newfound independence that every college student endures, such as balancing freedom and responsibility while battling homesickness. However, the benefits of studying abroad have outweighed any challenges.   

If you are an incoming freshman considering the Take the World by the Horns first-semester abroad program or an upperclassman hoping to study abroad in Korea, you should put any anxiety and lingering doubts aside to embark on an unforgettable journey.

I am incredibly proud to be part of the first Take the World by the Horns program, representing The University of Texas at Austin as I explore South Korea. Being granted the opportunity to change the world as a Longhorn in Seoul, South Korea, is an experience I’ll never forget.  

This post was contributed by Autumn Winford, a Global Ambassador for Fall 2024. Autumn is a freshman Asian Cultures and Languages major participating in a Take the World by the Horns education abroad program in Seoul, South Korea.