Spring is a beautiful season, and it is even more in South Korea. In early March, after so many days spent wrapped in my winter jacket and scarf, the weather forecast of a Saturday with 16° Celsius and sunshine only made me radiate with happiness! Taking advantage of the occasion, my friends and I decided to inaugurate the return of the beautiful days by having a picnic at the edge of the Han River: a river that crosses Seoul from east to west before flowing into the Yellow Sea. Of course, we were not the only ones who had this idea. Yeouido Park (여의도), one of the many parks along the river, was filled with Korean families, delighted to take out their picnic mats, small tents, and kites. Bicycle and skateboard enthusiasts also stormed the riverfront as children looked on in wonder.
I usually have fun activities planned most weekends, like taking pottery classes, taking walks along unique and pretty streets, then going to famous restaurants (맛집) and trying out foods I have never had before.
On weekdays, I get to experience what it is like to work and study in Seoul. As the 2021 Ted Wang Fellow for South Korea, I have had the invaluable opportunity to do an internship at the Ban-Ki Moon Institute for Global Engagement & Empowerment. Thanks to this opportunity, I learned about Global Citizenship and Social Development Goals (SDGs), a field that I have had an interest in for a long time.
In February 2021, I assisted with the planning and organization of the third Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum (GEEF), themed — 3Ps Beyond Security: Peace, Prosperity, and Partnership. The GEEF forum is a global annual event that I had previously wanted to attend myself. And this year’s forum was marked by keynote speeches from Jim Yong Kim, the 12th President of the World Bank, Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the exclusive conversation with the UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie. The forum was live-streamed on YouTube and has been watched by more than 22,000 people from all over the world.
I also participated in organizing the first ‘GEEF for ALL’ special seminar, which took place on May 10, 2021. The GEEF for ALL was held online under the theme: “Human rights & peace of Myanmar.” This forum was held to diagnose the Myanmar crisis caused by military actions and discuss partnerships and the path forward to better engage in the safety and protection of human rights of residents in Myanmar.
It is now the month of May, and summer is right around the corner. It is indeed the return of warm weather and clear and sunny days. Generally speaking, the spirit is festive, and I feel a vitality and enthusiasm in the air that had been lost during the rough winter months. In different circumstances, festivals would be numerous at this time of the year. Many of which are related to nature, which explodes with a thousand colors. Like for instance, the Cherry Blossom Festival (벚꽃 축제), or the Lotus Lantern Festival (연등회).
Unfortunately, none of these festivals took place this year due to the pandemic. Even the acclaimed Yonsei AKARAKA Cheering Festival, which I was very much looking forward to, was canceled.
With only about a month and a half left until I fly back home, my schedule is packed. And so is my small suitcase. There are many places in Korea that I would like to visit before I leave, including Gangneung, Sokcho, Yeosu, Busan, and Jeju Island. I probably won’t be able to go to all these places, especially with final exams coming up, but my goal is to visit at least three of them. And as for the remaining locations on my travel list, I will have to leave them for the next time I am in Korea. Because I know for a fact that “I WILL BE BACK!”