Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Former British golfer graduates summa cum laude from Dongguk
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Jack Webster / Korea Times photo by Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
Jack Webster from England graduated with top honors from Dongguk University in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Thursday. The 29-year-old earned a GPA of 4.4 out of 4.5 from the department of business administration and was designated ‘summa cum laude’ along four other students at the graduation ceremony. During an interview with the Korea Times, Webster said with humility that the grades were just “numbers” after his four years of studying.
Webster was a golfer for eight years and a golf coach for three years in England. But the Koreans he met during his trip to Australia encouraged him to visit Korea in January 2010.
“The biggest reason I came was just simply the Korean people,” he said. “They were very passionate about their food, so when I came to Korea, one of my big expectations was things like samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly).”
Although he met his Korean fiancé in Australia, Webster said he did not come here to stay when he first visited Korea. “I had no plan and I just wanted to visit some new countries,” he said. “I just ended up staying longer and longer and just kept renewing my visa, because I enjoyed it so much here.”
However, the Korean people inspired him to return to education.
“I started to see Koreans studying in coffee shops, all the time,” he said. “So to be honest, it really motivated me for studying and made me realize I wanted to study.”
As a foreign student, who got A+ in most of his classes, Webster said foreigners should learn the Korean language to study in Korea. He took writing, reading, speech, Buddhism and economics classes in Korean, after he studied in free Korean classes offered by Seoul Global Village Center.
Webster made above a 4.0 GPA each semester, so he was awarded scholarships from his university and also from the Rotary Club. But he still went through some hard times living in Korea. He said he sold all of his expensive golf equipment in order to live and worked as a part-time English tutor for children, which was a difficult experience for him.
With his experience in tutoring and the knowledge he learned from the services marketing class, Webster is planning to run an English education business after graduation.
He said the biggest problem of English education in Korea is that everything is driven toward tests, such as college entrance exams and TOEIC.
He said, “I look to take students step by step. And then by the end of it, hopefully, they can communicate effectively.” He also said he is thinking about teaching Korean adults English, while coaching golf at the same time.
Webster changed his whole way of life after coming to Korea. However, he said, “There are a lot of opportunities for foreigners in Korea, as long as you’re willing to work.”
“You might come here to do one thing, but because of the opportunities for foreigners you can end up making a successful business here,” he added.