Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Michigan State University students explore Korean culture during Seoul trip
Professor Laura MacDonald, first from right, poses with Michigan State University freshmen at Hongik Daehangno Art Center in central Seoul, Tuesday, before watching the Korean musical "Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!" The students are participating in the First-Year Seminar Abroad program in Seoul. Courtesy of Russ Alexander
By Kwon Mee-yoo
As Korean pop culture continues to resonate far beyond the peninsula, a group of Michigan State University (MSU) freshmen experienced the Korean Wave firsthand through a new First-Year Seminar Abroad program that brought them to South Korea. From palace grounds to K-pop studios and from historic landmarks to immersive musical productions, the two-week course offered students a dynamic introduction to Korean society and its global cultural impact.
The course, titled "K-cultures: Stories and Identity in Korean Cultures," was led by professor Laura MacDonald from MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, who did a fellowship at Ewha Womans University and studied Korean musical theater. Designed to help new students develop critical thinking and intercultural understanding, this year marks MSU’s first-ever overseas seminar to Korea, reflecting the growing appeal of Korean culture among young Americans.
For many students, the trip was a way to deepen their understanding of Korean culture beyond what they had encountered online.
Emad Shahjahan, a double-major in comparative cultures and politics and physics, said, “For me, it's more contemporary. Korean culture definitely has blown up in the last five years and then this program I heard was focused on exploring more of the historical aspect and exploring the context behind that. So I'm also into a lot of Korean dramas, so I thought it'd be interesting to actually go to the country where all of this originated.”
Brooke Rogers’ connection to Korea had personal roots. "The main reason I chose to come to Korea was I was heavily influenced by my grandpa and my uncle. My grandpa always loved learning about different Asian cultures … I put a lot of time into learning about it, just wanting to find a new culture that I felt like I could connect with … And I'm glad it brought me here today," Rogers said.
Michigan State University students participating in the First-Year Seminar Abroad program pose in front of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, July 21. Courtesy of Russ Alexander
The itinerary covered everything from contemporary pop culture to centuries-old history. Students discussed feminist critiques of Korean beauty standards, studied the stylistic evolution of K-pop and attended Korean musical productions such as “Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!” and “Memphis.” They also met with artists and critics, including K-drama columnist Jung Duk-hyun and VIXX member Ken, gaining insight into the inner workings of Korea’s entertainment scene.
For many students, the trip was their first exposure to Korea beyond the screen — and a way to challenge preconceived notions.
"Compared to other cultures, Korean and other East Asian cultures are a little more unknown to us. We aren't taught in school as much and before this trip, I didn't know anything about the Joseon Dynasty. That's what emboldened me to go on this trip, learning about something new,” said Aidan Fields, who plans to major in political theory and constitutional democracy.
For some, the course inspired their professional goals. Noam Avner, the sole acting and stage management major on the trip, said he came to learn more about Korean theater, which is often left out of Western curricula. “In order to act or to put on a show that is authentic, if you want to do a show that has ties to East Asia or Korea, you want to be able to represent the country and its cultures correctly and respectfully. So this trip will be a big help."
Elementary education major Kaitlyn Bays, who is pursuing a certificate in English as a second language education, said the challenges of navigating Korea without fluency enhanced her empathy for language learners.
“My purpose in coming here was kind of like getting into a situation where I don't know the language … I don't know the language, but there's still ways that I can cope with that and I can still communicate with people, even if it's in a broken way ... It reaffirmed my passion for teaching abroad,” Bays said.