뉴스레터

Editor's Note: The Dokdo Research Institute ran the Northeast Asian History Academy for 20 foreign students and residents in Korea from September to December 2013. Conducted in Korean and designed to give foreigners a three-dimensional look into the past and present of Korea, this 15-week program consisted of lectures on pending issues in Northeast Asian history and field trips to historic sites. Of those who completed the Academy, three (from Ecuador, Mongolia, and China, respectively) contributed essays written in Korean about their experience of the Academy (Their manuscripts were edited to correct awkward Korean expressions (and translated into English, of course)).

I want to share my experience in the Northeast Asian History Academy for Foreigners with my friends and family

Written by Daniela Ruiz from Ecuador, Yonsei University Korean Language Institute

The biggest reason I came to Korea is that Korea is a country with a strong culture and a fascinating history. I came here because I wanted to learn about Korea's traditional buildings and history. I met a person at the Embassy of Ecuador, and told her about my interest in Korean history and culture. A few days later, she introduced me to this wonderful opportunity of the Northeast Asian History Academy for Foreigners. Although I was afraid that my Korean was not good enough, I decided to sign up without thinking twice. Although my Korean is not good as other students of the Academy, I can say that I learned a lot about Korean history and culture. My country has limited information about Asia because it is located far away from the region. So I didn't know much about Korea as a country, let alone its history. But through this program, I learned about how Korea had become the country it was today, how Hangul had been invented, and the territorial issues facing Korea. This is a very wonderful program where one can learn about Korean people and Korean culture. My general knowledge about Korea has increased without doubt thanks to the good education provided by this program.

Until I entered this Academy, I knew nothing about Dokdo. Now, however, I not only know about Dokdo but also fully understand its importance. Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America. And we Ecuadorian people have experienced numerous territorial disputes that robbed us of our resources and commercial opportunities. That's why I have come to learn why Korea fights for what may seem a very small piece of land to people of other countries, and I fully understand why Korea is trying to promote its importance.

Attending this Academy program brought me really good memories, and I want to share them with my friends and family once I return to my country. The Academy people were very kind and cooperative. They would handle any question with smile and kindness. My most memorable memory during the Academy was the trip to Dokdo, of course. The trip to Dokdo was such a good memory that I will never forget it. It was a great blessing to get to know wonderful people and visit Dokdo with them. This Academy program gave me this wonderful experience, and I would like to recommend it to other foreigners.

"My second time to visit Dokdo, where I learned more about it"

Written by PUREV OCHIR URANTUYA from Mongolia, Kangwon National University Master's Program in Business Administration

I am Uranguya, a student in Korea from Mongolia. A friend of mine introduced me to the Northeast Asian History Academy for Foreigners. When I heard that the Academy offered an opportunity to learn about Korean history and Northeast Asian history and also go on field trips, it sounded so interesting and exciting that I signed up. I live in Chuncheon, where it takes two hours to get to Seoul. Nevertheless, I decided to attend the Academy thinking that I could learn about Korean history and culture through the Northeast Asian History class. Going to Seoul to attend the class on every Wednesday was a little bit hard, but through this class I came to learn about Korean history and culture. In addition, the field trips allowed me to visit many places I haven't been before, and have a fun time. It also allowed me to get to know teachers of the Northeast Asian History Academy and make friends with people from different countries. Through the lectures, I learned the history of Korea of different periods, such as Baekje, Silla, and Goryeo. And the field trips took me to Namsangol Hanok Village (traditional Korean village), the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, and Dokdo. That was my second time to visit Dokdo. In my first visit, I knew nothing about Dokdo. In my second visit, I learned more about it. I learned that Dokdo was a group of volcanic islets of hardened lava, shaped overall like a cone, and composed of two main islets, Dongdo and Seodo, standing side by side. I also learned that Dokdo was certainly Korean territory from a historical point of view. From the bottom of my heart, I thank those who opened up this opportunity for me.

"Hopefully, the Northeast Asian History Academy will lead peace in Northeast Asia"

Written by Hu Chun-yu (許春玉) from China, Yonsei University Master's Program in Economics

It was on the bulletin board in the library near where I lived that I saw the announcement of the "Northeast Asian History Academy for Foreigners." Since I had been always interested very much in the humanities and history of the Northeast Asian region, this Academy strongly appealed to me.

It is said that history is an account of objective facts of the past. However, there are also aspects of subjective intervention that make the interpretations of the same fact differ depending on positions and viewpoints. I had learned history from China's perspective. But, by attending this Academy, I wanted to have a fresh look into Northeast Asian history from Korea's perspective, to increase mutual understanding while developing an objective and desirable perception and view of history. In fact, I gained much more than I expected from the Northeast Asian History Academy. Mr. Lee Doo-hyung's interesting lecture allowed me to learn efficiently about the ancient to modern/contemporary history of Korea within a short period of time of a few weeks. Although I had read about Korean history as a hobby, I had not learned about the subject systematically, until I attended the Academy, which proved very helpful to me in understanding Korean history. And the special lectures on sensitive topics, such as the Northeast Project and the Dokdo issue, gave us, regardless of nationality, a meaningful time to view and think about historical issues in an objective and academic manner. Additionally, field trips to the Namsan Hanok Village, Dokdo, and the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress added to the reality and dynamism of our experience of learning history, and gave us happy memories.

The Northeast Asian History Academy provided foreign students in Korea with an opportunity for learning and communication, and also planted in us a seed for thought about how we should begin to resolve historical conflicts.