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By gwrobinkim


In South Korea, there is a very popular television program named 비정상회담 ("Abnormal Summit"). Loosely mimicking the G20 Summit, it features a panel who openly discuss a number of topics related to Korean culture. This show is unique in that the panel is made up male foreigners who live in Korea. Not only that, but they all speak fluent Korean. Ranging from nationalities (e.g. Italy, USA, Mexico, China, Ghana, and Poland - to name just a few), they also vary in occupations (e.g. students, professors, corporate workers). They're also diverse in their length of time in Korea ranging from 2 to 10 years. Despite purposely focusing on the differences in Korea and the panel's respective countries, the show also highlights the similarities in experiencing South Korea as a foreigner.

I was invited to an event at 홍대 (Hongdae) that was hosting four of the 비정상회담 ("Abnormal Summit") members to discuss "Peace and Citizenship," specifically targeting students studying abroad. Of course, I said heck yeah.

...continue reading "Abnormal Summit"

By gwrobinkim

In my original post, I defined myself in my own words: a third-culture Korean American. After reviewing and reflecting on what I wrote in that post, I’ve realized how much has changed in the three months of being here. I still stand by what I said before, I still identify as a third-culture Korean American.

However, my time here has made me learn a lot about both my identity and community back home. And by “back home,” I mean that figuratively. Like most people, I have several groups of people that come to mind when I think about my community: my family, my university friends, my high school friends, and my middle school friends. Looking at this, my community isn’t centered in one area.

...continue reading "Defining Identity and Community: Mid-Semester Reflection"

By gwrobinkim

I’m not a Korean, nor am I an American. I’m a Korean American, as I outlined in my very first blog post. But my experience here has been emphasizing more of that middle ground, even further between the Korean and American. What do I mean by that? I have so many more cultures and countries that have influenced my life and my personality beyond my Korean and American boundaries -- from each and every country I lived in and went to school in.

I guess I can’t pass as Korean.

Depending on the group of friends that I’m with at the time, I’m either the best or worst Korean speaker. When I’m the worst Korean speaker, I sit back and fit in. However, when I’m the only/better Korean speaker in the group, I’m often put in a sticky situation.

I’m pushed to order at restaurants since I can speak the language. Yet I feel instantly exposed when I notice the waiter hear my American accent or when they ask me a question I don’t understand and thus exploiting the fact that I am obviously not Korean. For example, I was at a smoothie cafe and was asked which protein supplement I wanted - I was so lost.

I can feel that people are trying to figure me out. Am I Korean? Am I a Korean American? Am I an Asian that can speak Korean? I was at a street food cart with a friend (another exchange student) on our way to pick up our alien registration cards (identification cards for foreigners in Korea). I ordered our food in Korean and then continued speaking to my friend in English. The owner, curious, began to talk with us - asking us where we’re from, where we’re studying, what our majors were, etc. After conversing with him for a few minutes, he asked me why my Korean was so good.

...continue reading "Who do they think I am?"

By gwrobinkim

As I reflect on my community here abroad, I can’t help but laugh a little. It’s a true mix of what I expected and what I truly could not have imagined.

1. Home Away From Home

First off, my most intimate and close-knit community here in Seoul is actually comprised of GW students! Three of my friends back at GW are also studying abroad here in Seoul, yet we are all scattered in different schools - Ewha, Yonsei and Seoul National University. It’s hilarious when we show up at SNU events and the other students find out that I don’t even go to SNU, yet I’ve made so many friends there! It’s also funny how I actually have more friends at Yonsei and SNU than I do at my own school, whom I've met through my GW friends. 

It’s fun spending the week with fellow exchange and local students at Ewha, even from Yonsei and SNU, and acclimating myself to the diverse group of people. But it feels so good to meet up with my GW friends on the weekend, whether it’s in 신촌 (Sinchon) near my campus or 낙성대 (Nakseongdae) near theirs. It’s comforting to know that I’m able to share the same experiences with people I know I’ll be seeing back home, with people that will understand my references and be able to share the same stories.

...continue reading "Defining Community: Comfort"

Me: Hi, my name is Robin Kim!
(S)he: Hi! Your last name is Kim? You must be Korean!
Me: Yeah, I’m Korean American!
(S)he: Oh, cool! So you were born in the US?
Me: Uh… Well… I was actually born in Japan.
(S)he: Oh… so you’re Japanese?
Me: Well, no. I’m Korean American! I'm ethnically Korean but born an American citizen.
(S)he: But you were born in Japan…

...continue reading "Defining Self: My Middle Ground"