This summer, 13 Students and two faculty members are traveling to South Korea to study Korea’s remarkable economic journey in the post-war period, while strengthening their skills and deepening their understanding of leadership in action in the world. Please enjoy this first blog post below from Lucas ’28 and Charlotte ’26 where they share their first day in Seoul, exploring nature, innovation, K-pop, and Buddhism through a city tour, a startup visit, dance lessons, and a temple meditation.
Today was day 1 of our trip and was a jam-packed day in Seoul filled with a walking tour of the Cheonggyecheon stream, where Lucas ‘28 and Spencer ‘27 gave an insightful presentation, a tour and visit with the Asan Nanum Foundation (ANF), K-pop dancing lessons, and a visit to the Bongeunsa temple, a Buddhist temple.
The Cheonggyecheon stream was particularly thought provoking in a sense because Seoul decided to get rid of a major highway in favor of a nature walk. This made us think that even in cities people need to be reminded of the beauty of nature.
After visiting the stream, we hopped on the Subway to Yeoksam where we met with the Asan Nanum Foundation at Maru. They help startup companies grow and find their way in the business world by providing support with software and business connections. More importantly, they form leaders. Their mission statement is “If you can believe it, you can achieve it”. Our tour guide explained that Asan means high mountain and Maru means the highest point of a mountain. Maru has a goal of everyone getting to the highest point in the mountain together and they encourage their startups to work together as opposed to against each other.
At the K-pop dancing, we danced to “like JENNIE” by Jennie, a member of Black Pink. The K-pop dancing allowed the group to let loose and get rid of any awkwardness between us by simply embracing something new as a group. The dancing allowed all of us to take on this challenge together and encourage each other to keep going. It was also great to take part in a piece of Korean culture.
Our day concluded with a visit to Bongeunsa Temple, a Buddhist sanctuary founded in 794 during the Silla Dynasty. Situated in the heart of Gangnam, the temple offers a peaceful retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle. We participated in a 10-minute meditation session led by a monk, allowing us to experience a moment of tranquility and mindfulness. Exploring the 23-meter-tall statue of Buddha and learning about Buddhist practices deepened our appreciation for Korea’s spiritual heritage.
– Lucas ’28 and Charlotte ’26
