Student blog!(:

The following post is from a student. Reporting live from Roman Miller, for the Diplomacy and Peace Studies program 2024*

Day 3:

We went to our first class with Sammi, a PhD student/teacher who is writing her thesis on English in North Korea. She told us her expectations for us, and how she wants us to use diplomacy in our daily lives. She taught us about the basics of diplomacy, the types of peace and freedom, etc. The time really flies in class, and we all leave feeling like we are much more interested and excited about next class.

After class, we met 2 college students from Seoulmates and did fun icebreakers. We ate lunch together which included kimbap, spicy rice cakes, pork belly, and so many food! 

Another fun activity we did was go to an escape room. We broke off into 3 groups and all attempted a different room. My group was the only one to escape. We had an evil doctor themed room, while another had a Sherlock themed room and another popular folktale room called Gumiho, a nine tailed fox.

After that we went to Hongdae, a vibrant shopping center. The boys and girls split up and went clothes shopping. There were street performers who added a nice atmosphere to the location. I even got my fortune told! 

After the shopping was complete, I went to a Samoyed cafe and got to play with some of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. Hongdae was many people's favorite place, including mine.

Day 4:

In the morning, we took a bus to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) while Steve, a retired Army veteran, explained the history of the Korean War and the demilitarized zone. He told us about his memories in the military and his experiences with North Korea. We stopped to get a photo with an archway with primitive humans fighting a mammoth. 

When we arrived at the DMZ, we were brought to an observatory with the surrounding lands mapped out on a miniature model. A Korean soldier shows us the set up of South and North Korean bases. We were allowed to look through the binoculars they had set up near the observatory, and saw an authentic North Korean flag and outpost. We were also shown the battleground of a massive battle in the Korean War. After that, we went to another observatory and saw a small museum in the tunnels underneath the observatory. We saw North Korean money, clay battle replicas, and guns used in the war. 

Next, we went to a replica town used to show what an old Korean town may look like. We saw what an old school would look like, a doctor's office, and bank. We got to see what a newly rich household would look like, and what a poorer house would look like. The former center for the communist party of Korea was right across the street. 

After that we went to the White Horse memorial. 

We were told a very large battle happened there near the end of the war. There was a very large bell at the top which was very cool. In the distance, we could see a North Korean mountain which was interesting. 

Day 5:

We went to paint traditional Korean paper fans. Some painted bunnies while others painted flowers. Some fans turned out very well, while mine unfortunately did not. We all had a fun time painting though, and the owner was very helpful. 

After that, we went to a Tea house and tried the 5-Flavor tea. It was a blend of sweet, spicy, bitter, and salty. Along with the tea we ate a waffle with ice cream which was extremely tasty.

Following, we explored Hanok Village, a traditional Korean village with traditional architecture and a palace. We then got free time to explore Seoul ourselves. 

By,

Roman Miller

Stay tuned for our Busan adventures!