By Honorary Reporter Fotini Chatzoudi from Greece

Photos = Foteini Giannopoulou

Yonsei University in Seoul is one of Korea's three most prestigious institutions of higher learning. Though tough to get into the school, a determined Greek student received a full scholarship to study there. Foteini Giannopoulou talks about her life in Korea and her study of international trade, finance and management and international cooperation development at Yonsei.

Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your life in Korea.
I am Foteini Giannopoulou and I graduated from the University of Piraeus in Greece with a bachelor's in international and European studies. Now, I am a postgraduate student of international trade, finance and management and international cooperation development at Yonsei's Graduate School of International Studies. I was selected as the 2020 Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) recipient from Greece and thus I am studying for my master's at Yonsei on a full scholarship.

On my life in Korea, I've been living here since August last year. I lived in Busan before starting my studies to learn Korean, get immersed in the culture and adapt to life here. In my first year, I was living in a dorm at Dongseo University, where I was studying. As the dorm was only for international students, it definitely had an intercultural environment, with students from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas living together. As an international studies major, I absolutely loved this. Moreover, my life in Korea has been extremely easy and comfortable. People are very helpful, transportation is never late and always frequent, and there are Wi-Fi connections and amazing signals everywhere you go, even inside the subway.

Foteini Giannopoulou in Gamcheon Culture Village of Busan

What prompted you to study in Korea?
Since middle school, I've been interested in Korean culture, language and cinema and Asia in general. I also visited Korea twice before studying here and fell in love with the culture, people and food. After visiting, I knew that Korea was a country I could study and live comfortably in. Korea's recent development has also made the country a competitive destination for international students. Most importantly, I took part in a summer school program for international students in Korea with Korean professors. My favorite classes were lectures on Korean history taught by a professor at Yonsei's GSIS. This solidified my decision to study in Korea and specifically at Yonsei.

What surprised you about the country?
I recently got my own place after moving from Busan to Seoul. So the first time my Korean friends visited my house, they gave me toilet paper as a gift. I was confused and surprised, but they told me that in Korea, people give toilet paper as a housewarming gift as it unravels smoothly and lasts a long time. 

What is your favorite place in Korea?
As I lived in Busan for a year, I have many favorite places in the city. I usually visited Gwangalli or Haeundae Beach to hang out with my friends. I also frequented Seomyeon, especially on weekends, as mostly young people go there. Finally, I recommend Samnak Ecological Park in Sasang-gu District. During cherry blossom season, you can go a picnic there with friends or rent a bike for cheap and ride around the park.

Foteini Giannopoulou at Samnak Park in Busan

How has life amid the pandemic been for you?
Studying in Korea during the pandemic was surprisingly good. During my first year in Busan, we even had offline classes. In general, however, measures are strict. When I arrived in the country, I had to quarantine for two weeks, which was not a nice start, but the government's measures seem to be working. Authorities can quickly identify and track people who are or might be infected with COVID-19. Going out usually entails writing your contact details before entering a place or the scanning of your QR code, something unique to each resident of Korea.

Do you miss Greece?
Of course. I miss my family and friends the most. I also miss speaking Greek, as it was weird being the only Greek in Busan for a whole year. What I also miss is Greek food like souvlaki and moussaka, which I haven't found here yet. I also miss the Greek summer, as it usually rains here and in Busan, we had typhoons in August last year.

Do you know Korean? Was it difficult to learn?
I do know Korean as I started studying the language in 2015. But I still had to study Korean for a year because of the GKS. Living in Korea definitely helped my Korean skills improve and I can now communicate confidently with locals and go on with my everyday life without any problems. But learning Korean is quite difficult, especially since the writing system and grammar are dramatically different from what a Greek person is used to. That shouldn't stop someone from trying to learn it though.

Foteini Giannopoulou in front of Yonsei University in Seoul

What advice would you give to those who want to study at Yonsei?
I think the advice is different depending on major. What I would definitely say to anyone who wants to study in Korea in general or Yonsei is to be decisive and know exactly what he or she wants to study. This is crucial, especially during the application process, because Yonsei is highly competitive. Only 1% of Korean applicants are accepted by Yonsei, though the acceptance rate for international students is far higher. Also, know why you want to study a major at Yonsei, and this requires a lot of self-research. Finally, studying at Yonsei is expensive so try looking for scholarships.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.