International students taking Korean language courses at Mason Korea recently went on a cultural excursion to Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul. A total of 50 international students from Professors Hyang Lee, Eunkyung Park, and Eunsil Hong’s six classes attended the excursion.
Students explored the palace and had a chance to try on the Korean traditional hanbok. “I probably would never have thought of experiencing Korea’s rich culture and history in this way, but it was fun and I’m glad I got to experience it with my friends,” said Gabriela Rodriguez, a Global Gateway student from Mason’s Fairfax campus.
“It was a great opportunity to walk around the palace and get a feel for the Joseon Dynasty,” said Choyoung Kim, a junior at Mason Korea who is a representative of N-Lingual, a language exchange student club. “I enjoyed taking photos of the international students wearing colorful hanbok,” she added.
The combination of the palace tour and hanbok allowed students to travel back in time and fully immerse themselves in Korean culture. “We had a lot of international students participate in this activity because I haven’t been able to arrange a cultural trip like this in a long time,” said Professor Hyang Lee. “It was wonderful to be able to take pictures without masks after two years of COVID. I am so happy that students were able to wear the Korean hanbok, take pictures, and learn about Korean history in a special place,” she added.
For more photos of the event, click here.