This PowerPoint presentation was used for How to Connect with Korean International Students, a part of professional development training series for staff and faculty in the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

1. How to Connect with
Korean students
International Student and Scholar Services

2. Presenter
 Soo Kyoung Lee, Ph.D. (Sookyoung)
International Education Researcher and Trainer
2

3. Agenda
 Korean Names
 Korea (True or False)
 Korean Student Research Project 2014
 Activity
 Student Panel
 Tips and Resource Handout
3

4. Korean Names
4
 Korean Names Video

5. True or False
 About 75% of the Korean land is
covered by mountains.
5

6. True or False
 Koreans tip in restaurants.
6

7. True or False
7
 Korean children save money to buy an
expensive gift for their parents when
they turn 18.

8. True or False
 The president of South Korea is a
woman.
8

9. True or False
 North Koreans who escape to South
Korea are awarded citizenship.
9

10. True or False
 Teenagers go to bed with headphones
so they can listen to what they learned
in class while asleep.
10

11. True or False
 Korean high school students remain in
their schools until 10 pm for their
studies.
11

12. True or False
 There is a toilet theme park in South
Korea.
12

13. Korean Undergrads
Research Project
 In order to understand the Korean
Undergraduate experience at U of M, I
conducted a study.
 What follows are the findings I selected
to help you understand, appreciate and
connect with Korean students. 13

14. Korean International
Students in U of M
14
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2012 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015
Undergraduate
Graduate/ Professional
Non-degree

15. A glimpse into Korean
Education
15
 Korean Education Video

16. Motivations to study in USA
 Flexibility in U.S.
Education
16

17. Reasons for choosing U of M
 “Both of my parents are school teachers [in South Korea]. They
work in the field of education, but for us, they did not like the
competition-oriented education in Korea.”
 “I wanted to take courses of management without disciplinary
boundaries… I came here to the University to have dual majors in
Management of Information System and Accounting.”
 “I participated in the exchange program. I studied in Korea for the
first year and came to the University as a sophomore. I also have
an uncle who is doing his PhD here.”

18. Early Study Abroad
- Leaving Korea Early for Education
18

19. Family Situations
19

20. Student Experiences
 “I am fast to adapt to a new environment…Both my friend from
Singapore and myself speak English with high fluency and we
are used to American culture.” – U.S. High School Graduate
 “When I ask my parents about majors or something important,
they tell me that I must know the situation better and I should
decide. It was weird… I felt alone.” – U.S. High School Graduate
20

21. Parental Involvement
21
How often do you talk to your parents on the phone or
with an online application (e.g. Kakaotalk)?

22. Military Service
 All eligible South Korean men are
required to serve in the military
– Invitation to physical and psychological
examinations at the age of 19
– Serve in the military between ages of 20
and 29
– Leave of absence in the middle of male
students’ college career 22

23. Military Service
23
Year Academic Professional
Freshman Adjustment Student Group / On-campus
job
Military
Service
Leave of Absence Gain useful skills / Internship
in Korea
Sophomore Re-adjustment /
Declare major
Junior Major courses Student Group/ On –
campus job/ Volunteer
Senior Major courses/
Prepare for Graduation
Internship in the US

24. Before/After Military Service
 “I am here thinking about that (military service). The most fearful
thought is that I won’t be able to study for two years. Compared
to others, I will be behind... I have not talked about this with
advisor. I did not think that the advisors will know about this.”
 “I could not listen to the class content for about two months after
I came back from military service. Because of language
difficulty, it was hard to participate in discussion. I could not read
study materials in the beginning. It was because I did not study
for the two-year away.”
24

25. Academic Challenges
 English language
 Work load & time
management
 Group work &
feeling “alienated” in
class
25

26. Career Planning
What is your plan for after graduation?

27. Career Planning
27
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Not
concerned
at all
Not
concerned
Somewhat
not
concerned
Somewhat
concerned
Concerend Very
concerned
To what extend are you concerned about your
career planning?

28. Finding Support
28
Where do you feel the most comfortable
contacting for your social issues?
Where do you mostly find academic
support?

29. Take Away from Research
 Unique Characteristics
– Leaving Korea Early for Education
– Family Situation and Sacrifice
– Military Service
 Challenges
– Academic Difficulty
– Career Planning
– Using University Services for Social Needs

30. Activity
 Go into a group of 3 or 4
 Discuss which of the values that you
anticipate the most helpful to know to
connect with Korean students
30

31. Student Panel
 Se Jin Park
– Psychology (Freshman)
 Hye Yeon Park
– Political Science (Sophomore)
 Daeho Yang
– Communication & Statistics (Junior)
 Soonyeong Kim
– Finance major (Senior)
31

32. Building Rapport
Great topics
 Food
 Places and Regions
 Military (with those who
served)
 Current events / News
 Sports
 Movies
 Music
 K-pop stars
Not So Great Topics
 Eating dogs
 Eye shape
 Military (with those who did not
serve)
 Kim Jung Il in N. Korea
 Expecting advanced
knowledge about China and
Japan
 Plastic Surgery
 Cursing in Korean 32

33. Tips
 Handout
33

34. Resources
 Talking International: Chinese Students at the University of
Minnesota
– May 21st 1:00 – 3:00 pm
 ISSS Web Resources
– Academic Adviser Resources
– Innovative Community Building Grant
– Culture Corps program
– Customized trainings & Information sessions
– Contact: Marina Uehara (uehar003@umn.edu)
 GPS Alliance Research and Resources
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