In this blog post, based on a sample personal statement submitted to the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Korea University, I will outline my academic efforts and school activities during high school, examples of consideration and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and my preparation process.
Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences During High School
My study of the Korean language began with grammar. The aspect of Korean language learning I focused on most and considered most important was grammar. Just as with any language, I believed that understanding the grammatical framework was fundamental because Korean is a language in its own right. However, in reality, Korean grammar is often neglected even more than English grammar, so I purchased a separate Korean grammar textbook and began self-study. Although Korean grammar was an elective course taught in the third year of high school, I started studying it early, in my freshman year, to ensure a systematic approach.
In the first year of high school, students typically study literary works and literary theory and follow a curriculum designed to improve communication skills. While some grammar is covered in this curriculum, it was insufficient for tackling the CSAT grammar questions. So, to make solving CSAT grammar problems easier, I decided to create my own simplified Korean grammar textbook. I simplified and organized each grammatical concept and theory so that they could be directly linked to specific problems. Existing grammar textbooks often presented content in a purely descriptive manner, making it difficult to recall the relevant concepts when solving problems.
So, I simplified each grammatical concept and restructured it into a form that could be easily applied to problems or passages, and I began creating my own grammar textbook in a notebook based on this approach. For example, in the chapter on “Phonology,” I broadly covered speech organs, vowels, consonants, and types of phonological changes, and within that, I included subcategories such as substitution, deletion, addition, and contraction. In the vocabulary section, I included morphemes, word formation, word classification, and word meaning, and simplified the categories by listing nouns, adverbs, verbs, modifiers, and independent words as subcategories.
In addition to this, while covering sentences, grammatical elements, language regulations, and the history of the Korean language, I made an effort not to overlook the grammar of Old Korean.
Meaningful Extracurricular Activities During High School (Hangul Utilization Club)
As soon as I entered high school, I encountered a club with a unique concept. I saw upperclassmen enter the classroom as a group to promote the Hangul club, and the “Love for Hangul” video created collaboratively by the club members left a deep impression on me. Inspired by this, I resolved to engage in meaningful activities promoting Hangul and joined the club. Since I had always been interested in the Korean language and literature and possessed a passion for Hangeul, I passed the club interview. My computer skills and information search abilities were recognized, allowing me to contribute to the club.
After joining the club, I was primarily responsible for computer-related tasks and the creation and management of online communities. Since there weren’t many members who were proficient with computers, I took charge of managing the community site and handling all necessary tasks. As an administrator, I attended every club event without fail, observing the entire process and compiling records. Thus, I participated in every stage—from planning and meetings to execution and wrap-up—and organized the resulting materials.
At the time, the club’s mission was to identify and widely promote our disappearing native language, encouraging its broader use. In particular, I proposed many ideas to correct misused Korean words and improve incorrect language habits. I organized activities to educate students about the scientific excellence of the Korean language and conducted initiatives to improve the school’s culture of profanity by explaining the etymologies of swear words. These efforts to educate students about the origins of swear words were instrumental in improving the school’s profanity culture. Many students used swear words without understanding their meanings, but after we distributed materials explaining their meanings, more students began to voluntarily improve their language habits.
After these activities gained meaningful traction, the scope of our club expanded. By the time I was a sophomore in high school, the club compiled its own “Hangul Explanatory Dictionary.” This dictionary featured a selection of beautiful and elegant native Korean words, as well as definitions for swear words, and we distributed copies to every classroom. Thanks to the school’s support, we were able to print multiple copies. The dictionary we created not only improved the school culture but also gained a reputation, leading other schools to request copies. I documented all the club’s success stories and posted them on community sites to help spread awareness of the club’s positive aspects to the outside world.
Examples of consideration, sharing, cooperation, and conflict management during school life
In the Korean language club I was active in, we not only engaged in on-campus and external activities but also managed an online community. Among the various roles within the club, I was responsible for community management. I personally created a cafe to represent and promote the club, designing the banner and main page, and edited content to publicize the club to the outside world. For example, I posted photos and details of the club’s on-campus activities on a bulletin board so that people outside the school could view them.
Our club’s online community was promoted to other clubs and classes, attracting many general students to join. Teachers also joined after participating in our events, so it garnered a lot of attention. Consequently, I felt a strong sense of responsibility for my role. I collaborated with another friend to produce content, dividing our tasks so that I wrote the posts while my friend took and uploaded the photos. We also edited videos of plays produced during school events, uploaded them to YouTube, and shared them on the community. These play videos were based on a script designed to help students who misuse foreign words, loanwords, or slang empathize with others’ perspectives.
Once we edited and posted the videos, not only cafe members but also outsiders could benefit from their educational impact. We also created videos by rewriting the lyrics of popular songs into pure Korean and posted the lyrics online. On one occasion, we undertook a long-term project rather than a one-off event. It was a project aimed at delivering warning cards to parents who used profanity at home, with the ultimate goal of improving family culture together with them. We documented the entire process and posted it on the community forum. This created a success story that led to an award from the Office of Education and helped raise the club’s profile outside the school.
Motivation for Applying to This Program and Preparation Process
There are likely many different dreams for those applying to the Department of Korean Language and Literature to become students of Korean literature. Some students may aspire to become Korean language teachers, novelists, or literary figures. I applied to become a scholar of the Korean language. In particular, I chose the Department of Korean Language and Literature because it allows for in-depth study of our language and writing. My love for the Korean language dates back to my middle school years. As I learned about the history and scientific characteristics of our language, I became captivated by its charm, which led me to join a club in high school dedicated to promoting love for the Korean language.
Through my club activities in high school, I experienced most of the ways students can actively demonstrate their love for Hangul. Personally, I took the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) and the Korean Language Proficiency Certification Exam, achieving high scores of Level 2 or higher on both. At school, I organized various campaigns and created posters to encourage proper language use among the entire student body. I led a movement not only to improve the culture of profanity but also to voluntarily limit the use of incorrect loanwords and slang. I felt a great sense of fulfillment seeing the language culture of the entire student body change as a result of publishing an anthology of our work and promoting it through posters.
Through these experiences and motivations, my passion for Hangul research has grown even stronger. I believe that words and writing have a significant impact on spiritual culture and the quality of life.
Just as it was a hundred years ago, and as it will be a hundred years from now, it is the beautiful language of Hangul that will continue to define our culture. To develop and enrich our culture, we must preserve the power of Hangul. If we neglect research into the history and development of Hangul simply because it does not align with modern trends, our future linguistic culture could be threatened. Through my studies in Hangul and linguistics, I aspire to grow into a future researcher of Hangul.
