1 Da Eun Jung
861024632
South Korea
EAP Statement of Purpose
Studying abroad came to my attention the past summer when a good friend of mine went to Yonsei University. He was enthusiastic about the program and said it was a good way to understand the culture and the differences between America and Korea. Studying abroad in
Korea would benefit me greatly since I am planning on living there after I graduate. Since my major is business economics, I intend to take 2 economics classes and apply for a 6-week internship through Yonsei University. Yonsei University is an outrivaling university that actually represents the top three schools in Korea. Through this program, I will learn many concepts of the Korean economic policies and also, the culture of Korea.
Being a first generation Korean-American student, it was difficult to reside in America because of the language barrier and how different the culture was. However, as time went by, 17 years to be exact, I have been able to establish the American lifestyle. Now that I took the time to speak English and enjoy the lifestyle here, I started to slowly forget my home country’s language and culture. Going back to Korea this summer through Yonsei will show me many attributes that
I have disregarded and help me in making a decision to move back to Korea to work and start a new chapter.
Although I might have drifted away from the Korean culture, my level of proficiency in
Korean is still fluent since my parents only speak Korean. Due to my parents not being able to understand English, I significantly helped them out by translating, paying their bills, and dealing with bigger issues such as getting a license, or government-related problems. Through this, I

2 realized that living in Korea in the future, could benefit myself to further in my career as a bilingual. What interests me the most socially would be how affectionate they are. The correct term would be “정”
  that America doesn’t have the exact word for. Once Koreans become close, they have an attachment that no other country has from what I have seen so far. Culturally, Koreans are really well mannered to elders and the people around them. Americans are more free-spirited and spontaneous while Koreans are more careful and respectful to elders. This was quite a culture shock for me when I first came to America and saw my Caucasian friends so comfortable with their parents and grandparents as if they were friends. I love both the American and Korean culture although they are