2023 Activity Report

January Activity Report

January 2024
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test was held in December. The exam is only held twice a year, so students need to pass the exam if they require a certain JLPT level certificate to get a job or graduate. There are 5 levels (N1 to N5), so one of the main considerations is deciding which level to take. Since there is a three-month period from the time of registration to the time of taking the exam, I often discuss with students about whether to aim for a higher level than their current level and barely pass, or whether to settle for getting the certificate of a lower level. However, it is also a challenge for me to give advice regarding this as I must consider everything from the required level, the deadline, to their Japanese ability.

The test results were announced this month. Some students passed and some failed. Even though they passed, some students thought that they should have aimed for a higher level, while others blame themselves for not studying harder even though they had three months to do so. The students who actively participated in the exchange program had greatly improved their listening comprehension, so I expected them to pass the exam, but unfortunately some did not. I would like students to be able to focus on what they need to improve in order to pass the next exam, but the score is only displayed on the score card for those who passed, while the score is blank on the score card for students who failed. This makes it difficult for students to know what they need to improve. This is something I would like to see improved for the sake of future learners.

I think it's important for language learners to be able to know their proficiency level, but I also think it's important to empathize with their feelings so that they can continue studying, especially after exam results are announced. Moving forward, I would like to continue to carefully consider each student's weak areas, suggest a new learning path, and propose study programs that allow students to enjoy studying instead of feeling burdened by it.

December Activity Report

December 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

It is essential to understand the society and culture of the language you are learning, so the Seoul Office actively recommends students to experience Japanese culture. As part of this effort, this fall, we announced a call for participants for the Japan-Korea Future Factory Awards 2023. This is a Japan-Korea youth interactive exchange program that was started as a project to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the University of Tsukuba, with the aim of developing a relationship of trust between Japan and Korea. Many students wanted to participate, but in the end two students participated.

The Seoul Office had been watching over the entire process, until finally the day of the presentations arrived. You could either participate in person or online, but our university’s team decided to participate online. I watched all the presentations online as a general viewer. I could feel the effort each participant had put into their presentations by the way they all spoke so passionately. The young people’s unique ideas for strengthening Japan and Korea’s relationship made me feel hopeful for the future of Japan-Korea relations.

Our university’s team made a presentation about the high school student exchange system under the title “Go to Japan! Go to Korea!”. They conveyed their desire to create a better system for students to get to know each other’s countries from a younger age. Our team won the audience popularity award.

After the presentation, I asked the students for their thoughts.

November Activity Report

November 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

Compared to past years, this year there have been many exhibitions of Japanese artists. In addition to Seiji Fujishiro, well-known for creating the character ‘Keroyon’, there have also been exhibitions of young artists, such as Yuni Yoshida, Ayako Rokkaku, and Yuichi Hirako. Up until recently, I had the impression that such exhibitions were aimed at building Japan-Korea exchanges, but this year it seems that there have been more exhibitions aimed at the general public, including Takashi Murakami’s solo exhibition held in Busan in February. In addition to artists, there are many buildings by famous Japanese artists, such as Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma, all around South Korea. If you visit, you can experience Japanese art in Korea.

After hearing that more and more students were interested in Japan, I planned an event with the theme ‘Actually, Japanese culture is all around us!’. I figured that most people are already familiar with Japanese food culture, so I decided to look for something else for this event. I found the LG Arts Center, designed by Tadao Ando, which was nearby Yuichi Hirako’s solo exhibition, so I decided to combine these two locations and introduce them together.

While touring the LG Arts Center, I explained the characteristics of Tadao Ando’s buildings and his biography based on the knowledge I had gathered from interviews and documentaries about him that I had watched. He was a professional boxer who did not major in architecture, and yet became an architecture master. This fact and the life he had led was a fresh perspective for the students.

After touring the building, we headed to Yuichi Hirako’s solo exhibition. There was a guided tour of the exhibition, so we were able to get an explanation of the intention of the works, and the artist’s history. Students who watch a lot of Japanese anime said that the works gave them a sense of déjà vu, and this may be because his works integrate some characteristic elements of Japanese anime.

When we think of Japanese culture, we often think of traditional Japanese culture, such as kimono, kabuki, and ukiyo-e. However, this experience confirmed that even modern artists who were born and raised in Japan create art which exudes the spirit of Japan.

At first, I thought that the students who understood Japanese would feel a greater level of emotion and understanding compared to those who could not speak as much Japanese. However, the students who most actively expressed their feelings during this tour were students who did not understand Japanese. I was moved seeing the students who were able to transcend language and communicate with Japanese culture through art. Although only Korean students participated in this event, I hope to invite both Japanese and Korean students next time to facilitate a Japan-Korea exchange.

October Activity Report

October 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

The Seoul GJO strives to provide all students, regardless of their major, with chances to experience Japanese language and culture. Every year, the Seoul office guides the Japan-Korea Exchange Festival which is a major event where people from both sides can learn about each other’s countries. Attending the festival is also fun, but I recommend that the students volunteer at the festival for a deeper experience. As the GJO coordinator, I have also volunteered at past festivals, and I still treasure my experiences and friends I made as a volunteer so I hope the students can have similar experiences.

This year, a student majoring in law and a student majoring in electrical engineering applied to volunteer. In particular, the electrical engineering student couldn’t volunteer last year due to previous commitments, so they were very happy to volunteer with their friends this year.

They were nervous about the Japan-Korea Exchange Festival, but it was a success, so I asked them about their experience. They said “Since my major is not Japanese language or Japanese society, I was worried about whether I would be able to participate effectively, but I challenged myself and there were no problems at all. I was in charge of the booth for Japanese companies, and I was able to hear stories and information that is hard to access as a student. Sometimes I went to visit other booths where I was able to introduce myself and exchange contact information with a variety of people. I had such a great experience, even as a student not majoring in Japanese, that I wish I had done whatever I could to participate last year. I also received many souvenirs and tourist information brochures from regional booths. Rumour spread that I volunteered at this event, and I have become something like a Japanese travel agency among my university friends. I hope I can also volunteer at this festival with many of my friends next year.”

September Activity Report

September 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

This year the Obon holiday (Baekjung) started on the 26th of September. Just like Japan, many people return to their hometown for the holiday. I asked a student whose hometown is Seoul, for recommendations for places to visit in Seoul for their Japanese friend. They recommended the National Museum of Korea and the National Hangeul Museum. There is a Japanese Exhibition Hall in the National Museum of Korea, so they could learn about each other’s culture. Since I was also planning to stay in Seoul, I was lucky enough to join them on their visit.

Before going on the tour, we decided one rule: the Korean student could only explain in Japanese, and the Japanese student could only explain in Korean. If they needed help, they could use me as the GJO interpreter. They are fine with everyday conversation, but it seemed like it was quite difficult for them to explain the history or characteristics of places and events that even I was learning about for the first time.

They wanted to learn about each other’s countries, but they found that they lacked the vocabulary and knowledge to explain. This experience made them realize that it is important to know about not only the other country, but also their own country. The students said, “Even though we couldn’t completely understand topics such as Hangul or samurai, we could feel the desire to understand each other’s countries which made it a really fun experience”.

The Seoul Global Japan Office planned the museum trip for fun initially, but it turned out to be a good experience that helped the students understand each other’s traditional cultures and motivated them to learn each other’s language and culture.

August Activity Report

August 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

Many Japanese learners take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which is held twice a year. You start with N5 and study through the levels towards the goal of N1. This can be used as a language qualification for students to find employment. Of course, it depends on the student, but some people have passed N1 after only one year of study. Once you achieve the highest level of N1 though, some students lose motivation to continue studying Japanese or give up on learning entirely.

At the Seoul Global Japan Office, I have been exploring a post-N1 learning model for such students. The aim is to improve their Japanese skills and give them a sense of accomplishment by giving them learning activities that align with their individual areas of interest. For example, for students who are interested in Japanese literature, I encourage them to enrich their Japanese expressions by comparing the original texts with Korean translations. For students who want to work at a Japanese company, I encourage them to take the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT).

In order to design this learning model, I listened to the students talk about how they are also studying for other certifications and exams related to their majors – not just the Japanese Language Proficiency Test – for job hunting. That made me think “Can you express this knowledge in Japanese?”. While the road to acquiring specialized knowledge is difficult, once you reach a certain stage you will be able to memorize specialized terminology naturally. Also, Japanese and Korean both belong to a shared linguistic background of kanji, which is the basis for many technical terms, so it may not be too difficult for students to memorize these terms as long as they have the knowledge in one language.

I suggested to a student who has passed N1 that they should read books in Japanese related to their major subject. They asked their major professor for book recommendations and borrowed them from the National Assembly Library and the National Museum of Korea. Using a dictionary for any unfamiliar kanji or vocabulary, they were able to understand most of the content even if they didn’t understand all the grammar. As the student continued to read, they started to see patterns in the commonly used grammar. At first, they were nervous seeing all the unfamiliar kanji and grammar, but they were able to read faster and more confidently the more they read. The student is now at a level where they can read and understand, but they want to be able to speak about the content in their own words. In addition to getting a job at a Japanese company, the student also dreams of entering graduate school in Japan in the future.

At first, I created this learning model to encourage students to continue studying Japanese, but I am glad that it has also become an opportunity to help students grow.

July Activity Report

July 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

A student who just returned from an exchange program year in Japan came to my office for a consultation. They were interested in working as an interpreter to connect Japan and Korea, but they wanted guidance on how to get a job as an interpreter without graduating from an interpreting graduate school. Since the Japanese Language Proficiency Test can be taken by anyone, it is not considered enough of a qualification to become an interpreter, so they wanted to obtain a qualification that would allow them to demonstrate specialized interpreting knowledge and skill. This student is passionate about volunteering, so we worked together to try to find a job where they can help people in need.

I searched for various interpreting qualifications and found a national exam called the “Medical Interpreter Certification Exam”. This year will be the 8th time this exam has been held, and it is a difficult exam that requires both medical interpreting skills and a knowledge of medical administration. It is not easy to accurately convey your medical conditions or health needs even in your native language, so it clearly requires considerable expertise to communicate in a foreign language in a medical setting. However, since the exam has only been conducted 7 times so far, it has been quite difficult to gather information, such as finding textbooks or past exam questions. After the student decided to take the exam, we have been working together to search for information, in order to pass the Japanese Medical Interpreter Certification Exam.

The written exam will be in September. I think it will be very rewarding to be able to help patients who are suffering in hospitals overseas. The exam is very difficult with a low pass rate, but I hope that the student can achieve the results that they have worked so hard for over the past few months.

June Activity Report

June 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

Last month, the GJO Seoul Office held a study abroad fair and introduced Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Having it offline again, after being canceled for three years due to COVID-19, was great news for many students considering studying abroad. The Seoul Office had been providing consultation services, but during last month's study abroad fair, we could widen our perspective on studying abroad.

I introduced the study abroad fair to a student who had previously come to the Seoul Office for a consultation. They were trying to search on their own for schools with their specific majors and to conduct online research about studying abroad, but they wanted to check if the fair had any information they could not find. However, the schools and majors this student was targeting were not included in this fair, so they decided to wait for another opportunity.

There was information about studying abroad and academic departments on schools' homepages, yet I advised them to contact a staff member directly or to reach the school's study abroad center to obtain more information.

During the study abroad fair, concerns about daily life while studying abroad were present, but the primary worries were related to job hunting and they were focusing on studying abroad merits regarding future job opportunities. So, together with the students, we searched for information such as the economic news, but since we are not specialists, we could not find any related statistics. It is true that I was consulted numerously about the post-study-abroad job-hunting activities, but participating in the fair this time made me realize the necessity to guide using numerical-based real examples and current circumstances.

Consultations during this study abroad fair happened so fast this time, but there were stronger interests compared with fairs held before COVID-19. This time, I could once again confirm how Japan, Korea's neighboring country, remains popular not only among students but also among parents as being a study-abroad destination as well as having high future employment expectations. In the Seoul Office, our intention is to provide specific answers and to ensure that we guide students thoroughly while addressing any aspects students might have overlooked.

May Activity Report

May 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

On May 13th and 14th, the long-awaited offline study abroad fair was held for the first time after Coved-19 at a large convention center representing Korea, and the Seoul Office participated as interpreters for Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. The fair started at 11:00 a.m., but people kept lining up at the entrance before the opening, forming a long line and indicating their great interest.

Starting from high school students, many different individuals aspiring to study abroad, such as undergraduate students currently studying in Korea, graduates who want to pursue graduate studies, and students with limited proficiency in Japanese but are interested in studying abroad in Japan.

I did my best to provide interpretations that accurately conveyed the detailed explanations by the teachers and staff members from Tokyo Gaidai. In addition to me, there was another interpreter who graduated recently this year from her inaugural group. Many who came for consultations listened with eyes sparkling excitedly as she vividly shared her student life experiences.

We had many questions about the current situation of job hunting after graduation. Questions about job placements of Korean graduates were significantly more than I expected. When taking the college entrance exam in Korea, they also think about the graduate ratios and job placements and make their decisions regarding schools and majors.

I was impressed mainly by students who came all the way from distant locations taking more than two hours by car. There was also a student who came with her mother and expressed her wish to study abroad in Japan, but since there was no specialized school for studying abroad entrance exams near their place and it was difficult to get information, they came to this fair. In addition, a teacher was accompanying his students, saying that he regrets not studying in Japan himself and wanted to grant the experience of attending this fair to his students who have an interest in Japan.

There are many Japanese language schools in Seoul, so there is a wide range of options, and it is not too much to say there are many events all year round about Japan. There are chances to connect with the Japanese culture in Seoul anytime and any place. Living in such an environment, I realized I did not think about other destinations at all. I believe that students interested in studying abroad must consider living where they get enough access to information and teaching, among other matters.

Through this fair, I had the opportunity to hear many inquiries about studying abroad in different places in Japan, and I am happy that I was able to meet students making steady progress toward fulfilling their dreams.

April Activity Report

April 2023
Global Japan Office Coordinator
AHN Soyon

I know an engineering student who loves Japan and is studying Japanese. So far, he has been studying hard for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. He told me about a recent trip to Japan where he bought a book on his major with illustrations. He bought it because he thought the illustrations were cute but the explanations were well written and readable. Since it is all in Japanese, it was difficult for him to understand it completely, and he came to me for advice on what to do. I could teach him the grammar used in the explanations, but as expected, I did not understand any of the mechanical engineering terms and was not confident that I was able to translate them correctly. But engineering was his major, so even though the detailed translation was difficult, he understood the overall flow faster than I did.

I have strongly advised him to memorize the technical terms of his major in Japanese so that he will be able to use them when it is necessary. If he can combine his expertise with his Japanese language skills, and if he can also speak from his knowledge of his major in Japanese, it will be a significant advantage when advertising himself in the future.

Since I could only teach him Japanese grammar, I had to leave his understandings of technical terms to his knowledge. I taught him how to study, including how to make his own terminology notebook. I also told him that Japanese books with illustrations have been translated into Korean and are sold in Korea. I told him that the books he was reading could not be translated into Korean without specialized knowledge of that field, and that one day he would be able to become a translator of those books. I hope this could be another motivation for him.