Korea
Korea Visit 2011
Every
September, a staff member and a group of students visit the
Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary (PCTS), Seoul, the
capital of South Korea. Our host college is a Christian college
that trains people for ministry, teaching in Christian schools, or
church music, but they are hospitable to our students of all faiths
and none. The accommodation is in the comfortable and modern
International Luce Centre, and you soon get to know the compact and
pleasant campus on the hillside of Achasan, overlooking the East
side of Seoul near the River Han.
It is not far from PCTS down narrow streets to the main suburban
intersection of Gwangnaru, where there are many shops, restaurants
and banks, and where you can get tube trains and buses to the city
centre. On one side of the PCTS campus you find the busy, noisy
life of Seoul; on the other, the quiet wooded hillside which is a
favourite for Koreans taking exercise, walking up to the Buddhist
Temple near the top. Wherever you are, the Koreans are hospitable
and friendly people.
The PCTS staff organise a busy and interesting schedule for the
York St John group. Their academic staff, administrative staff and
students are all involved. The PCTS lecturers present several
lectures on Korean religion and culture, all in English. The
administrative staff and students lead visits to many places of
interest in Seoul and beyond. Highlights are the great palaces of
Seoul, the traditional Korean villages, the border with North Korea
(‘demilitarised zone’), performances of Korean dance and martial
arts and the many churches of Seoul. Buddhism, Shamanism and
Confucianism also have important sites in the city, so there is
plenty for a student of religion to see.
The group forms good relationships whilst on the visit. There
are some humorous moments – the taxi driver whose only words in
English were ‘Man U, Man U’, experimenting with the Korean cuisine,
trying to cycle in tandem on the beautiful Nami Island, up in the
mountains. The most valuable experiences are those spent with the
Korean students themselves. A favourite is the chance to join the
English classes that the young Koreans take, and to help out. Some
students over the years have been so inspired as to go back to
teach English as a second language.
The Korean trip is worth every one of the 5,500 miles it takes
to get there by air. All of the students who go to Korea do a
research assignment on the religion, culture and history of Korea,
made all the richer by observation and participation. For all of
the students who have travelled there since our first visit in
2008, it is a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
PCTS
The link with PCTS is a fundamental
part of the undergraduate programme and helps to develop the
international dimension of our curriculum. For those who are unable
to make the visit there are still opportunities to engage with
Korean Christianity as PCTS visit YSJU in January / February
attending lectures and visiting some of the significant religious
sites in York and North Yorkshire. TRS students who have visited
PCTS work alongside the Korean students when they visit the UK and
from this many make meaningful, long term friendships.