Hannah O’Malley ’17 recently wrote about her experience visiting a UN safe-site built in the demilitarized zone that separates North from South Korea. She says:

The building was surrounded by tourists lining up to buy souvenirs like shot glasses, jewelry, and snacks from the shops. I was unnerved that the DMZ has been made into a spectacle that distracts more than it educates visitors about North Korea. My disbelief grew as we were taken to three movie theaters where we watched films about the biodiversity and history of the region and military strategies. With all of the distractions, there was very little attention given to the human rights abuses happening nearby that we had learned about through readings and in class.

Hannah traveled to Korea during May-June 2014 as a member of the Benton Scholars program. You can read Hannah’s post in its entirety by clicking here.

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The following pictures and text were provided by Erin Huiting ’17, who returned from the Benton Scholars’ trip to Korea in June, 2014.

At the table in Korea.

Food is such an integral part of the Korean culture. When we first entered a restaurant we would be led graciously to our table, and then we would remove our shoes and sit down. Slowly, but surely, our servers would begin to present us food. We would be given bowels of vegetables, rice, noodles, fish, meats, soups… the food was never-ending, but that kept the conversations and laughter never-ending. By the end of our meal, we would have an array of dishes spread across the table – we could mix and match the different flavors and try so many new foods. Every meal brought something new.

At Seokgulam Grotto.

The lanterns in the background are a part of Seokgulam Grotto, which is a cave temple that houses a Buddhist shrine. The reason it was built – a young boy’s newfound karma. The story goes: A young boy and his mother worked for a wealthy family, however, they lived in utter poverty. One day, a Buddhist monk visited the estate and the wealthy family gave the monk some donations. After that, the boy assumed the family was so well off because they were charitable towards the Buddhist monk. The next time the boy saw the Buddhist monk, the boy and his mother gave him what little rice they had. A few days later the boy passed away.

However, before the boy passed away, he foretold to his mother that he would be reincarnated in another body. His name would be Kim DaeSeong. Nine months later, the mother gave birth to a baby boy. The baby boy held his fist closed for a whole week, but when he opened up his fist “Kim DaeSeong” was encrypted in Chinese onto his palm – he was her son reincarnated. Eventually, Kim DaeSeong grew up and became a minister. In order to thank the monk for his life, he built the Buddhist temple.

On the cable car, heading to Daechongbong.

The Seoraksan National Park was a testament to Korea’s geographic beauty. South Korea isn’t just urban, but the country also has amazing mountains covered with lush forests. We took a cable car up near the peak of Daechongbong, and we climbed the rest of the way towards the very top.

At the peak of Daechongbong.

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Professor John Palmer put together the following video slideshows of images capturing the amazing journey of Colgate’s Benton Scholars in South Korea during the summer of 2014.

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Hannah O’Malley ’17 provides the following pictures and captions from the Benton Scholars’ trip to South Korea.

Colgate hasn’t been around nearly as long as Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was completed in 1395.

Rice farms, like this one in the Hahoe Village, covered the countryside. Even though it is a relatively small country, the South Korean landscape includes mountains, cityscapes, rural expanses and seasides.

Though media outlets may have stopped coverage of the Ferry Accident, homages like this one demonstrated that the memories of the children live on in the hearts of South Koreans.

“Named spaces bear witness to history and provide a glimpse into the future.” -John Syme The Sungnyemun Gate was erected in 1398 and embodies significant history—it has been repeatedly repaired after damage by natural causes, colonial rule, the Korean War, and a more recent attempt to burn the structure. Today, it is a national treasure of Seoul that speaks to South Corea’s resilience, an attitude which is behind its push to be a global power.

It was election season while we were there so political campaigns were everywhere, especially in the more residential areas.

We had the opportunity to visit an all-boys private middle school and speak to them about their educational experience. Our conversations with the students there sparked reflection and debate about both South Korea’s and our own educational system. Thank you so much to Dan Benton, Professor John Palmer, Woolim Cho, Peter Tschirhart, Sarah Ficken and the many others who made this experience and continue to make experiences like this possible!!

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