South Korean student in Poland: When I went to high school, I had to be at school until 21

Wives, mothers, friends, neighbors, but most of all women. They set out on a journey to build their home anew in a foreign country. Klaudia Kolasa talks with foreigners about their life in Poland, which, despite being brought up in different cultures, connects us and what divides us. Subsequent texts from the series “Conversations without borders” are published on Wednesday every two weeks at 20.

Klaudia Kolasa, Female.gazeta.pl: Why are you living in Krakow today?

Yunjeong Hwang: I wanted to study in one of the European countries. When I started reading about Krakow, I was enchanted by the fact that it is a historic city. I am interested in history and politics, so Poland was chosen. I moved in 2017. Now I am finishing my master’s degree in international security.

What is said in South Korea about Poland?

Before I moved here, I had heard about Chopin. We also learned about Auschwitz in history. But, honestly, I didn’t know much. When I told my parents that I wanted to leave, my dad started looking for more information. It was the time of terrorist attacks in Europe. First there was an attack in Manchester, then in London. We were concerned that the move might be dangerous. Then my dad read that there is no such threat in Poland.

Do you remember your first day?

It was September. It was very cold and gloomy. All in all, I can say that.

Five years have passed since then. Life in Poland is different than in South Korea?

Definitely! In South Korea, everyone is competing with each other. It’s like a race. You have to learn all the time, everyone is busy all the time. There is play in Poland in this respect. When I come back by bus from the university, I see that at 3 p.m. students are already leaving school. When I was in high school, I had to be at school until 21:00. Lessons ended at 17:00. Then we had lunch and three hours of study. When I returned to boarding school, I still had to do my homework until 11 PM. Students who wanted better grades were sitting in books until 2 am.

There are also people from China in my group. They have similar feelings – that Poland is a good place to live. I like living in Krakow. I have time to meet my friends, go for a walk. In general, I think Poles are very nice. Nobody ever turned me down when I needed help. Even if that person did not speak English. Last week I had to go to the clinic for a blood donation. There were grandmothers there who wanted to help me with everything.

Was there something that was difficult for you after moving?

I didn’t know Polish and I didn’t speak much English. I met wonderful Polish friends who helped me in various life situations. Now I notice that when I speak a little Polish, for example while shopping, people are very pleasantly surprised. All you need to do is “thank you” and it is already praised that I speak Polish well. It’s funny because I’ve only been learning a language for three months. Before that, I did not have the opportunity. I wanted to start already during my undergraduate studies, but there were too few people willing to start a group.

And how are you doing?

It is difficult because it is completely different from Korean. You have so many cases! I’m just in the accusative case. It’s hard to understand, although I think I’m starting to see some logic. Even when I ask my Polish friends why something needs to be said this way, they don’t know.

You are already graduating, but you are starting to learn the language. Does it mean that you are thinking about staying in Poland?

Yes. I have not lived in South Korea for years. I have the impression that if I go back there, I will feel the cultural differences and I will not find myself.

You’ve changed?

Definitely. Before, I was afraid to talk to strangers, now I do not feel discomfort. I was shy. When I go back to South Korea, I have the feeling that I am more open than my friends. They also noticed that my style has changed. The way Korean women dress and paint is more cute and feminine. I don’t like it anymore. I prefer t-shirts.

I found Korean videoblogs on the Internet several times and I must say that you have girls with a solution for everything. “How to slim your face without surgery”, “What to do to make your collarbones more visible” – I really admire.

Yes, there is indeed a lot of it. They also have tons of advice on how to paint your eyes. This is crazy.

But it probably works, since Korean cosmetics and care methods are popular even in Poland.

Sure, but in Poland they are even six times more expensive. For this price, it’s probably better to buy French creams.

So when was the last time you went to South Korea?

In April two years ago. I was very depressed by the pandemic. Everything in Poland was closed then, so I didn’t come back here until September. I was shocked to see that in Krakow no one was wearing masks anymore and that everything was open.

And what was the situation in your hometown back then?

When I got there, I had to go into a two-week quarantine.

Have you had it at home or in a hotel?

At home. Usually, people in quarantine receive packages with food. I got loads of snacks, instant soups, ready meals. They called me every day to see if I was at home. They could also track my phone.

Has your government introduced any restrictions?

They never closed anything. Even so, there were days when we had zero cases a day. This is because they controlled the infected very much. They had to answer phone calls every day and tell what they were doing. Each case was analyzed. They checked credit card statements and the location on the phone. From this they concluded where the infected person was and with whom he was seeing.

There were voices that it violated privacy. Especially when the case of a teacher who went to a gay club came to light – there was an infection center there. They made him come out and South Korea is very conservative on these issues. Anyway, like Poland.

If you stay in Poland, what would you like to do?

I’d like to find a job. Maybe some organization related to South Korea, maybe as an interpreter, or an embassy. I will definitely not get a PhD, although my mother urges me to do so.

Do your parents know that you are not planning to come back?

Yes. They don’t force me to come back, but I feel they want it. They say maybe I could find a job in South Korea. My younger sister stayed there and is already working. My mom keeps telling me that she’s only worried about me. I didn’t think my life would turn out this way, but when I saw the competition at Korean universities, I found that I prefer to study in Europe. I myself am surprised that my life has changed this way.