By Elizabeth Jorgensen, KM Global School
As someone who regularly teaches sijo (Korean) poetry, I am often asked if I have ever been to Korea. Now I can answer “YES!”
Last summer, I was fortunate to be one of thirty teachers who traveled with the World History Digital Education Foundation (WHDEF) to South Korea as part of the foundation’s 2024 Korea Study Tour. This tour was made possible by WHDEF with the support of the Korea Foundation.
Additional support from the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison allowed four teachers from Wisconsin to attend. In addition to myself—a teacher at KM Global School for Global Leadership and Innovation in Wales, Wisconsin—Mikki Maddox of Necedah Area High School, Padi Kong of Wauwatosa West High School, and Nolan Stearns of Parker High School in Janesville also joined the tour.
Teachers on the tour hailed not only from Wisconsin but also from states as diverse as Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and Washington, among others. This geographic diversity was matched by a range of teaching experiences, spanning from 1 to 27 years—with Mikki herself being a veteran teacher of 25 years! Despite these varied backgrounds, most participants shared a limited prior knowledge of Korea and the Korean War, giving us a valuable opportunity to learn about the country firsthand.
To prepare for the trip, our group attended live webinars, completed readings about Korean history and culture, and participated in online discussion boards. Each of us also transcribed an interview with a Korean War veteran that will become part of the Korean War Legacy’s archive.
Occurring from June 23rd to July 3rd, 2024, the trip provided experiences that deepened our understanding of South Korea’s culture and development.
Dr. Jongwoo Han, President of WHDEF, led the trip and was accompanied by Dr. David Fields, Korea scholar and associate director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
My highlights from the trip included a visit to the Demilitarized Zone, a stay at Bulguksa Temple, walking on the Fortress Road of Bugaksan Mountain, and hearing a samcheonggak (a Korean traditional music performance). I also fondly remember our tours of Cheongwadae (Blue House), Nogeun-ri Education Center, Posco Steelworks, a Samsung’s semiconductor fab, and Yonsei University.
According to the foundation, each excursion is intentional and looks to build on fellows’ knowledge and understanding of Korea with the purpose of impacting education.
On many days, we heard from docents or primary sources. “One particularly moving moment was hearing Kimchi One and his family’s refugee story during the Korean War,” said Kong. “Which resonated with me as I also come from a family of refugees. It was touching to realize that despite our differing backgrounds, we shared a common narrative of tragedy, persecution, and resilience. The experience highlighted the universal struggles faced by refugees worldwide.”
“The trip to South Korea was, truly, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Stearns. “The culture of South Korea is incredibly unique and vibrant. Getting to be enveloped in the culture and history of South Korea has given me a new outlook on how I can incorporate this culture into my classroom and teaching.”
After the trip, each teacher began integrating their newfound knowledge and insights into their educational practices and lesson plans. In addition to these lesson plans, each teacher presented to a district, state or regional organization. These presentations served as a valuable professional development opportunity, allowing colleagues who couldn’t attend the trip to benefit from our experience of Korean culture, history, and contemporary society.
My own lesson plan featured the No Gun Ri Memorial Peace Park, where I saw a display featuring Linda Sue Park’s Keeping Score. I read this book and was inspired to connect students to Korean War veterans through letter writing.
All participant lesson plans are now part of WHDEF’s searchable database.
The WHDEF offers these study tours on an annual basis and I would encourage all teachers to consider applying for this once-in-a-lifetime expression. More information can be found here: https://www.worldhistoryde.org/korea-trip/.