Katalina Chung

Katalina Chung

Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia, Korean Language Study Abroad

Introduction

Kia ora! My name is Kat Chung, I’m a Korean New Zealander and I’m currently studying a Global Studies and Arts conjoint degree majoring in Transnational Cultures and Creative Practices, English Literature and Screen Production.

I applied for the Korean language study abroad programme at Korea University because I’ve always wanted an opportunity to reconnect with my Korean roots and identity, brush up on my Korean and travel solo! I’m most excited about exploring Seoul, connecting with new people from all over the world and strengthening my Koreanness.

I grew up being fully assimilated into the dominant Western culture in Auckland and I never really got the chance to feel pride in my heritage or ethnic identity. At university, I finally began to unlearn a lot of the internalised racism I had developed during my upbringing and feel comfortable with my unique bicultural and transnational Korean-New Zealand status. So now I’m here to continue on that journey and cement Korea as a part of who I am! One day I hope to come back here and feel like this is just as much my home as New Zealand is.

If there are any fellow Korean-heritage students out there, don’t sleep on this opportunity!

  • Lunar New Year’s in Busan

    Monday 23 Jan Currently aboard the KTX bullet train on my way back to Seoul after spending Lunar New Year’s in Busan with the family. Spending time with my family in Busan is… interesting — I feel so grateful to have a big extended family and that I’m able to spend quality time with my…Continue…

  • Kimchi-making and solo train rides on Christmas

    Saturday 24 December I spent Christmas Eve making kimchi with my aunties in my grandma’s apartment (located in the Suyeong district of Busan). When the image below was taken, we were at the stage of slathering the spicy marinade into the salted and rinsed cabbages and wrapping the marinated cabbages up to place securely into…Continue…

  • First week in Seoul

    I took on the advice we received at the Prime Minister’s Scholars orientation day and journaled almost every single day since we arrived, so here is a little wrap-up of the first week in Seoul, presented through excerpts from my journal: Tuesday 6 December It’s 10:56 pm here at Frontier House on the Korea University…Continue…