-
ONCE YOU are a part of the club, you are making a promise, not with yourself, not even with the club members, but with the kids. You will invite the kids on a colorful adventure, take their hands and lead them into a world of lively culture, art and music. Life is Art (LIA) is a student volunteer club at Yonsei University that focuses on non-academic volunteering with local elementary and middle school students. To find out how they lead their unique adventures, The Yonsei Annals interviewed Vice President Yang Seung-min (Soph., Dept. of Korean Language & Culture Education) and Secretary Choi
Behind the Scenes
Lee So-jung
2019.05.07 12:58
-
NORTH KOREAN defectors that have left the state commonly tell stories of a perilous journey crossing the Chinese-North Korean border, through the Amnok River and another voyage through China. In seeking asylum in South Korea, some departed as a 10-year-old child and others left their family in the North. Upon arriving here, the defectors soon face another unexpected challenge: settling down in a similar yet completely different environment. Sabujak, the Yonseian-led podcast program by Project Jieum, invites North Korean defectors to speak about their experiences. These range from everyday cult
Behind the Scenes
Cho Seung-wan
2019.04.04 01:18
-
EVERYDAY LIFE presents us with different challenges and dilemmas that some of us may not be able to deal with alone. Many of us choose to visit a psychotherapist who helps us with professional analysis and recuperation. What most of us don’t see from the therapy sessions is the tremendous amount of work that comes from being a psychotherapist. The Yonsei Annals sat down with Song Hyun-joo, a licensed clinical psychologist and current Professor at Seoul Women’s University’s Graduate School of Professional Therapeutic Technology, to uncover the work that goes on behind the scenes as a psychother
Career
Yoon Young-seo
2019.04.03 18:57
-
WHAT ARE you willing to do for love? Some spend enormous amounts of money on materialistic goods, others take time off their day just to be with their partners. One man, however, knocks his partner unconscious and locks her up in a glass container when she announces that she will leave him. The Netflix series You puts charming and psychotic together to make one murderous stalker who will do anything to secure his love. The majority of the internet is head-over-heels for Joe Goldberg, an awkward bookstore manager who falls in love with struggling writer Guinevere Beck. While he seems dependable
Opinion
Kim So-yeon
2019.04.03 18:50
-
“DEAR USER, according to the photos you have sent us, you have excess fat in your upper lid that is causing your skin to droop... the hooked shape of your nose may cause you to appear older than your age. Fixing these will cost you about ₩3.5 million*.” This is the kind of evaluation you can expect to receive when you upload your photo on a plastic surgery app. Not only does this app save you time from going to an actual clinic, but it takes just a few minutes to inform you of what is “wrong” with your face. The Korean beauty standard is relentless like that. You are beautiful if you have big
Opinion
Lee So-jung
2019.04.03 18:41
-
SPRING HAS officially arrived. Pleasant winds awaken all life hidden from the sharp cold of winter, and cherry blossoms fill the air with a subtle pink hue. However, with the mid-terms just around the corner, I was stuck in the library all day, dying to take a break from all my books and notes. Luckily, I found a way to enjoy a short trip, through the blue bus 710. Stopping in front of the Yonsei University Main Gate, this cobalt vehicle happens to pass by several landmarks close to campus. Itching to embrace the warmth of April, I quickly scurried down Baekyang-ro, hopped on the 710, and emba
Travel Diary
Park Jae-ha
2019.04.03 18:37
-
SPRING IS the season of love. In Korea, the month of March marks not only the beginning of a brand-new semester but also a collective hunt of those looking for their very own special someone. The college dating culture is a huge deal—the weekend plan of an average student consists of going to a meeting* or a cherry blossom date (or both), either for fun, or in hopes of starting something new. For freshmen, these events are a rite of passage. Whether you are actively looking, or waiting for fate to lead the way, you may have fantasized about your ideal type at some point. Be it the sharp
Voice on Campus
Kim Kyu-ri
2019.04.03 18:26
-
THE BLOODIED face of the monster snarls at the guards. Drool hangs from the upturned corners of his mouth, as he flashes his sharp teeth. Thick, black skin coats its muscled, spore-covered back. The royal guards of the palace look scared. How can they ever beat such a beast? The visuals, the sounds, it’s all too real... except it’s not. The hideous monster on screen, the flashy explosions and life-like palace destruction are all Visual Special Effects (VFX) from the 2018 film Monstrum by Heo Jong-ho. While VFX is commonly used in film regardless of genre and scale, few people would know that t
Lightbulb
Jo Beom-su
2019.04.03 18:11
-
COSMETICS HAVE a prominent role in Korean society, as we are often bombarded with images of pale, radiant skin, tinted red lips and perfectly lined brows. Makeup and cosmetic surgery advertisements are exhibited in every corner—from internet banners to subway billboards — and we cannot help but always be conscious of our physical appearance. We constantly run into mirrors installed in school entrances, subway stations, and cafés: a daily reminder and catalyst to society’s collective obsession with beauty. Along with the growing fascination of makeup, many have now become inc
Lightbulb
Kim Kyu-ri
2019.03.06 20:16
-
INTERVIEWING JOURNALISTS, for whom asking questions is an integral part of their everyday job, was, truth to be told, a daunting feat. While speaking to two journalists who willingly shared some insight into their work life, I had the opportunity to witness the experts in their true element. They were perceptive—quick enough to understand exactly what I was asking for and what information was important. Those skills have been polished over the years both in the field and inside the dimly lit office cubicles—moments that are often glossed over and glamorized in films. That is why Th
Career
Lee Chae-wan
2019.03.06 20:04
-
THE MOMENT I realized what it truly meant to be a duk-hu was when I first revealed myself as one. As I casually selected an opening song from a Japanese anime at a karaoke room, some of my friends scowled and shouted in unison: “Wait, you are a duk-hu?” They started to crack jokes and snicker, and I tried to laugh it off as I continued singing—though I still could not help but feel a sudden surge of shame and regret. Not much has changed since then, yet this particular incident left a deep impression, leaving me not only confounded but also wondering: what is so bad about being a duk-hu
Opinion
Cho Seung-wan
2019.03.06 19:40
-
ON NOV. 27, 2018, a woman jumped into the Han River in a suicide attempt. Miraculously, she survived and managed to call 119 for help while desperately trying to stay afloat in the water. However, the emergency operator believed that her emergency call was a prank and stalled the call as a result. When the operator finally sent a rescue team to the woman, it was already too late––four days later, her cold body was found. The operator’s apathetic attitude towards the caller draws attention to the lack of efficiency and reliability in Korea’s emergency response services. What is clea
Opinion
Go Hyun-jin
2019.03.06 19:26
-
DRAGONS ENGULFING the sun, gods releasing anger onto people, or the moon and the sun fighting in an intense battle─these myths all explain the existence of an eclipse. Before science was used to explain certain phenomena, humans used stories to explain nature’s mysteries based on their experiences and beliefs. These explanations created folk tales that have been passed down to the present day, allowing people to reflect upon their own cultures. Etiological folklore especially serves as a way of understanding how our country was molded and brought to existence. The Origin of Korea In Korea, par
Take a Break
Yang Soung-hyun
2019.03.06 11:15
-
WE HAVE become so accustomed to living in the city nowadays that we might sometimes stop to think twice before planning a trip out into nature. To be surrounded by the beauty of untainted land is only a dream to some who see nothing past the concrete and glass walls we call home. From time to time we need a break, a spiritual retreat to take in the fresh air and spread our wings. There is one such place, beyond the artificial lights and away from the suffocating blanket of fine dust, where there lies a rich culture and history as vibrant as the aurora borealis and where gentle breeze brushes t
Travel Diary
Kim So-yeon
2019.03.06 11:06
-
CHOOSING A college major is not a simple choice. Four years and high tuition fees are just some of the opportunity costs of becoming a university student. And if the major of choice is not relevant to one’s dreams, the consequences may be devastating. Yet, the reality is that there is little chance for high school students to learn about different university departments. To remedy such predicaments, the Yonsei Dream Major Conductor (YDMC) has been providing future undergraduates with advice based on first-hand experience. For a deeper insight into this notable student club, The Yonsei Annals m
Behind the Scenes
Park Jae-ha
2019.03.06 10:55
-
TAP. TAP. Tap. The constant click of your classmate’s pen from across the quiet room assaults your ears. Annoyance vibrates through your body. Or perhaps, when someone picks food off your plate without asking, you can feel your eyes roll at the back of your head. What about when you are trapped behind a person who is walking slowly without any urgency or direction? We all have our moments─ones that trigger our level of disgust and irritation to the point where we feel an impulse to break free from it. This phenomenon is known as a “pet peeve”─an action or behavior that is particularly irksome
Voice on Campus
Yang Soung-hyun
2019.03.06 10:40
-
IF POSSIBLE, the already scenic Seoul becomes even more so around Christmastime. Featuring all the hallmarks of a Nat King Cole carol, the city overflows with chestnuts roasting on food carts, ready to be made into yul-lan*, hip-hopified yuletide carols blast from stores, and folks dressed like modish Eskimos flaunt their long puffer coats. More distinctively in South Korea, December also begets ice-skating, cafe-hopping and sightseeing in twos. In this way, Christmas in Korea is primarily a loud, unofficial reiteration of Valentine’s Day and how much the nation glorifies young love. At the sa
Special Report
Clarissa Kwee, Sarah Perumatta
2018.12.02 19:27
-
WINTER IS a season of relaxation and high morale. As the semester draws to an end, students prepare for their finals, professors bring their lectures to a close, and Christmas carols begin to fill the streets. However, as much as winter is a season of caring for others and recreation of self, it is also a time of fearing the cold winds that gust through open windows. With this year’s winter estimated to be even colder than that of last year, Yonseians are exploring various life hacks in preparation for the severe cold. Those who stay at the Yonsei International Campus (YIC) in Songdo, Incheon,
Voice on Campus
Cub Reporters
2018.12.02 18:48
-
HAVE YOU ever noticed groups of people gathering acorns from the forest floors of Yonsei’s Chungsongdae? Their actions may seem harmless; some may believe that the acorns have to be eventually cleared and that these individuals are simply doing the school a favor. In reality, however, acorns exist as the main source of food for animals living in the forest. By taking the acorns away, these people are disrupting the vital ecosystem of the forest. Stirred into action after witnessing the plight of the forest and its animal residents, 28 Yonsei students established the Yonsei Acorn Rangers on Sep
Behind the Scenes
Yang Ji-weon
2018.12.02 18:33
-
AN ANNOUNCER*, an actress, and now an aspiring YouTuber. These are the labels that follow Choi Song-hyun, an alumna of the College of Communication of Yonsei University. Some people call her courageous; others call her reckless. Regardless, no one can deny her passion for the pursuit of new identities. With the recent creation of her very own YouTube channel, SONGHYUNC FILM, she has once again defined herself with a new status as a content creator. Even in the face of uncertainty, Choi has grasped the tail ends of her seemingly unattainable dreams through her fearless drive to defy the norms.
People/Yonseian
Kim So-yeon, Lee Hyun-kyung
2018.12.02 16:37