My interest in Korea can be traced to the beginning of the years 2000s... (GKS 2019)

Hello!

I am applying to GKS 2019 as a master degree candidate through University Track.

Any feedback on the Statement of Purpose below is very welcomed. Since English is not my first language, I would also be grateful if you could point any mistakes I might have made.

Throughout my whole life, I have always been interested in acquiring a wider knowledge about cultures different from my own, cultures from east to west, from north to south.

In spite of my parents being very simple people that did not have the opportunity to follow a great amount of formal education themselves, they were always very worried about my little sister's and mine. Consequently, from a small age, they put great effort to provide us with quality education and culture. Although, the extension of the direct contact with other cultures I could acquire was limited due to our circumstances, what I could not experience physically, I would do through books, music, TV and any other way I could find.

Furthermore, my passion for other cultures, especially those of Asian countries, grew only stronger. Being the very first person from my household to be able to attend a University, I decided to pursue my studies in International Relations as well as Economics. International Relations, as a broad major could give me an interdisciplinary vision of how the world works and how different cultures interact with each other on the International System; and Economics would give me a more specific knowledge in one of the fields International Relations takes under its wing. In a University that deeply values interdisciplinarity, I could study both, as well as an entrance course of Sciences and Humanities that allowed me to have an introductory view of the most important fields of humanities.

For my senior thesis, I wrote an essay that could encompass both International Relations, Economy and would allow me to study the geographical area I was always very interested in: Asia. The theme of my thesis was "Productive Integration on Southeast Asia: Japanese Leadership and Chinese Rise". This first venture into researching has affirmed my passion for the Academy and it has given me the confidence to further pursue my education. Therefore, when I was indicated for the 2016 Award of Academic Excellence from my department and was able to be one of the students awarded, I felt even more motivated.

As a way of both being in contact with people from different cultures and backgrounds and training my languages skills, but primary, being of help to those in need, using the knowledge I've gained from my major, I volunteered with an NGO (Caritas Sao Paulo) that helps refugees and asylum seekers in Brazil for six months. That allowed me to grow as a person, making me much more sensible to the suffering people that are forced to migrate go through. It was an invaluable experience as a human being as well as International Relations student.

In addition, I believe that reaching out to a different languages also opens up oneself to different cultures, different histories and a different way of thinking... So, one of the best ways I could broaden my knowledge about other cultures was through learning new languages. As a result, I learned English from an early age and could also learn a bit of Spanish in school. French came next. And for a little longer than a year now, I've been learning Korean, the greatest challenge I've picked yet.

My interest in Korea can be traced to the beginning of the years 2000s when its music started to grow as a global phenomenon. Yet, it was a little later, through Korean dramas, that my love regarding this country truly started to develop. I was interest in its food, music, philosophy and language. But while I personally loved the products from Korea, my academic interest in regard to this country arose as well: the Hallyu phenomenon did not seem random. As someone that studied International Relations, I wanted to know how it had developed: "Was it luck or was it planned?"; "Were there governmental or private efforts and interests involved?"; "How was ir related to the economic miracle this country experienced on the recent decades?"

To find the answers to these questions, I decided to follow my studies in a master's degree in Korean Studies. Albeit the Korean wave has reached my country, Brazil, for a while now, academically, Korean studies are not yet spread. Considering this gap and that to study a subject, the closer you are to it the better, I decided to pursue my studies in Korea and hope to be able to help develop this field of study in Brazil in the future.

As a result of my studies and the experiences I mentioned, I have been able to attain what I hope to be a worldly and open-minded perspective. So, in my efforts to further increase and improve this perspective, and fully accomplish all of my academic passions and desires, I hope to have the privilege of attending university in Korea.

Aline, there is no need to reference your family background as you did in this essay. That is not required of the presentation anymore. It hasn't been required for 2 years now so that can be skipped in the presentation. It did not help to explain your motivation for interest in studying in Korea anyway. In fact, your motivation is not clear in the presentation. Your university studies presentation works because of the academic achievement that accompanies it. However, your work experience is not related to Korea in any way so you have to revise that to create some sort of Korean connection. Perhaps by implying that your first exposure to Korean was during your volunteer work.

Your reason for studying in Korea is one that is used by every student applying for this scholarship. From K-Pop to Koreanovelas to Hallyu, all of these are tired information about Korean pop culture that the reviewer has read more than thousand times. All of these interests do not directly relate to your chosen masters course. Therefore, this reference is weak and will not be considered as a strong reason for wishing to study in Korea. Relate it instead to international relations between Korea and Brazil if you can. The reason for your study should be professionally related.

Don't forget to explain, as a part of your decision to study in Korea, why you chose the university to apply to. Since you are applying via university track, the university will be interested to learn of the strong academic reasons that pushed you towards enrolling with them.