Scholarship / Comparative Literature Study Plan KGSP Graduate [4]

goals of study, subject of research and study plan

Hi there. I posted my personal statement here already, now is the time for my study plan lol basically, the things I needed to mention here were my goals of study, title or subject of research and detailed study plan. I tried to be as descriptive as I can be, while adding the details that I thought were necessary to show my dedication and sincerity. I would be so grateful if you share your opinions with me! Thanks in advance!

"The ugly face of war that lasts in the image of demolished cities and the hearts of destroyed families is best described by literature, as the minds of writers work in wondrous ways to describe their great pain in limited words. My main goal of study is to base my studies on the common language of resistance in times of war, by comparing Korean literature during Japanese invasion to the famous works of European poets of World War I and World War II.

In order to understand the core of the texts that I will be studying better, I am planning on getting to the advanced level in Korean during my first year at the language school that I will be enrolled in. During this year, I will be able to practice reading Korean poetry freely, which will enable me to take courses on translating Korean poetry to English. After doing research on the curriculum and the syllabi of the taught subjects in the department of English Language and Literature at Yonsei, I have found out that there are many courses offered in English that focus on translation of Korean literary and non-literary works into English, as well as cultural and literary studies on the translated works that are originally written in Korean. Hence, studying and practicing Korean during my first year until I start my studies at Yonsei will be the perfect opportunity for me to benefit from these courses to the fullest later on.

During my first year of studies in the department, I am planning on taking courses that will enhance my understanding of Korean literature. Yonsei offers the most courses on Asian Culture Studies in the English Language and Literature department, some of which are impossible for me to study as subjects in different universities, such as "Posthuman Aesthetics in Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy," "Literary and Visual Culture of Asian Diaspora," "East Asian Cultures and Critical Perspectives," "Translating Korean Cultural Texts into Korean," and many more. Most of these courses are taught by Professor Rhee Suk Koo, who teaches courses on Korean and Asian cultural studies in relation to English Language and Literature department. Since his courses and topics of interest overlays with mine, I contacted him to ask his opinion on my desired topic, to which he responded positively, since there are already two graduate students in the department who also work on comparative studies between Korean literature and Western literature. My main goal is to dedicate this year to gaining knowledge in my field of research as well as my other topics of interest in the department through taking courses and joining extra-curricular activities such as writing and reading clubs, which will be helpful for me when I start writing my thesis the next year. Additionally, I will be the part of a community that is deeply connected to my department. This way, I hope to gain friends amongst my colleagues and make the most of my journey in Korea outside of my studies as well, in the way that I think suits me the best.

My thesis will mainly focus on the resistance poetry in Korea during Japanese invasion, mainly of Yoon Dong Ju, who also graduated from Yonsei University, and war poetry in Europe specifically during the World War II. As the periods for both colonization of Korea and the two world wars overlay in the timeline of history, I think it would be an interesting topic for research to look at the similar discourses in the voices of the oppressed people under different threats in two different continents. My main goal is to prove that there is only one language of sorrow to word out the destructive power of war and the horrifying truths about the casualties. The languages we speak are just transmitters between our hearts and our lips, which shape and mold our feelings as products of our thinking before we use them to communicate. In my research, I would like to analyze the deeper connection between Korean and Western literatures in the same period but under different conditions.

I am planning on dedicating my third and last year to my thesis, as well as taking additional courses on my topics of interest related to my research field. With my research, I hope to contribute to the voicing the importance of other nationalities in canonical literature. I want to be a researcher that studies literature in English, rather than be a copier of all the studies that have been done on English literature already; which is why the English Language and Literature department at Yonsei suits my interests. As a global citizen and a willing student, I look forward to fulfill my dreams, ready to learn and make the most of this great chance."

Scholarship / English Language and Literature KGSP Personal Statement [2]

Hi there! I am applying to the KGSP through uni track this year, and I need help with my essay. There will also be statement of purpose (study plan and future goals) so I will elaborate on those in another essay, thank you very much in advance for your opinions!

words like a painting

"As a child, I didn't know how to use the power of illustration with words, all because I didn't know what to use as a brush. The material was there but I simply didn't know how to transfer the emotions through the right means. It wasn't until I read The Hobbit that I realized how the black ink on paper can turn into bright colors with each word like a painting. The words on pages give voice to the feelings that one cannot figure out how to express, no matter in which language, which was the foreground of my interest in books. Since this argument became an important fact in my life, literature has become a brush for me to paint, and words have become my palette to mix the bright pigments of my imagination.

I have studied English Language and Literature, firstly at Celal Bayar University in Manisa, Turkey. After taking introductory courses on stylistics and reading Russian literature, I've become more interested in translated works from different cultures. The same year, I had been the interpreter of the Thai ambassador Tharit Charungvat during the Manisa Mesir Paste Festival in 2014 and had received a book on the cultural heritage of Thailand, which ensured me that I want to study 'literature in English' as opposed to English literature, and devote my studies to the cultural heritage of one's country reflected in the texts authored by writers all around the world.

I started to grow an interest towards Korean literature after reading Please Look After Mother by Shin Kyung Sook, and since I became fascinated by Korean history started learning Korean language, I always had the thought of studying in Korea in my mind, which is why I needed to achieve more in my studies and become more successful. I transferred to Hacettepe University with my GPA in order to learn more about gender studies and world literatures, and joined the Erasmus+ program during the 2016-2017 academic year to study at TU Dortmund University in Germany, where I learned more about criticism and cultural studies in literature. While I was in Germany, I took seminars with German-Korean students, with whom I prepared presentations about contemporary Korean literature and the history of Korean poetry. Upon my return to my home university, I started doing research on Korean poets and novelists with the help of the Korean Cultural Centre in Ankara, using their books and journals in order to gather more information about the contemporary and classical literatures in Korean. During my research, I had the joy of reading Han Kang's Vegetarian, Jung Young Su's Aficionados, Hwang Jungeun's One Hundred Shadows from the contemporaries, as well as Three Generations by Yom Sang Seop and The Cloud Dream of the Nine by Kim Manjung for the classics amongst many others, which familiarized me with the contemporary and classical Korean literatures and helped me to spot the similarities and differences between Korean and western literatures.

After studying the poetry of the World War I, my interest shifted from novels to poems, which led me to discover the poetry of Yoo Dong Ju, who wrote resistance poetry; and Song Kyung Dong, who is famous for his proletarian poems. Reading their poetry led me to write and publish poems in various journals, and contribute in a research based on the oppressed Kurdish playwrights in order to delve more into the studies of the suppressed artists who voice the ideas of people that are minorities in their societies. Recently, I have been working on opening Korean language and literature classes at the school that I work with a program offered by the Korean embassy, while teaching Korean at beginner level to the interested students. In every aspect of my work and academic studies, I like to take on the challenges that are not done by the majority and voice the matter at hand.

Today, I can say with confidence that I want to study the resistance poetry during Japanese invasion, mainly of Yoo Dong Ju, and compare his works to the war poetry in English literature. The reasons of my wish to study at Yonsei are many, however the two most important ones are why I have chosen the university track to apply to this scholarship program. The poet I want to study was a graduate of Yonsei University, thus I believe that it would be more fitting for me to study him and understand his poetry at his university. Secondly, Professor Terrence Patrick Murphy and and Professor Rhee Suk Koo, were so kind to encourage me to pursue my dream as they returned my emails to say they would look forward to have an international student interested in writing their thesis on Korean literature in English.

I hope to further my studies under the professors that encouraged me to not give up on my desired topic, as an alumnus of the university from where the poet that I want to study graduated. As there cannot be any other scholarship or a university that can help me fulfill my dream to the fullest, I look forward to give voice to all the beautiful paintings that the Korean writers paint with words universally, no matter in which language."