By XANDER VOGEL, BUPD 2026<\/p>\n
This summer, I was extremely lucky to be able to study abroad in South Korea. The program, led by Professors Sanglim Yoo and Jake Son, was a two-week long trip to the capital city of Seoul where we learned about important urban planning related topics such as public transportation, urban redevelopment, environmental restoration and historic preservation.<\/p>\n
The focus of our trip was our collaborative project with students from Kyung-Hee University, wherein we visited local \u2018traditional markets\u2019 to help identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth in an effort to help them adapt and thrive in a changing world.<\/p>\n
The main focus of our collaboration was Kyung-Dong Market, which is the largest traditional medicine market in South Korea! I can honestly say that I\u2019d never been anywhere like a traditional market before I went on this trip. The closest equivalent in America would probably be a farmers\u2019 market. Kyung-Dong Market was perhaps the most energetic commercial space I\u2019ve ever been in.<\/p>\n
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Everywhere you look there, there were people moving around and businesses trying to sell their products, all packed in at such a density that it was a bit overwhelming to me at times. It was clear to me that this vibrancy was a product of the market\u2019s strong local and cultural roots, and I was glad to be able to visit it and gain a better understanding of the role it plays in its community.<\/p>\n
One of the goals of the study abroad program was to facilitate cross-cultural understanding, and as part of this goal, we visited multiple cultural landmarks to gain a better appreciation of Korean culture and to learn about historic preservation efforts. We visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tragically, much of it was destroyed during the Japanese occupation before the end of WWII, which is part of the reason it\u2019s so important that the Palace, and similar sites, are preserved and cherished today.<\/p>\n
We made frequent use of Seoul\u2019s public transportation system to make our way around the city. It was certainly the best bus system I\u2019ve ever used, as well as being the best (and only) metro system I\u2019ve ever used. Seoul is a walkable, high density city, and all of this is made possible by their world class transportation system. We were even able to get special permission to visit the headquarters of TOPIS, which is the organization in charge of Seoul\u2019s transportation system. This is something most people aren\u2019t allowed to do, so we were very fortunate to visit.<\/p>\n
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Although not an official part of the trip, I made a point of visiting the DMZ, or De-Militarized Zone, on one of our days off. The DMZ is the border between North and South Korea, and I wanted to visit it because the history of modern Korea is shaped in part by the split between the two countries. I love learning about world history, and I find the modern history of East Asia to be fascinating, so I was happy to visit the DMZ in person with a couple of my classmates.<\/p>\n
My trip to South Korea was the highlight of my summer, and I\u2019ll remember the friends I made, the experiences I had, and the lessons I learned for the rest of my life. Seeing the urban planning practices of Seoul, such as high-density development with good public transportation and mixed-use zoning, helped highlight in my mind the transformative nature of good planning and how it can improve quality of life in American cities. I was a bit sad to leave South Korea, but I left excited to bring what I learned back to my home and to fight to make American cities as great as they can be.<\/p>\n
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Summer 2024 marked Dr. Sanglim Yoo’s third study abroad trip to South Korea with Ball State students, but her first trip as a Virginia Ball Creative Inquiry Fellow. Under the umbrella of that organization, this year’s attendees came from a wide variety of majors across campus.<\/p>\n