When I was in high school, I volunteered in Malaysia and learned that there is a big economic disparity between ethnic groups. In the future, I wanted to convey the strong "passion" of people involved in solving poverty and social problems to society through the media, so I went on to study media content at a university in the suburbs of Seoul. However, commuting to school by long-distance bus for five hours each day was more difficult than I had imagined, and I began to question the meaning of life.

At the time, my older brother was studying abroad in Canada and was enjoying a fulfilling life, which inspired me to think, "I want to study abroad and start a new life too." My father had studied in Japan, so I remembered the many times we traveled around Japan as a family. Every day on the school bus, I started to think, "What kind of life would I have if I studied abroad in Japan?" and thoroughly researched how I could study abroad in Japan.

Due to financial burdens, illness in my family, my own Japanese language ability, and other issues, it was not an easy decision to make. However, my father, who understood my feelings, gave me a strong push by saying, "Instead of worrying about it, just go to Japan and experience it for yourself," so I decided to enroll in a Japanese language school in Tokyo.

Since my Japanese ability was almost zero, I was assigned to the second-lowest class at the Japanese language school. I went to school earlier than anyone else every morning, stayed until the school closed at night to study on my own, and even on weekends I would go to cafes and such without taking a break, just studying hard. I enjoyed the fact that the more I worked, the more I steadily came to understand Japanese. My personality of enjoying taking tests and qualification exams that objectively show my progress in learning helped me improve my Japanese. One year after coming to Japan, I was able to pass the N1 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which is a requirement for applying to many Japanese universities for admission to international students.

I wanted to study video production in Japan, so I tried twice to get into a university's art department, but I couldn't get in because it was so difficult even for Japanese students. I enrolled in a film production school in Tokyo and worked on full-scale video production in group work with Japanese students of the same generation. Then, while we were all preparing for a location shoot, something happened that greatly changed my values about living in Japanese society.

I thought I was doing my best in a group work for documentary production, but one time a Japanese member told me, "You're a foreigner, so it's hard to rely on you." Shocked by this comment, I was worried that I might not be of much use because I'm a foreigner, so for a time I avoided negotiating with the filming. However, in my interactions with Japanese people, I realized that I couldn't run away from this problem, and that was my turning point. In group work with my Japanese friends, I tried to communicate well with each other and overcome conflicts. Gradually, I came to realize that it was important to move forward together, beyond the distinction between Japanese and foreigners.

When I entered Aogaku, I had no trouble listening to and understanding lectures, but I had to put in a lot of effort to produce output, such as writing reports. At first, I would write my reports in Korean first and then translate them into Japanese, so I think it took me twice as long as Japanese students. To improve my vocabulary and ability to express myself, you need to "read" a lot in Japanese. I read novels to learn natural Japanese expressions, as well as literature related to my classes. As I became accustomed to reading, my reading comprehension and reading speed improved. By my third year, I was able to write reports in Japanese from the start.

The class in which I felt I gained the ability to think as well as knowledge was "Human Rights Law I & II," which I took in my second year as an interfaculty course. This Faculty of Law course was a structural consideration of the current state of social issues that threaten human rights, such as conflict and poverty. It directly addressed the reason why I decided to change careers from vocational school to study international issues at university. The professor respected students' concerns and opinions, even in small matters, and showed a policy of valuing diversity, which allowed me to freely and deeply consider my own thoughts based on what I had studied.

I am also incorporating much of what I learned in this class into my current graduation thesis in Professor Sueda Kiyoko 's seminar on intercultural communication. In Professor Sueda's seminar, presentations and discussions that consider communication between people, between people and society, and between societies from multiple perspectives are actively held with the professor's participation. I am exposed to a variety of themes and opinions, and experience the excitement and stimulation that only a seminar can provide. I enjoy reading papers and thinking about what to present, and I was also taught how to give easy-to-understand presentations, so I feel that I have grown significantly in terms of both input and output.

In addition, the school encourages students to obtain the qualification of "social researcher", which allows them to systematically learn the basics of communication research methods, so I was able to acquire the necessary credits and obtain the qualification of social researcher ("social researcher (candidate)" while in school). I believe that the ability to correctly interpret information collected from society and the market will be useful not only in my studies but also after I find employment.

I had the impression that it would be difficult to work as a "foreigner" in Japan, and I thought that I would probably return to Korea after graduation to find work. However, when it was time for people around me to start job hunting, such as applying for internships, I started to talk more with my seminar members about my future, and I began to think concretely about my path after graduation.

As I talked a lot with my Japanese and Korean friends, I began to think that because I have values as a foreigner, I could think differently from other people and make a contribution that only I could make to a Japanese company. I began to think that working as a foreigner was actually an advantage.

Before entering Aogaku, I worked part-time as a kitchen assistant at a sushi restaurant chain for five years, and I studied carefully to be able to use the correct honorific language when speaking with superiors. In addition, as I was put in charge of part-time work as a leader, I wanted to be able to communicate smoothly with employees in business and to be able to speak Japanese appropriate for the time, place and occasion, so I took the Business Japanese Proficiency Test. Therefore, when it came time to start job hunting, I had no problems with Japanese.

In the fall of my third year, I participated in a one-day internship and an on-campus company information session, and started thinking about which industry would suit me. As someone who likes to visualize the results of hard work, I was attracted to an industry where I could give back to society by turning technology and hard work into something tangible, and I narrowed my job search down to manufacturers where I could be involved in manufacturing. In particular, I was very interested in the automobile industry, which Japan is proud of around the world, as a foreigner working in Japan.

​The Automotive Equipment Division of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, where I received a job offer, procures parts for major Korean automobile manufacturers, and as a Korean national, I felt it was fate that I could contribute to this company. After I start working, I plan to work in sales, and I am looking forward to being able to be a bridge between Japan's excellent manufacturing technology and Korea's important industries. In addition, Mitsubishi Electric has a wide range of businesses that are expanding globally, including home electronics, communications, and energy, so it is also attractive that in the future I will be able to transfer to other businesses in addition to the automotive equipment business.

The circumstances surrounding job hunting for university students are quite different between Japan and Korea. In Korea, there is a culture that places emphasis on work-ready skills, especially TOEIC scores and academic performance, and the competition is very fierce. It is not uncommon for students to take time off school to look for a job.
On the other hand, in Japan, while language ability and academic performance are of course important, the experience and personality of a university student, such as "what you focused on during your student days," are also taken into consideration, and the appeal is that even if you don't have any glamorous experience, you can try to get the job you want. My experience of working in the same part-time job for five years while valuing my studies and contributing to the workplace with ambition is an episode that conveys my sincerity.

*The links to each subject's "Course Content Details" are for the 2024 academic year.