Reflecting back on my experience during my time in South Korea on the Plus3 program, I am very grateful to the experiences, education, and relationships gained along the way. From touring some of Seoul’s most cutting-edge companies to living in Korean culture and collaborating with other students from diverse fields of academic study, this trip…

During our visit to the oil tank park, we had a great time walking around and exploring the grounds. The industrial structures and the way the area was designed made it a really unique space to visit. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside any of the tanks since the interior areas were private property, but even…

Today we visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the tense border area between North and South Korea. Though we weren’t allowed to take many photos, the weight of history and tension in the air was impossible to miss. From the observation post, we looked across to the North Korean side, though thick fog blanketed much of…

We woke up early and headed to Camp Casey, a U.S. military base here in Korea. Even though we couldn’t take any pictures for security reasons, it was still such a cool experience to walk around and get a feel for what life is like on base. It felt surreal to be in a place…

We had a slow, cozy start to the morning and went out for breakfast at this cute spot called The Flying Pan. I ended up ordering the French toast, which I normally don’t love—but this one totally changed my mind. After breakfast, a few of us made our way to Seoul Tower. Even though I’d…

Visiting Bukchon Hanok Village honestly felt like stepping into a historical k-drama. The old hanok houses were so beautiful and peaceful and it was wild to find out how expensive some of them. We wandered around, peeked into a few cute souvenir shops, and snapped a bunch of photos with the most incredible views of…

Visiting Yonsei University was really cool, even though the rain never stopped. We had to skip most of the campus tour, which was a bit of a bummer, but I saw enough to know it was a great and beautiful university. We had lunch in the cafeteria which was crowded. I got fried shrimp on…

Today was one of those days I know I’ll look back on and smile. We started off with a Taekwondo class, and it was such a fun and energizing way to kick things off—literally. None of us really knew what we were doing at first, but once we got into it, sparring with each other…

Today was seriously one of the coolest days I’ve had in Korea. We visited the Hyundai Asan plant and got to see how their cars are made—it was insane. I had no idea it only takes 53 seconds to make one car! The production lines were so fast and precise, it felt like watching a…

Today was such a full and memorable day. I started off with a really good breakfast with eggs, kimchi fried rice, and toast. Our first visit was to HY/Fredit, the famous probiotic yogurt company. I had no idea how much effort and detail goes into making those little bottles—it gave me a whole new appreciation…

Today was packed with so many fun and unique experiences! We started our day at the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, where we got a glimpse into how Korean soldiers defended themselves back in the day. The structure itself was massive and beautiful, and it was fascinating to imagine what life was like during that time. The…

Visiting the royal palace in South Korea was such an unforgettable experience. One of the coolest parts of the day was watching the royal guard changing ceremony — it felt like stepping into a scene from the past. The guards wore these vibrant, traditional outfits, and the whole ceremony was so well-orchestrated, with drums, music,…

Hi everyone! My name is Riya Kumar, and I’m from Sterling, Virginia. I’m currently a business major at the University of Pittsburgh, where I’m involved in a number of academic and extracurricular activities that have helped shape my interests in global business and innovation. Personally, I’m someone who loves exploring different cultures, trying new foods,…