Exchange Report Korea University (KU)€¦ · Exchange Report – Korea University (KU) Korea University Business School (KUBS) – Seoul, South Korea LO, Chun Hang (Anson) BSc in

Exchange Report – Korea University (KU)

Korea University Business School (KUBS) – Seoul, South Korea

LO, Chun Hang (Anson)

BSc in Economics and Finance (ECOF)

Fall 2017

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content

Page

PART I.

MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG

3-5

PART II.

GENERAL EXCHANGE INFORMATION

6-10

PART III.

ITEMS TO BRING

11

PART IV.

USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS

11

PART V.

BEST PRACTICES OF HOST UNIVERSITY

11

3

Part I. MONTHLY ACTIVITY LOG

KUBS will start sending emails regarding Online Application, Course Registration, Announcements at the beginning of May. However, due to an

email problem, I didn’t receive the email until another HKUST student chased the Program Manager from KU regarding the online application

procedures. As a reminder, you will need to register courses through the Online Course Registration System in Early August and Late August.

I arrived in Seoul at 20th August 2017 and took the Free Airport Pick-up Service provided by KUBA, which directly provide transportation services

between the Incheon International Airport and Korea University Campus (or Anam area) for free every 2 hours. Nevertheless, registration in

advance is required.

KU Orientation was held from 22 August to 24 August. The first 2 days focused on orientation ceremony, mingling with KUBA (Korea University

Buddy Assistants) and the registration work for the bank account. The last day was an optional one-day city tour, which you can travel with Korean

buddies and other exchange students to famous tourist spots such as CheongWaeDae (Blue House /청와대), GwangHwaMun (광화문), watching the

NANTA (난타) show. Meanwhile, KUBS Orientation was held on 29 August, which focused on mingling with KUBS buddies and future HKUST

inbound exchange students from Korea University. Probably, you will first learn about the drinking culture from your buddies!

Besides, the remaining time was relatively flexible. You may wish to explore around Seoul with the new exchange students you have met.

Semester commences on 1 September and the Add-Drop Period. This was also the time when KUBA started to organize regular gatherings (i.e. 1

Lunch, 1 Dinner and 1 Regular Activity per week). As the workload for the 1st month is not demanding at all, I attended the Incheon KPOP Concert to

experience the most influential KPOP culture these days, which is free of charge! I also started to join KUBA activities, such as travelling to the

famous Han River etc. Furthermore, I managed to join the KUBS Field Day where we played different sports in groups, such as Basketball, Football,

Dodgeball. My KUBS group internally organize a group activity, which we travelled to BukChon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을), InSaDong (인사동)

and Han River to enjoy the HanHwa Seoul International Firework Festival (한화와 함께하는 서울세계불꽃축제).

Most important, the Hightlight of the Year, Korea University – Yonsei University Rivalry (고연전) was held from 22 September to 23 September.

Sport Team from Korea University and Yonsei University will compete on 5 sports, including Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Rugby and Football.

Unfortunately, we lost all 5 games this year though it was still an excellent cultural activity throughout the exchange journey. The cheering

atmosphere during the competition also enhanced your sense of belongings as an exchange student in Korea University. There was an afterparty

BOTH in SinChon (신촌) and Anam (안암). I joined the afterparty in Anam, where numerous Restaurants and Pocha (포차) are offering food and

alcohol for free under the sponsors from alumni. You can join the strangers to play the Train Game (기차놀이) or even start cheering crazily on the

street to exchange for free food and alcohol.

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

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Finally, I also watched a Baseball Match at the end of September under the influence of Korea University – Yonsei University Rivalry (고연전),

where LG was playing against Doosan.

[Reminder: Remember to apply for the ARC as soon as possible!]

In October, we had an extraordinary long 11-day ChuSeok (추석) holiday this year, which I spent my time to visit a lot of places in Seoul such as

Lotte World. Originally, I intended to visit Busan in this holiday, however, I eventually cancelled the trip because I was told that the traffic

congestion would be extremely severe during the holiday. Instead, I went to JeonJu (전주) with 3 Australian exchange students before the Midterm

and visited the JeonJu Hanok Village (전주한옥마을). It was such an interesting place where you can grasp and visit the traditional Korean houses.

It was the Midterm Period after the trip. Unlike HKUST, Korea University had all the Midterms within a single week. I spent my entire week

studying because I even had 3 Midterms on the same day! It would be very demanding for that week if you are taking numerous courses during

exchange.

After the Midterm, KUBA organized a Halloween Party in Club “ITaeWon Made (이태원 메이드)”. As a KUBA member, you can enter the club

with your friends together for free with a free drink as a gift. Besides, I joined KUBS’s trip to Everland, one of the most famous theme parks in

Korea, with my beloved KUBS buddies and other exchange students to relax ourselves.

It was halfway through my exchange journey. I started to find something meaningful to participate, and I ended up applying the brand-new

Language Exchange Programme launched by the Global Service Centre (GSC). I was matched with a Korean Language Exchange Buddy, which we

met every week for language exchanging between English and Korean. I applied English because apparently not many Koreans are interested in

learning Cantonese. I also visited the “Olympic Park” with a Hong Kong friend and an Australian friend before winter approached.

The temperature started to plunge in Mid-November, and the First Snow appeared on 17 November. Most importantly, the Highlight Event of

November – the International Students’ Festival is approaching. I formed a team with Hong Kong exchange students to promote our own culture.

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

5

With the support from Charcoal Tea & Coffee, we served various Hong Kong Style snacks and drinks, including Hong Kong Style French Toast

(港式西多士), Cola Chicken Wings (可樂雞翼), Hong Kong Style Lemon Tea (港式檸茶), Hong Kong Style Milk Tea (港式奶茶) and Red Bean Ice

(紅豆冰). Besides, we also showed Jackie Chan’s costumes in the Fashion Show of ISF, and held events for promoting Charcoal Tea & Coffee,

matching games of Hong Kong tourist spots and learning Cantonese slangs. The preparation work was tough, I bet you will enjoy it though.

One of my Hong Kong friends joined the Dance Team, therefore we also watched the Annual Dance Performance by the Dance Team. Moreover, I

celebrated my 1st birthday outside Hong Kong with my Hong Kong friends met from ISF. It was really a nice platform to expand your social circle.

It started to snow heavily in December and the temperature has been consecutively hit below Zero Degree Celsius. I took the time to build a

snowman with my friends in Anam. It was even my first time building a snowman. Besides, I also joined the KUBS Firm Visit, which I had an

opportunity to visit Hyundai Glovis. I learnt about their business models and visited their factory in Asan (아산).

As my exchange journey was approaching to the finale, my Language Exchange Buddy brought me to ITaeWon for a site-visit and looked into

ITaeWon’s culture and history.

Meanwhile, it was also the time when numerous Presentations and Finals piled up simultaneously. I spent around 1 to 2 weeks for studying the

Finals. Similar to Midterms, the Finals will only take 1 hour and 15 minutes. In general, it is extremely easy to get good grades in Korea University.

[Reminder: Withdraw all your money and Close your Bank Account before you leave Korea.]

In January, I travelled with my family around Seoul and Busan. Eventually, I

met my friends from exchange in Seoul for the very last time and returned

Hong Kong on 4th January.

DECEMBER

JANUARY

6

Part II. GENERAL EXCHANGE INFORMATION

i) Before entering Korea: Student Visa D-2

- KUBS exchange students are required to apply a D-2 Visa before entering Korea.

- KUBS will notify you the application procedures which have to be gone through via email, as well as send the Application Package to SBM

which you will need in applying a D-2 Visa.

- Documents Required for Applying a D-2 Visa: Application Form (available at the Consulate), Student ID Card, Passport, HKID Card, Proof of

financial ability (at least HKD 25,000 in your bank account), Latest Official Transcript, Certificate of Business Registration (provided in the

Application Package), Certificate of Admission (provided in the Application Package), Letter of Admission (from HKUST and KU & provided in

the Application Package)

- Apply through “Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong” in Admiralty

ii) After entering Korea: Alien Registration Card (ARC)

- KUBS exchange students are required to apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) as soon as possible after entering Korea, which serves as

an Identity Card for exchange students.

- More details for applying ARC will be provided in the KUBA Orientation.

- Documents required: Completed Application Form (Provided in the Application Package distributed in the KUBA Orientation), Passport of

Entry Permit (with D-2 Visa applied), Photo, Application Fee (KRW 30,000), Certificate of Enrollment (To be collected at the Global Service

Centre), Completed Certificate of Residence (Provided in the Application Package distributed in the KUBA Orientation)

- KU Exchange students are required to visit the Immigration Office at Sejongno Branch (Remember to reserve a timeslot for this branch HERE)

[The site is only accessible with the use of Internet Explorer]

- Remember to submit a copy for the ARC to the Global Service Centre (GSC) after you received the ARC.

- There are 2 Orientations if you are applying through SBM: KU Orientation [university-level] and KUBS Orientation [college-level].

- KU Orientation was held from 22 August to 24 August. The first 2 days focused on orientation ceremony, mingling with KUBA (Korea

University Buddy Assistants) and the registration work for the bank account. The last day was an optional one-day city tour, which you can

travel with Korean buddies and other exchange students to famous tourist spots such as CheongWaeDae (Blue House / 청와대),

GwangHwaMun (광화문), watching the NANTA (난타) show.

- KUBS Orientation was held on 29 August, which focused on mingling with KUBS buddies and future HKUST inbound exchange students from

Korea University.

- The exact dates of orientations may differ from year to year, KUBS will inform you the exact details via email. Therefore, CHECK YOUR EMAIL

REGULARLY!

- These 2 Orientations are compulsory, and students are recommended to attend BOTH of them. Otherwise, it might be troublesome for you to

go through the Application Form for the Bank Account, which is written in Korean.

1. VISA PROCEDURES

2. ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES

7

- As an exchange student, you can visit the Global Service Centre at Visit Global Service Centre at the Central Plaza underground if you have any

difficulties (course registration, ARC application, APRU scholarship etc.)

- You will be assigned with a KUBA Buddy and a KUBS Buddy. They are also willing to help you during your stay in Korea!

- During Fall Semester, Korea University – Yonsei University Rivalry (고연전) and the International Students’ Festival (ISF/ 외국인학생축제)

are the 2 highlights of the International Activities for exchange students.

- There are plenty of accommodation choices, including on-campus dormitory (기숙사), Goshiwon (고시원)/ One-Room (원룸)/ Boarding House

(하숙) etc.

- KUBS will send you some recommendation for Goshiwons. DO reserve a place as soon as possible because they will all be booked within

several days! Otherwise, you may end up with finding Goshiwons in NAVER.

- I will focus on where I live - IVY HOUSE, a Goshiwon, where you will have a (tiny) room with a bed, an individual washroom, a wardrobe,

bookshelves, a long table, air-conditioner and floor-heating. The laundry room and Kitchen are shared among residents in the Goshiwon. The

monthly rent is KRW 490,000.

- Pros: Geographical Location (10-minute walk to LG-POSCO, i.e. Business School), Convenient (Numerous restaurants available in Anam area

nearby), Newly established (facilities are relatively new), Electricity Fees were included in the rent

- Cons: Relatively Pricey (compared to other choices), Relatively Small, Humid (The exhaust fan in the toilet is quite weak), Language

Communication Problem (Managers can only speak Korean and you have to sign a contract in Korean)

- The online registration system of KU is not as advanced as that of HKUST. There are 3 Periods open for registration: Early August, Late August

and Add-Drop Period (Beginning of Fall).

- Courses offered can be found HERE. Courses offered every Fall semester are similar.

- Course Registration Guidelines will be sent to you via email in late July.

- Extra Permission Slips will be distributed in the KU Orientation, which increased the likelihood for exchange students getting into a class that

are already full (BUT NOT GUARANTEE!). Meanwhile, it cannot be used for courses such as Business courses.

- Korean courses cannot be registered online. You will have to line up outside the Global Service Centre to register Korean Language Courses. As

these courses are very competitive, line up as early as possible!

- The teaching methods are similar to HKUST. Nevertheless, there are no labs and tutorials. Class size varies from 30 to 60 approximately.

- Assessment Methods are also similar to HKUST, such as Assignments, Quizzes, Presentation, Midterm, Final.

- Korean professors value attendance a lot! Some professors even check attendance every class! You will automatically get an F if you skip more

than 3 classes in general.

- Midterms will ALL be done within a single week, and BOTH Midterms and Finals last for 1 hour and 15 minutes ONLY.

3. INTERNATIONAL SERVICES & ACTIVITIES

4. ACCOMMODATIONS

5. COURSE REGISTRATION

6. TEACHING & ASSESSMENT METHODS

8

- There is an ice Skating Rink in the campus and exchange students can enjoy a discount price when presenting their Student ID Card. [KRW

3,000 Entrance Fee + KRW 2,000 Renting Equipment]

- There are several gym rooms available as well, locating near Tiger Dome, Hana Square and 4.18 Memorial Hall.

- You can also find Football Court, Basketball Court, Squash Court, Rock-Climbing Gyms etc.

- You can EITHER exchange HKD to KRW near the “Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Korea” in Myeongdong (명동)

or withdraw KRW from Global ATM with your Hong Kong ATM Cards which have China Union Membership

(Remember to turn on the Overseas Withdrawal Function for 6 months before leaving Hong Kong)

- It took around 4 weeks to receive the Student ID Card after the KU Orientation. The Student ID Card also serves as a Debit Card (which can be

used for transactions regardless of the amount in Korea) and Transportation Card (which can be used for all transportations and in

convenience stores).

- You can deposit KRW into the card into ATM of Hana Bank and start using the Student ID Card as a Debit Card for Transactions.

- As an exchange student from HKUST, you will be benefit from the APRU Scholarship which KRW 250,000 will be automatically deposited into

your bank account.

- Expenses throughout the entire exchange journey (Excluding Tuition):

EXPENSES APPROXIMATE

AMOUNT (IN HKD)

REMARKS (IF ANY)

Accommodation 14,000 KRW 490,000 / month

Air Tickets 3,000 Special Discount Airfare Offer to

HKUST Outbound Exchange Students from Cathay Pacific

Student Visa &

Alien Registration Card

690 Student Visa D-2: HKD 480

Alien Registration Card: KRW 30,000

Food 16,500 As a foodie, I tend to go for a lot of luxury and tasty food. Therefore, it

might seem to be a bit expensive apparently.

Mandatory Health Check

(Chest X-Ray)

390 Referred by HKUST Clinic

(Including Medical Form Filling and Chest X-Ray Expenses)

Travelling 14.000 JeonJu Trip, Tourist Spots, Shopping, NoRaeBang(노래방), Gaming etc.

Transportation 2,000 Within Seoul: Approximately 10,000 KRW / week

Exception: Express Bus / KTX / Air Ticket for travelling

Miscellaneous Expenses 1,290 Example: Lecture Notes Printing,

Korean Language Course Textbook etc.

TOTAL 51,870 N/A

7. SPORTS & RECREATION FACILITIES

8. FINANCE & BANKING

9

- As an exchange student applying through SBM, you will be automatically being assigned a KUBA (Korea University Buddy Assistants) Buddy

and a KUBS (Korea University Business School) Buddy. Both KUBA and KUBS Buddies are friendly and enthusiastic in introducing Korean

Cultures and travelling around together.

- KUBA organized dining activities twice a week (Lunch & Dinner), and an additional group activity (e.g. Ice-skating, VR Experiencing, Playing

Bowling, Visiting Han River, Lotte World etc.

- KUBS organized 4-5 activities through the semester. My KUBS group additionally organize a Group City Tour, which the Korean Buddies

brought us to travel around BukChon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을), InSaDong (인사동) and Han River to enjoy the HanHwa Seoul

International Firework Festival (한화와 함께하는 서울세계불꽃축제). KUBS also organized a Firm Visit Tour to Hyundai Glovis in December.

- Personally, I found KUBS more interesting than KUBA. Perhaps this is because I am not as alcoholic as others. Moreover, KUBS’s activities are

generally better organized (in terms of the arrangement) compared to KUBA’s.

- Hospitals are available around Anam or Korea University Station.

- Korea University Hospital (고려대학교병원) is located in Anam (next to Exit 1). Nevertheless, it is quite pricey. Alternatively, SeongBuk Central

Hospital (성북중앙병원) is located near Korea University Station and is relatively cheaper.

- Koreans love drinking a lot (Beer, SoJu, Makgeolli etc.). It is extraordinary common to see drunken people vomiting on the street.

- Personally, I rarely dine on-campus albeit the taste is fair and the price is reasonable.

- There are numerous choices near BOTH Anam area and Korea University area, which most of them are cheap and delicious.

- These choices range from Korean Style (한식), Chinese Style (중국요리) to Western Style (양식). For Example, BuDaeJjiGae (부대찌개),

JaJangMyeon (짜장면), Burger(버거)

- Of course, Do remember to try out the Korean Drinking Culture – Beer(맥주) / Soju(소주) / Makkeolli (막걸리). But KNOW YOUR ALCOHOL

LIMIT!

- Your Student ID Card will serve as a Transportation Card (a.k.a. T-Money), which you can use it for transportation-related expenses, as well as

transactions in convenience store. (similar to Octopus Card)

- You would better utilize “Naver Map” for searching the transportation from point-to-point, rather than using “Google Map”. However, “Naver

Map” is only compatible in Korean, but in other languages. In case you are not familiar with Korean, you may wish to use Kakao Map

(compatible in English) or “韓巢地圖” (compatible in Simplified Chinese).

- The major cheap and effective transportations are Subway and Bus. You can figure out how to transfer lines in subway with the App “Korea

Subway” and which bus to take with the Map introduced above.

- In case you want to take a Taxi, you can also utilize the App “Kakao Taxi”, which you can call a taxi with your GPS function.

9. SOCIAL CLUBS & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

10. HEALTH & SAFETY

11. FOOD

12. TRANSPORTATION

10

- The temperature in Seoul was warm, but a bit cooler than Hong Kong in August and September (around 20+ Degree Celsius). Moreover, it

didn’t rain as often as Hong Kong. The temperature then started to drop in October to single digit.

- The First Snow appeared in 17 November this year, and the temperature started to hit below Zero Degree Celsius from November to January.

Notice that the majority of the indoor areas are equipped with heater or floor-heating, resulting in an extremely large temperature difference.

- Remember to bring enough clothes with you, or else you could try out the Korean Fashion!

- Most Koreans tend to speak Korean even they can speak English. Therefore, you may find it hard to communicate outside campus (e.g. in

restaurants, shops etc.). To enhance your exchange experience, it is recommended to learn Korean before entering Korea, take a Korean

Language Course in the exchange semester, or else stick to a friend who knows Korean (^.^) !

- For SIM Card, I used the Prepaid SIM Card from SK Telecom (a.k.a. SKT). The SIM Card costs around 55,000, which include KRW8,800 SIM

Activation Fee, KRW 10,000 Dialing and 5GB Data. You can also enjoy Free WiFi from SKT in the Subway area.

- Koreans do NOT use WhatsApp to communicate, but KAKAO TALK (a Korean communication software). It is compatible for BOTH Android

and IOS. It is recommended exchange students should use KAKAO TALK because BOTH Koreans and Exchange Students will be using it.

- Remember to KNOW YOUR ALCOHOL LIMIT and DON’T DRINK TOO MUCH!

- If you are not familiar with Korean, you would better jot down your address in Korean because not all taxi drivers can speak English.

- Be aware of the pedestrian crossing system in Korea. It is quite often to see cars passing pedestrian crossing when red lights are on).

- Take good care of your debit card (as no signature is required for paying bills that are less than 50,000 KRW)

- I have registered 5 courses during the exchange period (15 KU Credits), and these courses can be transferred back to HKUST with 17 HKUST

Credits. Courses Taken in Korea University and the Equivalent Courses in HKUST:

KU Course Code and Course Name Number of

KU Credits

HKUST Course Code and Course Name Number of

HKUST Credits

DB Reference

Number

BUSS344 – International Finance 3 ECON4374 - International Macroeconomics

and Finance

4 B08501a

BUSS384 – Corporate Finance 3 FINA3303 - Intermediate Corporate Finance 3 B07713b

BUSS414 – Fixed-Income Securities 3 FINA4303 - Fixed Income Securities 3 B07708a

ECON240 – Economics of Industrial

Organization

3 ECON4114 - Industrial Organization and

Competitive Strategy

4 B08682

IFLS108(02) - Beginner's Korean I 3 LANG 1000LEVEL: 1000-level Course in

Language

3 B11113

13. CLIMATE

14. COMMUNICATION

15. CAUTIONARY MEASURES

16. OTHER NOTES

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Part III. ITEMS TO BRING

HERE is a list that I used to pack my belongings for Exchange.

Part IV. USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS

- Course List: http://sugang.korea.ac.kr

- BlackBoard: https://kulms.korea.ac.kr/

- Portal: http://portal.korea.ac.kr/front/Intro.kpd

- Goshipages: https://goshipages.com/

- KUBS: [email protected]

- If you wish to know more about Korea University Business School (KUBS) or have specific

questions regarding exchange, feel free to contact me via SBM Exchange Team at

[email protected]

Part V. BEST PRACTICES OF HOST UNIVERSITY

- As an exchange student, I was exposed to BOTH KUBA and KUBS network. Both network offer

me with different opportunities to meet more people with different background and socialize

with others. These networks also offer regular activities to enhance cultural exchange between

Koreans and exchange students, such as cultural tour, city tour or activities. Throughout these

activities, the interactions between the locals and foreigners have been tremendously

reinforced.

- There are 2 major events available in Fall, the Korea University – Yonsei University Rivalry

(고연전) and the International Students’ Festival (ISF/ 외국인학생축제). The former one

leaves an impressive memory towards exchange students, because the competitive atmosphere

in sport events have boost exchange students’ sense of belongings as a KU student.

Furthermore, the latter one helps exchange students to promote their own culture to Koreans.

Not only do the events put emphasis on enriching the exchange students’ experience in

learning local culture, but also enable exchange students to promote their own culture.

- Korea University offers a number of opportunities to learn Korean, including Korean Language

Classes, the newly-established Language Exchange Program etc.

1. USEFUL LINKS

2. USEFUL CONTACTS