Meet Panna, a Hungarian student who studied International Business in Seoul and now attends a summer program in Busan. Passionate about Korea’s blend of traditional and modern culture, she enjoys nightlife, café culture, and traveling. Panna aspires to live and work abroad, especially in Korea, and loves exploring new experiences.
Interview
- WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
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Hungary
- WHAT DO YOU DO IN KOREA?
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I was an exchange student in Seoul at Kookmin University, learning International Business. And now, this summer, I’m attending a summer university program in Busan. I am gathering academic and life experiences and trying to make the most of my time in Korea as a student.
- WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN KOREA?
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I have always been drawn to the Far East, and the duality of Korea caught my attention very quickly. The vibrant city, with a quiet Hanok village in the middle… I like both traditional and modern culture. My current field of study is intercultural management and East Asian business studies, so I am also interested academically.
- WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STAY IN THIS CITY?
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I had the opportunity to experience both cities, Seoul and Busan. Before starting the exchange semester, I had to choose a university, and I chose Seoul because I wanted to experience life in a big city, since I come from a small town in Hungary. I really enjoy that Seoul never sleeps and always has something new to show. Seoul feels like a new adventure every day. However, during the summer university, I also experienced Busan, and it is completely different, much calmer and slower, but with a vibrance also.
- WHERE IS YOUR LOCAL RECOMMENDATION IN THIS CITY?
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If you want to eat fried chicken or 치맥, I would recommend BHC! (i have tried a lot of fried chicken, but BHC is the best.) If you would like to try dalk kalbi for the first time, try Yoogane! Best dalkkalbi chain! And if you are a solo traveler on a budget, KimGane is your place! (And a funny one: strolling around Hongdae, you can get Wine Slush 🍷, it is very strange, and controversial for me as a European, but actually it is really good!)
- WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST WHILE STAYING ABROAD?
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As a university student, I would say nightlife. Seoul’s nightlife is not only safe, but also very lively and exciting. The city never sleeps and each area vibrates with a different atmosphere every night. But also, in the daytime, Café Culture- the coffeshops here are so creatively built! Go and enjoy cafe hopping!
- WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEING IN KOREA?
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Staying here as an exchange student is very fun and pleasant, but if you stay longer it can be very difficult to fit in. Seoul cam be very solely, despite the huge crowd. It is difficult to make real friends with Koreans because they are quite introverted and closed.
Western holidays like Easter can be hard to miss. It was a difficult weekend for me, there weren’t even any Easter decorations in Seoul.
- WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN KOREA AND YOUR COUNTRY?
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I think that South Korea and Hungary have a similar mentality in many ways, but you still can’t compare them. Although South Korea is not much bigger geographically, it has five times the population and the feel of the metropolis is completely different.
- DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS?
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I learned a lot during the semester I spent here, I became much more independent and open to new experiences. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in Korea longer, but now I do, and if I would have the opportunity to study or work here again, I will happily do it.
- WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?
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I would like to live abroad for a few more years after graduation, preferably here in Korea, but honestly anywhere. I haven’t seen it all and I haven’t experienced enough here. And travel. My biggest dream is to have enough time and money to travel around Asia.
- MESSAGE TO OUR FRIENDS WHO WILL GO TO KOREA.
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Get ready for the vibrant atmosphere and the crowd and make the most of every moment. Feel free to live it! And come to Korea with an empty suitcase to shop! 😉
- HOW DO YOU LEARN KOREAN?
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I started learning Korean by myself, and then continued at university. At the moment, instagram and tiktok are my main study buddies, following the relevant study sites, so I can keep my knowledge up to date on a daily basis.
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