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2017 Fellowship for Textbook Specialists of Nicaragua

The Republic of Korea, a country dedicated to the tireless pursuit of development

Photo-Rodrigo de la Ossa Izquierdo
Claudia María González
Nicaragua Ministry of Education, Social studies textbook advisory
I confess that when I heard the news that I had been selected to visit the Republic of Korea I was shocked, and felt some mixed emotions, especially about the language issue. “How will I communicate if they do not speak Spanish?” I thought. The truth is that at the beginning, I was apprehensive and stressed about the idea of getting to know a country so far away from Nicaragua. Four of my colleagues who work in the substantive area of the Ministry of Education, composed by the Directorates: Curriculum Planning and Design, Primary Education, Secondary Education, were summoned for this trip. A few days before the trip I decided to investigate Korean culture, and found a lot of information - especially about the cuisine, which is totally different from ours. The day of the trip arrived, and we all met at the airport to leave for Mexico and then the Republic of Korea. I was nervous and tense due to the length of the trip (18-hour flight) but it was worthwhile making this trip to an unknown land.

We arrived at Incheon International Airport, where we were received by Eunjeong Lee (our interpreter) and Jaeyun Jeong, who is in charge of research at the Korean Studies Academy. As we were received very cordially, my nervousness was soon dispelled. We moved to the guest house (AKS) and settled in, and were then introduced to Soyoung Park (the head of the Division for Improvement of Comprehension of the Republic of Korea), with whom we discussed the academy’s work. The itinerary planned and organized by the Academy (AKS) was extraordinary.

In the afternoon we visited Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon and learned all about this historic site that dominates the city. Designed in 1794, it was the last fortress to be built in Korea, and is thus totally unlike other fortresses. Fortunately, despite the damage it sustained during the Korean War, it is still standing.

The fortress has a perimeter of 5,744m, four main gates (one for each cardinal point), observation towers, fire platforms, bastions and artillery towers, as well as a palace full of courtyards and traditional buildings. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, and is the only completely walled city remaining in South Korea.

This day was wonderful, as were each of the following days. Something extraordinary occurred during this visit to the Republic of Korea is that it gave us, through textbook seminar and lectures about Korea, a sound theoretical knowledge of the history, economy, and culture of the Republic of Korea. By visiting the sites we were able to consolidate the knowledge we’d gleaned from each of the lecturers, including Sahun Kim on Korea's Education System; Hyejung Park on Proposal on contents of Korea; Wanbom Lee on Inter-Korean Relations - from Confrontation to Reconciliation; Heonmok Jung on the History and Culture of South Korea; and Youngjun Cho on the Development of the Korean Economy. All of them showed a high level of preparation and a clear methodology in each of the topics addressed.

One of the most wonderful and unforgettable experiences of our stay in Korea was getting to know Gwangmyeong Train Station, from which we travelled to the historic city of Gyeongju. Each day was a unique experience that involved exploring historic sites together with two beautiful, kindly Korean women whose company we so enjoyed. This beautiful city was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla, which existed between the seventh and ninth centuries. Also noteworthy is the sheer concentration of artworks and extraordinary monuments of Korean Buddhist art, including sculptures, relics, pagodas, and the vestiges of temples and palaces dating from the seventh to the tenth centuries in particular.

The trip we made to Pohang to visit "POSCO" is also very noteworthy. There we were shown a detailed video about the birth and development of the steel factory worldwide, and POSCO’s role as a decisive supplier for South Korea’s car industry and naval shipyards.

The steelmaking industry is the solid base on which all other industries depend. POSCO has improved the competitiveness of the Korean steelmaking industry. With the application of state-of-the-art at the POSCO factory in Pohang and Gwangyang, and its excellent construction methods, such as the FINEX system, POSCO E & C has successfully implemented a wide range of project at both the national and international levels.

Another extraordinary and wonderful experience was getting to know Seoul, the capital, with its impressive modern buildings and outstanding cultural monuments such as Gyeongbokgung Palace. The palace, which was built in 1395 and served as a residence of the Joseon dynasty, has been restored to its former splendor, and is now an excellent example of traditional Korean culture. Situated near the palace is the Blue House, the current seat of the government and the residence of the head of state. At night we visited a theater where we enjoyed a play about a love story that incorporates colorful costumes, music, and dance from the Republic of Korea. It was an unforgettable performance that will stay in my memory for a long time.

The time for our return home was rapidly approaching and we we’re getting ready to be reunited with our families and tell them what we had learned about this country.

We prepared for the trip back, and on our last day in the Republic of Korea we moved to Incheon International Airport. I want to thank the Korea Studies Academy and the Korean government for this invitation to their country, as well as all the people we met. At the same time, our commitment now is to spread the history of your country in our textbooks and to further strengthen our ties of friendship. This trip was very useful and interesting because it allowed us to combine theory with practice.
Photo-2017 Fellowship for Textbook Specialists of Nicaragua


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