The Foundation had planned to hold Vision Camp for 2 days in August with all fellows who were selected for POSCO Vision Scholarship and are currently enrolled in university, but did not due to COVID-19, and held small meetings voluntarily held by Vision Scholarship students in the region.

 

We look forward to the day when COVID-19 comes to an end and students can freely meet each other, and would like to 2 reviews for friendly regional activities that were held to promote friendships.

 

POSCO Vision Scholarship Student Seoul [from Gwangyang] Community Activity Review 1

 

>>> Kim, Minji (Sophomore, Konkuk University)

 

In celebration of the 75th National Liberation Day on August 15, 2020, I spend this meaningful day with new friends that I made at Gwangyang Jangdo Museum.

 

Gwangyang Jangdo Museum also received a donation from National Intangible Heritage Support Project by POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation.  I met with 6 fellow students and Director Jongkun Park in front of the museum, and headed to the seminar room where we got new information about traditional culture and learned about differences in values and preservation of tangible and intangible heritage.

 

The fact that Japan, where intangible heritage is cherished, passed down the culture for 26 generations, made me think about how many generations Korea can preserve the culture for.

We also got to see the jangdo (traditional decorated dagger) that was made from POSCO’s support.  We learned that jangdo is not just made in a day, but requires days of hard work in front of over 10000 degrees of fire to shape the blade and make the case.

 

Although it lacks its value as a utility object now, I realized that a jangdo embraces the spirit of our people.

 

 

On the 1st level, knives of different countries were displayed, and on the 2nd level, Korean knives, especially the ones that the late Yong-gi Park, Intangible Cultural Properly No. 60 Jangdo jang, made throughout his entire life, were displayed.

 

We were able to learn about jangdo-making process through Director Park’s passionate lectures for about 1 hour and 30 minutes and videos. If there is a chance next year, I wanted to make my own silver dagger.

 

Friends who could not join us at the summer camp last year were upset that the camp was canceled this year due to COVID-19.   Hoping to meet again at the summer camp next year, we adjourned to another location to eat and have good time in more comfortable and leisurely atmosphere.

 

I ran into a high school friend while attending university in another region, which still remains as a pleasant surprise.  The word ‘hometown’ always feels amiable.  I hope that the friends that I made through this small group meeting will brighten my college days.

 

We promised each other than we will meet with more fellow students in Seoul, not Gwangyang, before the winter break, And vowed to head for the future with focus in each process, reminding ourselves of the spirit of jangdo by Director Park that “haste or disorder is noticeable everywhere, and will lower the degree of completion.”

 

 

2020 POSCO Vision Scholarship Student Seoul [from Pohang] Community Activity Review 2

 

>>> Kim, Kang Min (Sophomore, Chung-Ang University

 

 

We met in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace on August 15, 2020 around 11AM.  Most of us were meeting for the first time or after a long time, so it felt slightly awkward, but everyone’ participation with open hearts, soon enlivened the atmosphere.  Entering Gyeongbokgung Palace and heading to Gyeonghoeru Pavilion first, we read the information on the signs and enjoyed the scenery.

 

Traveling was not easy because of rainy, humid weather, but it didn’t feel tiring as I talked with fellow scholarship students about this or that.  Touring throughout the palace and telling each other about our first semester, we became much closer.

 

We left Gyeongbokgung Palace and headed for lunch.   With people flocking due to the National Liberation Day event, we thought we chose wrong place and time because it was dangerous with the current state of affairs and difficult to travel around when the weather didn’t even help.  But we wore the masks properly and moved quickly to arrive at the restaurant soon.  We had boiled pork set, cold buckwheat noodles, cold soybean soup noodles, etc. at a restaurant named ‘Gwanghwamun Mijin’.   The portion of buckwheat noodles was large for its price that everyone was able to fill the stomach.

 

After lunch, we strolled through the streets of Insa-dong and went to a nearby café.  We ordered drinks and set by the window.  Being in the rain and looking at the rain from inside were clearly different.  Everyone quietly looked at the outside view, and someone’s comment broke the silence.  Class of 2020 students  expressed their frustration about the college life that is quite different from what they dreamed of, and class of 2019 students shared their personal experiences of college life.  We also talked about last year’s Vision Summer Camp, and hoped for the camp next year.  Quite some time passed while sharing different information such as academic experiences and future plans, and the weather was clearing up with the sun coming out.

 

 

We thought that our activity may lack the details such as schedule and detailed plans compared to the activities of scholarship students in other regions, but since there was less activity, we had more time to talk to each other and become closer. I thought it was a very meaningful event  as we were able to learn about each other and become closer after meeting with just with one similarity that we were ‘scholarship students in Seoul’.  I thought there would be no chance to gather among scholarship students because the summer camp was canceled, but we were able to have small group activities like this with the suggestion for alternative activities for each region.  I hope we can continue to meet and spend time together.  In addition, I hope that the summer camp will take place where all scholarship students can gather together.  I would like to thank all the staff for planning this event and students for participating.