Korean Universities Spring Festivals

Every Spring semester universities all over Korea hold school festivals.  The festivals usually last 2 to 3 days or in some cases the whole week. My university's festival is held every year on the day of its foundation. This year Konkuk University was celebrating 82 years! The festival started early in the morning and while generally classes are cancelled during these days professors had the option of still holding class which we unfortunately had to attend. There were booths all around campus that served different purposes. The booths were organized by many different student organizations.  Many of these booths sold food, alcohol, games and many other things. They had food from different parts of the world including Chinese, Turkish, and of course Korean. At night after student performances came the celebrity performances and this year at Konkuk University we had performances by Epik High, Beenzino, Girls Day, K. Will and other artists. Our favorites and the ones we anticipated the most were K.Will, Epik High and Beenzino! If you're ever in Korea during the Spring we highly suggest you go to one of these festivals because they really are something else. I can't think of anything back in the U.S. that is similar to this. You get to eat good food, meet new people, and see your favorite Kpop idols perform for free.

The day before the main event a party was held in front of the student dorms. It started early in the morning and went on late into the night. There were many student performances and at the end there was a dj set where everybody pretty much went crazy. By this time many of the students had been consuming 2 dollar jagerbombs and many cans of 70 cent beer throughout the day!

 During the day there were many activities held by the students. Our favorite booths were the cocktail booths and food! We tried a chicken kebab and it was so delicious! 

This was one of the many cocktail booths at the festival. Apparently they have just recently become a popular thing at school festivals. 

Us with our mentor at the International Program's Booth in which we volunteered for a few hours and had not only nachos and beer but also different games where you could win free stuff. 

Our favorite part of the festival was Korean rapper Beenzino's performance with Beat Box DG. We waited hours in advanced just so we could make it to the front of the crowd and even so it was still a struggle. There were so many people that were pushing there was a point where Beenzino cstopped the performance because they were stepping over people, but we made it close enough and we were so happy! At one point before his performance the MC noticed my friends and I as the only foreigners in the crowd and asked us to send Beenzino a message! 

At the end of the festival there were many fireworks but I didn't get a chance to take pictures. The festival was so much fun I definitely recommend attending one if you're ever in Korea around in the Spring! 

The DMZ

It is hard to imagine that with everything going on at this moment between North and South Korea it be possible to take a trip to the JSA and to be honest who would ?! The answer might be surprising, but many people would and that includes us! As I discussed in my previous post, life in South Korea has not been affected by the North's threats, not even the DMZ. We found ourselves on an hour long bus ride to the JSA on the very day that North Korea declared a state of war on South Korea. (Take note that tours of the JSA and DMZ are scheduled days in advance.) At that time we had not heard of this until our tour guide informed us that there was a 5% chance that our tour might be cancelled, yes only a 5% chance. He informed us that it was common for tours to be cancelled, but that on this day the chances were a little higher. Before coming to South Korea one of the things we looked forward to the most was going to the DMZ or the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The experience is hard to describe, but we can say that there were a mix of feelings. It was definitely an exciting experience, and at the same time it was serious, but most of all it was fascinating. Throughout the tour we were closely monitored by the soldiers assisting the tour and there were many rules that included things you were not allowed to wear to how to act during the tour. It actually took a long time for us to make it to the actual demilitarized zone because there were so many check points that consisted of soldiers stopping the bus to check your passport and make sure you were wearing appropriate attire for your visit. Also during the tour we were only allowed to take pictures in certain areas and only when they said it was okay to, they are so strict that breaking a rule resulted in the cancellation of the whole tour! Aside from that the tour was an unforgettable experience.

It felt surreal when we finally reached the 38th parallel. There were no North Korean soldiers in sight that day, except one who kept looking at us with his binoculars.

Inside there were two South Korean soldiers and they were like life sizes dolls who did not move whatsoever. While inside we got the opportunity to stand in North Korea for a few minutes! It was awesome!! 

This is known as The Bridge of No Return. At the end of the Korean War,  Koreans were given the opportunity to cross the bridge to which ever side they wanted, but once they did they were never allowed to cross back. 

At the JSA gift shop you can find North Korean money !