Written by Avery Myers, Mai Nguyen, and Lisa Yi
Currently, we are in South Korea, interning at Handong International Law School (HILS). The main campus, Handong University, is a decently sized campus that is still expanding. Walking around and exploring the campus is an enjoyable pastime. A notable difference between American college campuses and campuses in South Korea is that the latter has restaurants, cafes, and convenience stores within the campus. This makes lunch breaks much more enjoyable by providing a variety of options. It would be exciting to see the United States adopt this aspect of Korean campus culture!
Regarding our internship, we have been working on multiple projects with multiple professors at HILS. Our projects are all research-based, and most deal with the betterment of human rights for specific people groups within South Korea, as well as internationally. Depending on the professor and the time frame of each project due, we are working on at least two projects and potentially a third project for each professor.
Specifically, one project we are working on deals with a center that was started by a HILS student called the Woman’s Hope Center, which is a pregnancy resource center. We had the privilege of visiting the center and learning more about what the center is doing and how we can help achieve that goal through our research.
We have also assisted many of the professors with revising articles that they are planning on publishing and finding research to further support the articles that they are working on. We also have had the privilege of accompanying professors by attending important meetings they have.
Throughout the entire internship, it has been very interesting to see how we are able to apply concepts that we learned in our 1L year to the work that we are doing at Handong. It is a reminder that all lawyers need a basic understanding of contracts, torts, property, procedures, legal research, and legal writing.
Aside from the internship aspect, the HILS staff and students have been very welcoming and kind to us. We have met some of the students here, and they have been extremely hospitable. They have especially been willing to take us around sightseeing in the Pohang area. One student took us around the downtown area of Pohang and took us to the main shopping street.
The professors are just as willing to take us around; one of the Professors took us to Jukdo Market, a traditional Korean open-air market. Jukdo Market is a street made up of small stalls that sell produce, meat, seafood, and other goods in Korea. It is an experience and a sight to see!
On a different occasion, this same professor took us to Gyeongju, which is known to be the city that holds South Korea’s history of the Silla Dynasty. He acted as a tour guide and gave us a history tour around the city. The architecture in Gyeongju mimics the traditional Korean-style houses and is beautiful to look at. There are also replicas of architecture that were influenced by China during that time.
We also visited the history museum and were able to walk through a traditional-style burial site. The professor also showed us a famous landmark called the Cheomseongdae Observatory. The square window on the building was the entrance, apparently, there would be a wooden ladder that was used to get into the window. The top of the building was where a wooden observatory sat, however, due to it being wood, it was unable to be preserved and is not depicted in the pictures.
Pohang is also known for a tourist attraction called the Spacewalk. The structure is made up of stairs that lead to a 360-degree loop (a part of the structure that cannot be walked on) that is high in elevation. It is not recommended if someone has a fear of heights. However, the view is breathtaking at sunset.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice intern. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.