Location
  • South Korea
    • Seoul
Length
2 - 4 weeks
Need-based funding, General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Hotel
Language
Korean

Pricing

Starting Price
7442
Price Details
Program fee includes college credit, meals, lodging, all program activities, in-country transportation, health insurance, and experienced group leaders.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation
What's Included (Extra)

Health insurance

What's Not Included
Airfare
Oct 11, 2023
Sep 26, 2023
36 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Begin your journey through South Korea’s past and present in Seoul, a leading and modern global city. You will visit places of great historical importance, such as the 14th-century royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, then deepen your understanding of the country’s split with North Korea through an excursion to the DMZ. Hands-on peacebuilding workshops will broaden your understanding of conflict analysis and introduce skills for peace advocacy in any community. Meanwhile, you’ll also immerse yourself in South Korea’s contemporary culture, learning some new moves during a K-pop dance class in the breakdancing capital of the world.

This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with The Experiment in International Living for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

Diverse identities and experiences are essential to intercultural exchange. We are committed to recruiting and supporting participants of the broadest socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of any high school exchange program in the world.
Diverse identities and experiences are essential to intercultural exchange. We are committed to recruiting and supporting participants of the broadest socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of any high school exchange program in the world.

Impact 🌎

Environmental sustainability is a key component of all programs. Participants minimize their environmental footprint by using public transit, eating local food, and participating in community service projects in collaboration with, and according to, the needs of local communities.
Social and environmental responsibility is more critical now than ever. We are committed to delivering programs that support and are respectful of the diverse communities and ecosystems that host our programs.

Our programs are developed in close consultation with local and international partners and with a critical understanding of the communities and regions we visit.

Program Highlights

  • Develop skills for peace advocacy in any community while engaging with local activists.
  • Spend the night in a Buddhist temple, where you’ll learn about religious traditions and meditation from monks.
  • Stay with a Korean family and try exciting flavor combinations during mealtimes as well as learn their language.
  • Participate in a bowing tradition, lotus lantern making activity, Dahdoh Tea Ceremony, and meditation.
  • Eat unique Korean foods at the night market, and browse the local art and crafts.

Program Reviews

4.56 Rating
based on 9 reviews
  • 5 rating 77.78%
  • 4 rating 11.11%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 11.11%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.35
  • Support 4.45
  • Fun 4.55
  • Housing 4.25
  • Safety 4.55
Showing 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
Default avatar
Madeline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experiment Program Review-South Korea

This past July I had the opportunity to take part in the 2023 South Korea immersion program by the experiment and it was a blast. We went to a variety of places ranging from Seoul shopping centers to museums and temples and traditional markets in Gwangju. Each day was jam packed with new activities and new international friends. The group dynamic was really comforting and the staff always supported us. This program also focuses on the growth of an individual and for me i’ve grown immensely. This trip really gave its students a sense of independence like going to the laundry mat to do our own laundry or hanging out with friends in an area of the city for a few hours. All of this independence led up to our free day where I met up with international friends I had met throughout the month. I learned about Korea’s dark history, their gorgeous scenery, and immersed myself into the language and trying to speak it. Although this trip was only a month, the memories I made will last a lifetime <3

Pros
  • Amazing Friends and Staff
  • Great Food
  • A balance of learning and free time
Cons
  • Often only staying at a place for 1 night
  • Lots of mosquitoes in the country side
113 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Fernanda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

K-Culture and Peacebuilding

I was interested in all the activities provided and I genuinely did enjoy my time in Korea. The adults supervising us were extremely respectful and helpful and the children in my group were also likeable and I am glad I got to share this experience with them. If I had to add anything, I would have to say the day we got to truly experience the culture and wear hanboks was my absolute favorite. The food was amazing and the demographic was even better. My entire experience was positive. I would say this changed me in a way where I would actually like to spend my future doing things revolving around peacebuilding internationally.

Pros
  • The diversity in the group
  • Experiencing the culture
  • The photos honestly
Cons
  • Sickness
  • Getting up in the morning
  • A bit of a language barrier with younger children
103 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ellis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A month of connection

I spent the entire month of July participating in The Experiment's K-Culture and Peacebuilding program. I hadn't been on a plane since I was a toddler, and I'd never traveled without family before. Despite my tremendous excitement for the opportunity, I was also extremely anxious. It ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. Every participant and group leader was easy to connect with, and I feel I've formed incredible bonds. I was also able to achieve my goal of reconnecting with my language and culture, and I returned home feeling more worldly, knowledgeable, and sociable. With the help of The Experiment, I was able to take a trip I never would have been able to take on my own, experience incredible moments, and learn invaluable lessons. I will treasure the memories from this trip for a lifetime.

Pros
  • Planned itinerary of activities
  • Encourages connection between participants
  • Diverse list of activities
123 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Owen
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An incredible experience!

Read More
Pros
  • The places we visited
  • The people we met
  • The amazing food
Cons
  • Wish we had more free time to explore
  • Wish we had gone to less touristy locations
  • Wish there was a little more organization during the program
148 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Doziel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Experience

I will never forget this amazing trip. From wearing traditional clothes to dancing modern K-pop. I loved experiencing a traditional Korean wedding and wearing the fancy gowns. Also making Korean food with chefs was so much fun, and I will continue trying to make different cultural meals. Learning about my host family and their daily life was awesome. The constant opportunity to use Korean with natives was invaluable, and my language skills have improved so much in just one month. I am so glad I was able to participate, and that I was able to better myself through these experiences and the knowledge it brought forth. I recommend this trip for anyone who is brave enough to step out of their comfort zone and immerse themselves and experience another cultural.

What was your funniest moment?
This happened to another participant but I still find it hilarious. We were on the subway and she was waving over another participant. But there was (a rather attractive) Korean guy who thought she was waving him over. He walked up to her and said hello and she immediately apologized and explained what happened. He left on the next stop, which was pretty obviously not his stop. We all laughed about it for the rest of the trip.
190 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderful Time

The South Korea program was such an exciting trip and experience. The culture in the country is something I have never experienced. To learn about how this small country went from being so poor to now thriving and a technologically advanced was mind blowing. The trip showed me that old traditions and new modern trends can come together beautifully. The Korea trip is in the summer so it gets quiet hot so i recommend packing light clothes and keeping water on you at all times. It was supposed to be their rainy season but it barely rained. Coming home from the trip I hope to tell my experience to whoever will listen in hope to spread the idea that there is a whole world out there beside our country worth learning about.

What would you improve about this program?
As much as i love going to museums, we went to so many. It felt like every museum talked about the same things. The tours became repetitive and boring.
208 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Melvin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Experience

My experience in Korea over this summer was just a magnificent experience. This program was filled with amazing peers, great leaders, and an incredibly humorous in-country leader. Each stay was so unique in its own way, so that we were able to experience all aspects of Korean culture. From visiting the Blue House Museum, to the Demilitarized Zone, to a Buddhist temple stay, each experience was immersive and spectacular. Although some accommodations required us to sleep on the floors, it was completely bearable, and somewhat easy to get used to. Overall, the accommodations were wonderful, and all of the owners were incredibly kind and welcoming. To top it off, the food was always wonderful. There wasn't a day where our entire group wasn't eager to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My experience in Korea was simply unforgettable, and I'll always be grateful for this opportunity to tour and learn about peace building in Korea.

What would you improve about this program?
This program can be improved by sticking to the schedule that we were expected to follow, and to allow the group to travel in the city more during the night. It also would've been better if we were given more time to shop for gifts and souvenirs rather than just the last day of the program.
172 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Samantha
2/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Okay

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184 people found this review helpful.
Response from The Experiment in International Living

Dear Samantha,

Thanks for your review. We are carefully considering your feedback as we plan next summer's Korea program.

Warm regards,
Heather

Heather Beard
Director of Admissions
The Experiment in International Living,
a program of World Learning

Questions & Answers

Any High School student from any country can apply for our programs.

Hi Maricela, Thank you for your interest in our South Korea: Peacebuilding & Modern Culture program. Yes! All high school students can apply for our programs – the only requirement is that the student needs to have completed 9th grade prior to the start of the program. In regards to your question about cost, the program fee for South Korea is $6,720 plus the cost of the international flight from...