Eren Yıldırım from South Korea!

 Hello everyone from a country far away!

I am Eren, a graduate of Political Science and Public Administration major from METU in 2016. In October 2018, I came to South Korea, where my grandfather set foot about 70 years ago by the help of the Ministry of Education's scholarship program, YLSY. After finishing Korean language program at Yonsei University, I decided to do my master's degree in Korean language, which I attended until the end of 2019. Never regretting the decision of taking courses in Korean, which was a very bold move for me, I have started my graduate education in Korean Studies at Seoul National University, Graduate School of International Studies in March 2020. I am currently in my third semester and doing the necessary literature research for my thesis. Although, the corona virus, one of the extraordinary pandemics in human history, has interrupted most of my plans in my graduate studies process. I can say that my most important achievement under the Covid-19 pandemic is to learn how to be patience regardless of the severity of situation. I do not want to affect your morale anymore by writing more about the Covid-19 pandemic, which is affecting everyone on earth, but I do keep my hopes high and I am sure these days will pass!

I still vividly remember how I was excited in my first flight from Turkey to Korea. Thankfully, by consolidating intensive feelings, I have learned to use these mere emotions as an efficient tool. Of course, the whole process was not smooth and soft as most people think, but despite everything, the pleasure of being able to overcome all problems on my own and the inexhaustible desire to learn still motivates me. To explore the socio-cultural differences between Korea and Turkey as a social science student, and to question reasons behind these differences satisfy me and give me the feeling of fulfilling my responsibilities. I feel fortunate that I was able to closely examine not only the simple differences in life perspective among individuals, but also the reactions of the Korean society to problems in a bigger sense. Also, mastering the historical, political and economic development of the precious Korean society day by day shows that I have a lot to learn from Korea not only academically but also personally. Mythical history of Korea starts with Dangunstory , one of the founding legends of the Korean nation. According to this story, agricultural communities gathered under the same umbrella, that is to say, ‘imagined community’ of Korea, created and orientated in Korean peninsula. Korea’s story with deep historical roots has witnessed centuries and has survived to the present day. It is important to trace the Korean economic, political and social transition from the Choseon dynasty (대조선국) to modern democratic Korea (대한민국) for both contributing academic literature and using this journey as a guide for Turkey to some extent.

These motivations motivated me in studying the journey of development. Academicians have been always the top elites and guides of the Korean society based on Confucian values, they have created various political factions to lead country according to their teachings and world views. They have determined the route of the state and social changes and gathered people around themselves. This meritocratic tendency of the Korean society is still intact and visible, despite the nation-state building and democratic transformation through decades. Academics are active in today’s politics and appointing them to bureaucratic posts is common in Korea. The purpose of my research is to reveal this old tradition, and to understand the reasons behind the academy-politics relations in contemporary Korea. Definitely one of the most vital traditional points of resistance in Korea is the Confucian philosophy. Confucian values have sanctified moral development and meritocratic society for hundreds of years. The approach of the Confucian philosophy, which constructs the social sphere with hierarchy, filial piety and absolute obedience, shows itself in some areas in today's Korean society. However, modern Korean society has been developing with an outstanding pace especially after 1980s, and this transformation forced the society to change itself on a various basis. Still modern Korean society contains some of its traditional aspects, moreover these aspects cause conflicts that created unique political realities. Academics are the symbols of this modern-traditional conflicts. By this journey I will focus on the contradictions and conflicts of the traditional values and current social norms after intense, condensed Korean social transformation.  

Although the threat of communism shaped the process of political identity formation in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, the Confucian values still have an impact on daily practices and political preferences. Also, I strongly believe that analyzing social problems just only with cultural reductionism does not contribute to the literature. Through this research I want to reveal the cultural determinants, which is Confucianism, inherited from Korea’s historical development. With the literature review that I will complete by the end of this semester, everything will be much clearer, compact and precise for sure. If you have anything to add, criticize or share about the work that is still in its premature stage, you can contact me via (m.ereny@hotmail.com) e-mail address. 

I wish everyone a happy semester and keep healthy!

Eren Yıldırım is currently enrolled as a third-semester student at Seoul National University, Graduate School of International Studies. He is a recipient of the Ministry of Education scholarship program, the YLSY. He majored in Political Science and Public Administration for undergraduate level at Middle East Technical University. In his studies, Eren is focusing on East Asian Political Thought, Democratization in South Korea and East Asia Security Structure.