WK Planning Committee Members
We provide special student programs to help students study international matters. We select the Walden Korea Planning Committee from young people in Korea and the United States. Currently, we are focusing on Jeju 4.3 uprising. The Jeju 4.3 uprising is a tragedy in Korean history in which more than 30,000 innocent Jeju citizens were killed. They were falsely accused of being communists and brutally killed. One-ninth of Jeju Island's population disappeared. It is a holocaust in Korea.
Walden Korea's first Planning Committee Members will study the 4.3 Uprising and prepare forums and journals.
Planning committee members will become familiar with Walden Korea's curriculum and may continue to participate in Walden Korea's content production and education programs for the general public once the international strategy forum is over.
We regularly recruit young planning committee members for Walden Korea.
Personal Experience
Jeong Hyun Kim
Kyunghee University
I am KimJung-hyun of Kyunghee University. I participated in the Walden Korea activities last year as a committee planning member on the recommendation of my professor. I participated in the September strategic forum and wrote a short story about the 4.3 incident as a personal project. The Walden Korea activities entailed just a few months of short-term projects, but they completely changed my perspective on history. What we call history victims and the bereaved family members of the Jeju 4.3 Incident. So, I went to Jeju to conduct research for this project. I looked around the historical sites and asked nearby merchants about their views on the Jeju 4.3 Incident. For three days, I did research in the morning and wrote in the afternoon. And then I felt that I was becoming a small part of the 4.3 history. I came to sympathize with the incidents from the bottom of my heart and felt with my whole body and soul that the Jeju Massacre is 4.3 is an ongoing history that has not yet been fully revealed and, hence, not fully completed. I have become deeply involved in the history of the present tense. In others is more often than nought events of the past described in textbooks. words, I realized that I could lead this history in a better direction Looking at the past, we learn and, at best, prepare for the future to, and that I was already doing it. come. Preparing for the forum presentation, I became convinced that While working on the Walden Korea projects, I re-studied the tremendous change and revolutions of consequence in history were rapidly changing international environments of the last century, and possible thanks to individual commitments and movements united tried to assess who led the tremendous changes and to what end. At the same time, it was something that "they" had experienced, and "I;' as a casual observer divorced from the most tumultuous events of the past, realized I could not fully grasp the grave impact of past events. Certainly, I could not fully appreciate or empathize with the by a common vision. I hope that people like me, who are experiencing the turbulent challenges of our times, will experience riding the waves and moving forward together rather than being shaken recklessly by the waves. If you become a member of Walden Korea's planning committee, it will be a fulfilling experience.
Hyungjin Kim
Northeastern University
As a Korean living outside of Korea, I’ve naturally come to feel the sensitive and versatile nature of foreign affairs to my skin. What's considered a national issue is oftentimes an international one, like I did know there was a massacre in Jeju, but was not aware of the US involvement. We are living in a world where international affairs are inevitable, and I understand the importance of its narrative. I understand the status quo of telling ‘Korean’ narratives to the world, and I empathize with the need for our narratives to thrive, and I have the relevant experience to tell them. I am a founding member and a BOD at human rights organization dedicated to the ‘comfort women’ victims, striving for years to tell the just narrative in the US. I also lead a research project group within the organization, educating ourselves and others. And I have a research experience with one of my professors, I have co-authored an article that is to be published in an academic journal. I feel like Walden Korea and I share an important path, and I am confident that I can contribute to the value that Walden Korea supports.
Doyeong Jung
Graduate student of The Fletcher School at Tufts University
My name is Doyeong Jung, and I am a second-year master’s student at Fletcher School at Tufts University. My main research interest lies in the geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula, with a particular focus on nuclear deterrence. At Fletcher, I am a co-chair of the North Korea Working Group, a student-led organization aiming to promote understanding of critical policy questions vis-à-vis North Korea. As a research intern, I have previously worked at the Belfer Center’s Korea Project, Pacific Forum, and the Council on Foreign Relations. After spending three years at high school in Jeju, issues related to Jeju remain as one of my primary interests. By working at Walden Korea, I hope to gain a deeper insight into April 3 incident and contribute to raising awareness of this modern-day atrocity.
Joseph Lim
The Fletcher School at Tufts University
My name is Joseph Lim, and I am a senior, majoring in International Relations and Economics, at Tufts University. My main interests lie in international law and geopolitics surrounding the Korean Peninsula. I have previously worked at the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea as a research intern, raising awareness on North Korean human rights by creating social media content. By working at Walden Korea, I wish to gain a more nuanced understanding of the April 3 incident and contribute to raising awareness to this tragic chapter in Korean history.
Catherine Yang
Boston College
I've learned about the 4.3 Uprising a couple of times through my father, but it wasn't until I took a solo trip to Jeju Island that I was able to learn about my great grandfather's death and passing as a result of being a victim in the massacre. Ever since, I have been interested in spreading awareness about this tragedy and more importantly, be able to learn and develop myself as I learn about the processes of remembering a painful history and advocating not just for justice but for globalization that ensures fairness and equality for all. Being a project leader and executive board for my campus Public Health Club, I am excited that I can partake and support a position in this committee using skills I have attained through my academic life, and I also hope to learn more about other victims' stories and narratives through this opportunity.
Hello, I am currently working at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea as a spokesperson of the political party ‘Transition Korea.’ While working at the legislative body, I also involved in a prolonged protest with other Jeju residents in front of my workplace, urging the parliament to pass the Jeju 4.3 Special Act. That moment of solidarity strongly reaffirmed my identity and duty as a descendent of the oppressed. As my father and his colleagues have done so far, I would also like to contribute to raising awareness of the Jeju 4.3 Uprising and building a path to reconciliation.
Sohee Yang
Sogang University
The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea
I was particularly interested in things related to Jeju. I was proud of myself for being a Jeju resident. That's why I went to Haenyeo school and trained to become an official Haenyeo. Also, I took 6 hours of bus trips by myself just to see various 4.3 sites with my bare eyes. I filmed my tour and submit it to a contest, and thankfully I won 3rd place. It was my greatest honor not only to win the contest but also to share those films and feelings with others.
An Hye An
Johns Hopkins University
Jeong Hyun Kim
Kyunghee University
I learned about Walden Korea through the introduction of Professor Taek-Kwang Lee at Kyung Hee University. I deeply sympathized with this organization's purpose of delivering a message about justice, peace, human rights, and the environment to the world. I am majoring in cultural theory and philosophy specifically and will be able to apply my major effectively to Walden Korea's activities. I think it would be meaningful to me to correct the Korean history problem related to the United States. Not just learning history by theory at school, but by participating in correcting existing historical consciousness, it will be the best help that individuals can do to prevent attacks and extortion attempts by various countries on Korean culture, which is currently developing into a serious problem.
Jangha Cho
Kyunghee University
Youjoung Kim (Yuna Kim)
Johns Hopkins University
Yujin Lee
ohns Hopkins University
Naeun Lee
Korea International School Jeju
Roslyn Lee
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
and Health Sciences
1. What qualifications do you have to be a Walden Korea Planning Committee Member?
To become a planning committee member of Walden Korea, you need the will to learn Korean culture and history and to promote it to the world. There are no other special qualifications. The age of participation is from the second year of high school to the graduate school Ph.D. program. Applicants must be interviewed after submitting the application form.
2 Is there any fee to become a Walden Korea Planning Committee Member?
There is no fee.
3. Are there any geographical location considerations for becoming a Planning Committee Member of Walden Korea?
It doesn't matter where you live to join the Walden Korea Planning Committee. You can apply from anywhere in the world. We primarily communicate online.
4. Is there open recruitment to join the Walden Korea Planning Committee?
The 1st Walden Korea Planning Committee Members were selected by the recommendation of the students’ professors and teachers. However, there are plans for open recruitment on a regular basis in the future. Applicants will be selected through interviews, etc. There is a limit to the number of applicants selected.
5. Can non-students participate in the Planning Committee of Walden Korea?
Yes, non-students may also participate. Non-students or those over 35 years of age may participate as a member of the Walden Korea Advisory Planning Committee. Please contact us.
6. What are the main tasks of the Walden Korea Planning Committee?
Once one joins the Walden Korea Planning Committee, members will study the contents to be presented at the International Strategy Forum jointly or individually. Also, depending on your performance, you can participate as editors of our English journal or become an author of an article in the Walden Korea Journal.
You can serve as a mentor for the 2nd planning committee and continue to participate as a 2nd Planning Committee Member. The Walden Korea Planning Committee Member can give lectures in local communities introduced by Walden Korea and also have internship opportunities.
7 Do I need English fluency to become a Planning Committee Member of Walden Korea?
English, the international language of the world, is essential in representing Korean culture to the world. However, the primary requirement is to be committed to the study of Korea rather than native-level English fluency.
8. Does one have to be an ethnic Korean in order to join the Walden Korea Planning Committee?
No, Walden Korea Planning Committee does not discriminate based on race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or any kind of identity. Non-Koreans are encouraged to apply. Walden Korea is open to anyone who has the will to learn about issues related to Korea.
9. When will the 2nd Walden Korea Planning Committee be selected?
The 2nd Walden Korea Planning Committee Members will be recruited from September 2021. Please subscribe to our website newsletter.
10. Does Walden Korea focus only on the Jeju massacre?
Walden Korea studies Korea's unresolved modern history problems. At the center of it is the Jeju 4.3 massacre problem. Since the 4.3 uprising is a serious human rights issue that is little known outside of Jeju, we will focus on the 4.3 massacre and continue to study the issue in the future. At the same time, we will also deal with other issues of interest, such as modern Korean history, Korea-U.S. relations, and Korean culture (the Korean Wave, Korean food, etc.).