Berkley Center

Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, in May 2015 student Dana Drecksel interviewed Younggwan Kim, an undergraduate student at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. In this interview (conducted via a translator), Kim, who is paralyzed from the neck down, discusses initiatives at the university to help students with disabilities, his impressions of Sogang, and his academic and professional goals. 

First, a little bit of background: my name is Dana, and I am from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. I am here at Sogang to do some research on education and social justice, and look at some of the programs that Sogang is involved with regarding those areas. I am interviewing some of Sogang’s students in order to gain their perspective, so I’ll start off by just simply asking you, as a student, what your impression is of Sogang University?  

Sogang University is a Jesuit university, so like other Jesuit universities, it focuses on whole person education. So that is very important to studying here.  

That’s great. The university where I am from, Georgetown, is also a Jesuit university, and we also emphasize whole person education. So how do you feel that Sogang tries to focus on whole person education?  

I didn’t have the opportunity to participate first-handedly, but I am aware that through the university, students have the opportunity to get involved with service. For example, there are many programs dedicated to helping educate those who are lower income students, and tutoring services to help those who need help in their studies, or tutor outside of class, and helping out students.  

There is a student association for students with disabilities at Sogang. The service offered at Sogang University for students with disabilities is one of the best in Korea, and for nine consecutive years, they have received the highest evaluation for offering these sort of services.  

That’s fantastic! What sorts of services are available for students with disabilities at Sogang University?  

I am paralyzed, but because of the services, they connect me with a student helper, who helps me take notes during class and helps me move from class to class.  

Also, for each course, in the course evaluation, there is an evaluation check, or questions, which asks the student to evaluate the professor in the course in terms of social justice…  So in the course evaluation, the students need to evaluate the professor in the course, like, was there any discrimination against certain groups of students, like, did the professor favor any specific type of student, how did the professor treat foreign students, or international students, or students with disabilities, or North Korean refugees. There is a component that is part of the course evaluation where the students can evaluate the professor.  

There is also a service-learning course offered at Sogang University.  

Okay, a question to go off of that. What is your impression of the professors at Sogang University and their attitudes toward the students, particularly students who are international, foreign, have disabilities, or are refugees?  

I think, first of all, a letter is sent from the student affairs office to the professors at the beginning of the course, notifying them if there is a student with disability, or a North Korean refugee, etc., and asking them for attention and care throughout the course, and also because it is a Jesuit university, I personally feel that most of the professors are pretty open towards the students.  

That’s great. You referenced the Jesuit aspect of the university. What’s your impression of the Jesuit presence in the campus?  

The usual perspective of Sogang University students is that they have a right mind and perception, so there is a general perception about Sogang University students that they are good students.  

So I think that because there is a perception of Sogang University students from the outside, a good perception of these students, I feel it is a reflection on the education received at Sogang University. University students are known to have good, sound character and mind, and it reflects the Jesuit education that they receive at Sogang University.  

What drove you to want to attend Sogang University?  

Two reasons: one reason is that there is kind of a university ranking order in South Korea, and Sogang University has a perception of being a very good university, and graduating from a good university can affect your career goals, and so on, so that is the first reason, because it is an academically good institution.  

And the second reason is because that I am very aware of the services provided at Sogang University for students with disabilities, so that made me apply.  

In your general experience, do you, or other students at Sogang University, generally try to get involved with the wider community in the areas of social justice?  

I think it depends on the students, or the personal student. For example, the students that help with the moving around between classes, and note-taking—there are many students who volunteer to do that, so that is a big group of students who help out with those services.  

So students volunteer to do those services? Or, how do students sign up to do those tasks?  

So about two or three months before the semester starts, they send out an announcement on the university’s homepage, so students can sign up to take part in these services.  

And usually for the note-taking service, students with high academic scores are chosen, because they need to be able to be good note-takers.  

And for the other services, after each semester the students [with disabilities] can evaluate the students. So the students get an evaluation so that only students with good feedback are chosen again for next semester.  

And these students can either receive service hours for the service hours requirement, or, like, a work-study scholarship.  

How many students partake in helping with those services?  

About 80 students take part every semester.  

Wow, that’s quite a few. You mentioned a “service hours requirement.” Is there a requirement to complete service hours at Sogang?  

It is not a requirement, like a graduation requirement, to do service hours at Sogang University, but usually students do service for many different reasons. But one of the reasons is because after they graduate, they need to find a job, or a new career, and many companies are looking for those kinds of service hours.  

That’s good that companies are placing value on service hours.  

Now just a few questions about your academic background. What is your major, and what made you decide to pick that major?  

My major is Political Science, and I have a second major in Law. I chose those majors because after I graduate, I want to work in a field and become an advocate for those who have the same kind of difficulties [as I do], or feel discriminated against, so I want to become an advocate for those people.  

Wonderful, what a cool plan. Alright, well, that’s all the questions that I have. Is there anything that you want to add, or questions that you’d like to ask me?  

I have a question for you. Are there currently any students at Georgetown with disabilities, and are any services available for them?  

Yes! I’m not really sure what the exact number or percentage is, but there are definitely students with disabilities at Georgetown. And we do have some of the same types of services available as you have here at Sogang, such as note-taking services, and student helpers to help students with disabilities travel throughout campus. Also, I know there are clubs and different advocacy groups that are trying to raise awareness and support for students with physical and mental disabilities.  

Are the clubs for students with disabilities or without?  

The clubs are for any and all students. And they will even get faculty and staff involved, sometimes hosting outside speakers, too. 

Well, if you don’t have any other questions, I would just like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me!