The Korea Field Research and Study (KFRS) is an annual 4-day field trip organized by KDI School to offer international students an opportunity to see other aspects of Korea’s social, cultural and industrial sectors. This year’s field study took place on the 18^th to 21st of August 2015. It was a truly educative, enlightening and eye- opening experience as other facets of the Korean development story were uncovered. From the Visit to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Pohang Iron & Steel Company (POSCO), Daewangam, Gyeongju Cultural Heritage, Yangdong Village to the Samsung Smart City. The participants visited several historic cultural heritage sites in Gyeongju, the root of the Confucian culture and the many positive effects it had on the Korean people. Taking the trip with fellow students from many different countries also afforded participants an opportunity to share various country’s’ experiences in the quest for development.

POSCO STEEL WORKS

 The Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) were founded in 1968. We visited the steelworks and the history museum. Immediately the history of POSCO is shared, one cannot help but feel that the establishment of the iron and steel works played a role in Korea’s economic development. Iron and steel are vital in any society POSCO manufactures building materials, basic household appliances (washing machines, doors, etc.) frames for cars, ships, motors etc.  POSCO broke through from nothing to something great. Today, POSCO is one of the world’s top steelmakers.

HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES

The history hall of the Hyundai Heavy Industries was a masterpiece of the story of endurance and the dare to dream big.  This was the ideal place to begin the tour as the history hall gave a picture of the startup of Hyundai to the conglomerate that it is today. Hyundai Heavy Industries diversified from ship building and went into industrial plant and engineering, offshore and engineering, engine and machinery, green energy businesses, construction equipment, and electro electric systems. Today, Hyundai Heavy Industries is one of the world’s leading heavy industries.

We also had a guided tour of the shipyard where we saw ships and vessels in the process of being built.

DAEWANGAN

The beautiful calming, serene royal tomb of King Munmu located at the east coast is another historical site we visited. This is a large rock island with the appearance of a dragon rising high up into the sky. It was easy to see how peace is felt in this place. To get to the park itself, one will have to pass through a path lined with a beautiful array of trees and shrubs from the cherry trees to the high pine trees. The stone paved path made the descent to the park easy.  From a distance one can see different rock formation islands connected by a bridge to enable people move from one island to the other until they arrive at the highest point way into the sea.

GYEONGJU CULTURAL HERITAGE

The Gyeongju Cultural heritage is located to the southeast of Korea and Gyeonju was the capital of the Silla kingdom in BC57-935. This happens to be the longest surviving kingdom in the history of Korea. The Gyeongju cultural heritage is the most popular field trip destination in Korea as it is the foundation of art, culture and tradition of the Shilla era and is home to the greatest  Buddhist art treasures. This heritage site has the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram Grotto which were registerd as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1995. Impressively, five districts were registerd as World cultural heritage under the title of Gyeongju making it a must vist destination in Korea. Gyeonju also has the Daereungwon (Cheonmachong) tomb, the Cheomseongdae (astronomical observatory), the Gyeonju National Museum, the Anapji pong, Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram.

By Oluremilekun Akinyemi (2015 MDP, Nigeria)