Days 1, 2, and 3 in Korea: An Interesting Time

This trip has been interesting to say the least.

Meals

After surviving the night with a stomach bug, I woke up at 7:30 AM to eat breakfast.

The breakfast buffet.

I ate a little bit of kimchi and rice because my stomach was still feeling a bit queasy. For the entirety of the first day, I didn’t eat very much.

There are two groups eating lunch in the cafeteria at the academy: Model UN and youth/young adult campers from the Unification Church. The campers from the Unification Church are in the process of creating a musical which will be performed in April 2025.

Model UN

The committee I was assigned to was a “Journalism Committee”, meaning that I was tasked to write about something related to the conference. The conference I am attending is Cheongshim International Academy Model UN’s 17th annual conference, however, I will be only referring to it as CSIAMUN XVII.

I am currently writing an article with the title of “Meet the Diverse Group of People at CSIAMUN XVII.” I will share it with you all once it is published.

Korean Jokes and The “Moonies”

After lunch on Day 2, I took a stroll around Cheongshim International Academy and met a few 10th and 11th graders that were helping run the conference. I decided to make an impression on them by saying this Korean joke:

Q: Which celebrity used to bag groceries?

A: 짐캐리 (jimkaeri)

Explanation via 90 Day Korean:

The word 짐 (jim) in Korean means baggage, and 캐리 sounds like carry. 짐캐리 (jimkaeri) sounds like the actor Jim Carrey. So, his name sounds like carrying a bag of groceries.

After making them laugh, they randomly told me that the school that we are staying at is a giant piece of propaganda for the Unification Church.

Here’s what they mean:

According to sources, “Cheongshim International Middle and High School is a school established and managed by Cheongshim Academy, a foundation under the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), and receives a lot of support.”

The Unification Church (you should google it) is a religious movement founded in Pusan, South Korea, by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon in 1954. Known for its mass weddings, the church teaches a unique Christian theology. It has generated much controversy, and its members are commonly derided as “Moonies.” (Britannica)

Outside the realm of religion, the Unification Church has a massive business empire spanning across vast fields of interest, including sports, media, retail and education. (The Korea Herald)

It owns several media outlets around the world, including the Segye Times, a daily newspaper in South Korea, as well as United Press International and the Washington Times in the United States. (The Korea Herald)

It has been criticized for its teachings and for its social and political influence, with critics calling it a dangerous cult, a political powerhouse and a business empire. The group has been accused of excessive financial exploitation of its members. Its involvement in politics includes anti-communism and support for Korean reunification. Its members have founded, owned and supported related organizations in business, education, politics and more. (Wikipedia)

Before the gala dinner/talent show last night (where I performed stand up comedy), I asked a someone wearing a youth camp shirt if they were part of the Unification Church. They initially said no, but then said they actually were and thanked me for being so open to learning about their religion. It was a very odd scenario for me.

Other Random Photos and Notes

I performed stand up comedy at the Talent Show on Day 2.

It’s also snowing here.

Day 3 UPDATE:

I changed rooms and here was what my new room looked like: