2021 Winter Semester Hansol Lee, Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies   Hello, my name is Hansol Lee. I am majoring in International Cooperation at Yonsei GSIS. After taking courses dealing with Korea and Japan’s political economy, I developed interest in civil society and democracy of East Asia, as well as Korea-Japan relations. Now that I learned some theoretical concepts in class, I wanted to experience how actual researches are done in the field. For such motivation, EAI was perfect place for me.   2021 EAI winter internship lasted 8 weeks. Thankfully, I was able to work on EAI’s various projects. Here are some of my main work experiences:   Proofreading and finding images for New Year’s special commentaries Creating transcripts for EAI-MBN interviews and conferences like The Korea-Japan Security Dialogue and Asia Peace Conference 2021 Translating Global NK commentaries Organizing statistics of EAI publication and figuring out top 20 publications from the list Suggesting ideas for EAI publication   I could improve my understanding on East Asian relations while working, especially when I was proofreading, translating, or making transcripts. In addition, I was exposed to a large amount of EAI publications on a variety of topics, which is very impressive. Most of all, I am truly grateful for meeting supportive EAI researchers and my fellow interns. Thank you EAI for giving such a great opportunity.

2021 Winter Semester Klara Grasic, Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies   Hello everyone.   My name is Klara Grasic, I am a graduate student of International Cooperation at Yonsei University. As someone who has a big passion to work in the research field, the internship offered by EAI really opened my eyes to the inside workings of a successful think tank. It was an incredible opportunity to learn as well as meet new people with various backgrounds, all harmoniously working together to create a great work atmosphere.   There was never a dull moment in the 8 weeks of my internship, as I was lucky enough to make small contributions to various different projects. Under the mentorship of Ms. Seo Juwon I was able to see a behind-the-scenes look of the prominent Journal of East Asian Studies and help with the running of its social media channels. I feel especially proud that some of my designs and edits are published on various EAI media platforms, as it allowed me to see just how much work is put behind each publication.   Thanks to my other mentor, Ms. Jun Juhyun, I was also able to work in Korean, which deepened my understanding of the language. It also significantly improved my translating ability, apart from being useful in daily life in Korea. As a foreigner, I was not able to experience the Korean work customs yet, and the EAI employees were patient and willing to teach us the proper etiquette, which I believe will prove invaluable.   Overall, I will fondly look back at the memories made at the EAI and cheer on all of the researchers, employees and interns in the future! They truly provided me with a good stepping stone for my future endeavors.   I thank everyone for all of their support throughout my time with the institute.

2021 Winter Semester Ngoc To, Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies   My name is Ngoc To, currently a graduate student majoring in International Cooperation at Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies (Yonsei GSIS). It was such a pity that our internship lasted only eight weeks instead of ten as usual and we had two spend the first two week working from home due to the COVID 19 outbreak, the internship with EAI is still a valuable experience and a fond memory during the winter break.   Prior to Yonsei GSIS, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations form a university in Vietnam, which explains why I am particularly interested in Southeast Asian affairs. During the interview with the former internship program manager, Ms. Sea Young Kim, I shared with her my interests in Southeast Asia and was glad to be assigned to a project related to Myanmar upon an internship offer. Through involvement in Myanmar Democracy Research Network (MDRN) I got to broaden my understanding of the democratic progress and contemporary political developments in the Southeast Asian state. Under the MDRN project EAI has been working with partner institutions to support a group of researchers in Myanmar in their quantitative study of the 2020 democratic election. Through joining workshops and listening to exchanges of ideas among researchers, I was able to learn new lessons in doing quantitative research such as how to code data effectively or how to turn raw data into meaningful reports.   The internship with EAI is not only about the projects I supported but also about the time I spent with other researchers and fellow interns. I was grateful for the time I shared with my advisor, Ms. Jun Juhuyn, for she always duly listened to my opinions, gave me detailed instructions, and provided me constructive feedback. I also feel lucky to have the best company from other interns – drinking hot coffee and chitchatting with them during lunch time was always so fun. I would highly recommend internship at EAI for the students interested in global affairs and policy research, and I hope more and more students would be able to experience this amazing internship opportunity.

2021 Winter Semester Kester Abbott, Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies   My name is Kester Abbott and I am currently a student at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), majoring in Global Affairs and Policy. I was honored to have been given the opportunity to intern at the East Asia Institute (EAI) during the winter of 2021 and to be able to better understand the workings of a think tank that is at the forefront of providing quality research in navigating the world’s most dynamic, yet challenging, region.   During my internship, I was primarily concerned with issues relating to the institute’s ‘Global North Korea’ and ‘Asian Democracy Research Network (ADRN)’ projects. My roles, among others, included writing and editing editorials and headlines for upcoming published works and online events, complying research materials and supporting other organizational processes. Working within these programs not only further developed my writing and research skills, but also stimulated my analytical thinking on these challenges and view them through an expanding range of perspectives. Being of immense global importance, I am happy to have been able to contribute to addressing these issues by working alongside an exceptional group of people at EAI.   My internship at EAI also allowed me the opportunity to conduct my own research interest concerning political-economic policy choices in North Korea. Being surrounded by a highly experienced and skilled team, I was given guidance and support in furthering my research and writing capabilities, therefore making my internship experience both an opportunity for professional and academic development.   I would like to thank all the staff at EAI for their warm welcome to me into EAI. I would particularly like to thank my supervisor, Ms. Baek, for her encouragement and support to me during my time at the Institute and guiding me through my internship project as well as furthering my interest in better understanding the workings of a think-tank. I was also fortunate to have met an amazing and highly skilled group of fellow interns, whose own perspectives and interests have left a deep influence on my own.   I have really enjoyed my experience at the East Asia Institute and will come to view it as a professional environment that helped guide and develop my future career.

2020 Autumn Semester Sein Kim, Korea University   Being part of EAI as an intern has been full of unforgettable moments.   I came across EAI by chance through one of my professors from Korea University, who had introduced me to this esteemed institution during career counseling. My initial destination had been Cambridge, in which I planned to begin my postgraduate studies as soon as I graduate from Korea University in late 2020. Unfortunately, my plan was frustrated with the spread of the Coronavirus, and thus I deferred my studies to the entry year of 2021 and began to devise a new plan for my unexpected gap year. When I asked for advice, my professor recommended me to apply for an internship at EAI, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made so far.   During the internship at EAI, I was involved in many different projects as it was the busiest season of the year. Especially in October, I assisted in organizing two major events: ' The 8th Korea-Japan Future Dialogue' and 'MBN-EAI Diplomacy Strategy Symposium: US-China Strategic Competition and South Korea's Middle Power Diplomacy.' My prime tasks were to analyze survey data, create graphs, translate documents, and summarize conferences in preparation for these academic events. In addition to these roles, I gained opportunities to participate in various webinars, read numerous journals on political science and international affairs, and attend meetings/symposiums/forums with delicious lunch!   It was truly an enchanting experience to look into what it is like at research institutes and to take part in preparing monumental projects led by such competent and hard-working researchers. Plus, a regular lunch tour in Eulji-ro added a little more fun and joy in working in this academically invigorating community! The coffee we had during breaks and cafe tours was the best I have had so far, and I still miss many of the cafes I was introduced to by the friendly researchers at EAI.   It was indeed a great honor to be able to gain first-hand experience in the field of international affairs, and last but not least, thank you everyone for making my experience at EAI memorable!

2020 Summer Internship Beom June Kim, Georgetown University     My name is Beom June Kim, and I am currently an undergraduate junior at Georgetown University, majoring in International Politics at the School of Foreign Service. Interning at the East Asia Institute for the past five months has been my biggest pleasure of this summer, an experience which truly changed my perspective about international politics and gave me a valuable work experience I could have never achieved elsewhere. As I applied during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was only an undergraduate sophomore, I thought I would be rejected from the get-go. Instead, I was instead greeted with a warm welcome. During my internship, I was involved in various tasks such as translating EAI’s working papers and articles, conducting research related to North Korean security issues and the Asian Democratic Research Network, supporting various events such as Webinars and the Korean Identity project (한국인의 정체성 행사), working on Webinar transcripts, and various other duties as necessary. Working at EAI helped me understand the complex role that think tanks play in global policy research, and how many different actors - whether civilian, academic, or government - affect and analyze outcomes of global events and policy changes. As someone who has never worked in the field but aspire to continue working in the field, I was more than thrilled to learn from professionals and gain a thorough understanding about the field of work that I am really passionate about. I would sincerely like to thank everyone I met at EAI, and especially my internship program managers, Ms. Sea Young Kim and Ms. Younghyun Lee. I was blessed to work in a work environment which values and truly cares for each other. If anyone asks me if they should apply for an internship at EAI, I would definitely say yes without hesitation.

2020 Summer Internship Saehyun Lee, Yonsei University     Looking Back on the EAI Internship: A Short Summary   The summer of 2020 will surely be memorable with my wonderful internship at the East Asia Institute. Thanks to the researchers who understand the interns’ skills and interests, I was able to take part in different projects, from reading journals and attending symposiums to making promotional materials for upcoming events. There was also an added benefit of traveling to various restaurants in Euljiro with your EAI family. After eight weeks, I can confidently say that I became knowledgeable of Korea's current socio-political trends and became confident in my designing skills. Thank you, everyone—researchers and fellow interns; For making me feel like being in a family. My motivation for applying for the East Asia Institute (EAI) internship stemmed from last summer when I worked as a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson Center. While I gained much insight, most of the research was specifically focused on the US-North Korea relationship, even though I wanted to know about the different socio-political issues surrounding the Korean peninsula. Thankfully, the EAI Internship program let me fulfill this intellectual curiosity as I was appointed with the following tasks in the course of 8 weeks. First, I participated in forums and webinars, whose topics ranged from Koreans’ changing identity to the decline of democracy amidst the COVID-19. Writing minutes of meeting in Korean/English was also helpful in attaining an in-depth knowledge on these issues, as I was able to go over the discussions for the second time and ponder upon them. Secondly, I was assigned with translation works, where I came to read some fascinating articles. An interesting article among them was “North Korea’s Building of a Civilized Socialist Country,” which analyzes the multifaceted changes in North Korean society to keep up with the international trend. In the process of translation, I had to search for primary resources and relevant news articles, through which I honed my research skills and attained further knowledge on the issue. Another reason why the internship was so memorable is because of all the designing work I participated in. Concerning most of the EAI events held between July and September, I was granted the chance to help design the posters, pamphlets, and banners. To use my designing skills on such on-site tasks was an eye-opening experience, as I learned to work in a timelier manner and become more cautious about the details. In addition to the official promotional materials, I contributed to the EAI Instagram page; Here, based on the remarkably brilliant ideas of my fellow interns, I created layouts that can make the site more visually appealing. Doing the designing work made me feel encouraged and appreciated, knowing that I could contribute to the organization other than my academic knowledge. Overall, this internship was truly memorable, being able to grow both intellectually and artistically. I give thanks to all the wonderful researchers in the EAI for recognizing all the interns’ talents and giving their best support. I am also thankful for all the interns for helping me adapt to the work environment with their kindness and warm heart.

2020 Summer Internship Crystal Pae, Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies     I can honestly say that my internship at EAI was a very valuable experience that helped me gain keen insight on East Asian relations as well as developing research skills. I really felt like I was contributing to the institute and appreciated that EAI researchers always checked in and made sure I had the right amount of work to do. During my internship, I was given research tasks on international disputes and policies, middle-power democracies and I also assisted in several events including the Korean Identity Survey Results Presentation, EAI Academy and several webinars. One of my most memorable events was EAI Academy. EAI Academy is a program that consists of several seminar courses on the future of Korean diplomacy led by EAI fellows and scholars representing Korea’s international politics. My task was to assist in organizing the event, PR activities as well as administrative duties. I also gained a deeper understanding of the Asia-Pacific order, Korean multilateral diplomacy and North Korean issues by attending the seminars. I also enjoyed being part of several webinars facilitated by EAI such as ‘Richard Haass on “The World”’ and ‘The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Future of Democracy.” This was one of the reasons why I applied to the internship and I am happy that I was able to be a part of them and make a contribution to EAI webinars. My expectations from this internship and learning outcomes were fulfilled. I have gained a deeper understanding on issues within the East Asia region and research experience learning from researchers in one of the leading think tanks of Korea. Thank you EAI for giving me this internship opportunity.