Ven Sakol, a scholarship student in South Korea, talks about  studying amid threats of war

Hello everyone! For this week, LIFT brings you Ven Sakol, an overseas scholarship student studying filmmaking at Donso University in South Korea. He will share you his own experiences of both studying abroad and environmental adaptation.

Furthermore, Sakol’s time in South Korea has come at a scary time. With tensions rising between North and South Korea, many people fear nuclear war. Sakol talks about his feelings on this huge issue.

To me, life in Korea is not bad if compared to Cambodia. I have an easy time adapting here because I have no problem with the weather. And people here are so friendly to me. Why? Because I am a foreigner, they want to know more about me, my culture and my country.

Another thing is the language they use. They are not good at speaking English. At first, this is something we don’t have in common. However, after I teach English to them, they teach me some Korean back, and we get close.

And I really like filmmaking because this subject will help me make films in the future logically and with good quality. I am also learning about the messages that lay deep in movies that contain more than what meets the eye. Films are not for only entertainment if we analyze and research more about the psychology, philosophy and theory of the story and the message spread by the director. So I love what I am doing now.

It is good to try to be away from home, but I at first felt frightened to stay in a country that might have a war. However, I now think positively after learning about the habits of North and South Korea. North Korea has always threatened South Korea with nothing happening, which is why I think nothing will happen now. Even though it is more serious than the previous times due to the North showing off their muscles with missiles and nuclear bombs.

As you see, my idea is to ignore the problem, but I don’t mean to say that I don’t care about this conflict. I consulted my Korean friends and professors, and they told me to calm down and focus on my studies rather than politics, and read books more than the news. Why? Because it is unlikely that South Korea would lose a war with North Korea. Besides, I am in the southern part of South Korea, which is more safe than the border area or Seoul.

Until now, I feel I don’t want to come back home since I trust our democratic allies. But my friend who stayed here for a year before me did contact the Cambodian embassy in South Korea to inform him of his location.

Besides, they can also contact other Khmer people in South Korea and at our university.

LIFT is sure that you enjoyed reading our Khmer student experiences abroad as you imagined the life of a scholarship student in Korea. These stories may not only let you know about Cambodian student life in Korea, but

also help you be well-prepared if you decide to study in Korea.