Bahrom International Program 2015
Information Sheet by Seoul Women’s University, South Korea
Updated Jan. 9, 2015
Bahrom International Program is a 4-week summer program in Seoul, South Korea. The program is
conducted in English, and is an “experience Korea” cultural program. The program consists of
various lectures, field trips and group activities. The credits earned at SWU may be transferred to
the student's home institution, depending on its policy. The program is open for both male and
female students.
The program dates for BIP 2015 are from June 28 to July 24.
For Student Exchange Program (Semester), please go here
This program is for you if:
- If you are interested in travelling to Asia.
- If you are looking for a good summer program away from your home country.
- If you are interested in getting to know people from other cultures.
- If what’s happening in North Korea interests you.
- If you have Korean friends around you, and would like to understand them better.
- If you are interested in studying abroad, but would like to do it with minimum budget.
- If you are into K-Pop, Korean TV drama or film.
- If you have Korean heritage and would like to explore more about its culture.
Eligibility
Students need to meet ALL of the following requirements to be eligible to apply:
1. Students should be a full-time student of SWU’s partner university.
2. Need to be nominated by the international office of home institution.
3. Have a good command of English. (All lectures and activities are in English. No previous
knowledge of Korean language is required.)
Lectures
The lectures at BIP are a collection of one-time special sessions on various aspects of Korea.
1-2.
The Story of the Two Koreas I,II
These two lectures are about the overall situation in Korea centered around the South-North Korea.
Students will be able to hear a life story from a defector from North Korea.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (6 hours) + Supplementary field trip (5 hours)
▪ Related Field trip: Trip to border with North Korea (DMZ) (4 hours)
Hyundai Heavy Industries (1 hour), Han River Cruise (1.5 hours, elective)
3. Korean History
This lecture is designed to give students a general insight into Korean history. It focuses on the
political, cultural and social history of Korea.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (3 hours) + Supplementary field trip (23 hours) + Activity
▪ Field trip: Gyeongbokgung Palace( 3 hours), Gyeongju (8 hours in 3 days), National Museum of
Korea (3 hours, elective), Icheon Pottery Village (3 hours), Taekwondo (3 hours), Korean Folk
Village (3 hours)
4. Korean Language
This lecture concentrates on teaching students the essential practical language necessary to get
around in Seoul, supplemented by the lecture on the language itself and Korean alphabet.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (3 hours)
▪ Activity: Natural exposure to Korean language, especially the interaction with Korean roommates.
5. Contemporary Korean Society
Korea has undergone a very rapid economic growth from one of the world’s poorest country to 11th
largest economy within 50 years. This lecture will view its impact on Korean society, from the
change of family to social inequity and its shift towards multicultural society.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (3 hours)
▪ Field trip: Students will have a chance to do homestay at one of Korean students’ home. (2 days)
6. Korean Dance
This lecture will allow students to learn about the basic steps of Korean dance. Students will also
be able to watch a live dance performance in the auditorium.
▪ Class composition: Lecture & Practice (3 hours)
7. Korean Costume
Students will be given a lecture on the history of Korean clothing, followed by a great opportunity
to actually try on Korean traditional costume, Hanbok. With Hanbok on, students will also learn
about different types of traditional Korean formal salutation; bows.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (1 hour) + Activity (2 hours)
▪ Activity: Try on Hanbok from many different eras of Korean history. (2 hours)
8. Korean Food
Students will learn about Korean dishes, both in theory and through practice.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (1 hour) + Practice (2 hours)
▪ Practice content: bibimbap or japchae
▪ Also during the field trip to Gyeongju, the students will have a chance to experience the typical
higher-class Korean traditional table and the middle-class traditional table.
9. Korean Film
This lecture will briefly survey the rise of Korea’s film industry from early-mid 20th Century to
present. Selected scenes from representative Korean films will be presented to show the
characteristics and development of Korean film.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (3 hours) + Watch 2 Korean films (appx. 4 hours)
▪ Korean Films: Joint Security Area(110 minutes) , The Host(119 minutes)
(The Host can be replaced with another Korean movie)
10. Korean Economics
This lecture will focus on the economic development of Korea, beginning with Korean War up to
present-day Korea. The lectures deal with the development of Korea into a major industrial power,
the economic crisis that resulted in the aid from IMF, and conclude with an analysis of the current
position of Korea in the world.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (6 hours) + Supplementary field trip (2.5 hour)
▪ Field trip: Hyundai Heavy Industries (1 hour), Han River Cruise (1.5 hours)
11. Korean Music
This lecture aims to provide a general introduction to the history of Korean music. Students will
also be given a chance to view Korean traditional instruments and their performance.
▪ Class composition: Lecture (3 hours) + Activity(2 hours) + Watch performance (3 hours)
▪ Activity: Learn Korean traditional instruments (2 hours)
▪ Performance: Watch NANTA Performance (2 hours)
Watch K-pop series (1 hour)

Please note that the content of the lecture may change depending on the guest speaker.
Field Trip, Activity & Performance
Unless marked *elective, these events are part of the program, and everyone is expected to participate.
These may be changed or cancelled on occasion of rain or in inevitable circumstances.
1.
Trip to the border between North & South Korea: This trip to the 2nd Infiltration Tunnel
2.
Gyeongbokgung Palace: Royal Palace during Joseon Dynasty(1392-1910) Can be replaced with
3.
Gyeongju: Three-day long trip to this ancient capital of Silla Dynasty(57 BC – AD 918) will
4.
Icheon Pottery Village: Students will be able to try out Korea’s traditional pottery-making.
5.
Korean Folk Village: This trip will show students how Koreans in the past lived, with restored
6.
National Museum of Korea: The Korean central museum holds the greatest treasures of
7.
Hyundai Heavy Industries: Hyundai Heavy Industries is the No.1 shipbuilding company in the
8.
Taekwondo: The famous Korean martial arts will be shown to the students, giving them also the
9.
NANTA Performance: The performance, also shown at Broadway, will show a contemporary
and Peace Observatory, located at the border with North Korea, is going to provide students an
opportunity to watch with their bare eyes the reality of the remnant of the Cold War.
Changdeokgung Palace, another royal palace, without prior notice.
broaden your scope to Korea’s culture.
buildings and surroundings.
Korean history.
world for years. Watching the shipyards under the guidance of HHI crew will enable you to get a
glimpse of the economic development of Korea in the past decades.
opportunity to try out a few moves themselves.
fusion-version of Korean traditional percussion
10. Homestay: There will be a chance to stay one night at Korean students’ homes in the second
weekend.
11. *elective Namsan N Tower, Bukchon Hanok Village: These are famous tourist attractions in
Seoul. Namsan is the mountain that is centrally located in Seoul, upon which N Tower sits on its
pinnacle. It boasts a good night view of Seoul. Bukchon Hanok Village also located in the downtown
Seoul, and is one of the few places left where Hanok, Korean traditional houses, form a village.
12. *elective Han River Cruise: Han River holds a crucial importance in Korean history. All students
will take a cruise on this river that flows the heart of Seoul and appreciate the beautiful night
scenery.
13. *elective K-POP Dance: Remember Gangnam Style? You will have a chance to learn and practice
one of the dance routines of K-Pop Music.
Academics
Evaluation
15% Attendance
30% Group Paper (3 group papers after group discussion: 10% each)
30% Individual Term Paper
25% Group Presentation
There may be a minor change with regards to the grading policy, in which case students will be
informed during the orientation upon arrival in Korea.
Living Environment
Housing: Bahrom Education Center
- Bahrom Education Center(BEC) is the designated housing for the international students.
- Suite style room: In each unit, there is a common area in the middle and from there are
connected a shower room, two toilets, two sinks and four smaller rooms. Each room will be
shared by 2~3 students. There will be at least one Korean student and one international
student in one room. Each unit is fully air-conditioned.
- High-speed wi-fi is accessible in each room, as well as common areas in the building.
- Laundry room is on the 3th,4th,5th and 8th floor.
- Dining Hall is on the 2nd floor of BEC. All three meals are served unless informed otherwise.
- There is a computer lab on the 7th floor.
- A prayer room is also on the 7th floor, for those who want to have a private time for morning
devotional.
- There is a strict 11pm curfew and headcount. In accordance with Seoul Women’s University’s
policy, staying out is not allowed, except for homestay/free weekends.
To view photos of BEC, please refer to our Facebook page here.
Cost
This program is almost free.
- Since this program is run as an exchange program, the tuition for this program is waived for
international students.
- Room(housing) & board(meal)are also waived. There are several meals throughout the
program that are out of this coverage.
- Transportation from/to the airport is also provided free of charge, if you arrive/depart on the
designated day.
- These are the things you need to provide on your own: Airfare, health insurance, some stipend
to get around in Seoul, fees for elective programs, and USD300 registration fee.
- It normally costs KRW1,150~1,300 (appx. USD 1.00~1.25) for one-way trip in Seoul by subway
and/or bus.
- A non-refundable USD300 registration fee. Please refer to the “Application” section below to see
the details of the payment.
Visa
You do not need to get a student visa to participate in BIP program, as the length of the program is
only one month. A general(tourist) visa is enough to participate in BIP. There are, however, many
countries whose citizens are waived from visa for tourist entry.
The U.S. citizens, as well as Hong Kong, German, Japanese, British and French nationals may stay in
Korea without visa up to 90 days. Those who would like to stay in Korea for longer than 90 days
will have to contact Korean embassy for visa. Visa is also waived for Canadian and New Zealand
citizens, up to 180 days.
Chinese and Russian citizens, however, need to get a visa (C-3) that grants 90-day permission for
stay. You will need to bring the Letter of Acceptance issued by SWU to local Korean Consulate to
get a visa. Also refer to the embassy website to take a look at several cases that allow visa
exemption.
For the countries not listed here, please check with your study abroad adviser or us.
- Korean Embassy in Canada: http://can-ottawa.mofat.go.kr
- Korean Embassy in China: http://chn.mofa.go.kr/korean/as/chn/main/index.jsp
- Korean Embassy in France : http://fra.mofat.go.kr/languages/eu/fra/main/index.jsp
- Korean Embassy in Germany: http://deu.mofat.go.kr/languages/eu/deu/main/index.jsp
- Korean Embassy in Japan: http://jpn-tokyo.mofat.go.kr
- Korean Embassy in New Zealand : http://nzl-wellington.mofat.go.kr/index.jsp
- Korean Embassy in Russia: http://www.infokorea.ru
- Korean Embassy in U.K: http://gbr.mofat.go.kr/eng/eu/gbr/main/index.jsp
- Korean Embassy in U.S: http://www.koreaembassy.org
Application
Application Deadline for BIP 2015 is February 20, 2015
- The deadline at your home institution will be sooner than this. Do check with your study
abroad/international office.
- The application must be submitted to SWU from the international office of your home
institution, NOT from the individual student(s).
- The electronic version of the application (scanned or MS Word format) may be accepted to save
your spot. The original documents and the registration fee will be required to confirm your
admission.
Application Materials
1. Completed BIP Application (Download or at the last page of BIP brochure)
2. Homestay Questionnaire (at the 2nd page of the BIP Application)
3. 2 photos, including the one on the BIP Application.
4. Copy of Passport (May be submitted by April 30, 2015)
5. Non-Refundable Registration Fee of USD 300
Method of Payment
There have been some changes to this policy effective 2014, so please pay special attention to
the Method of Payment.
There are two ways to pay for BIP Registration Fee:
1. Submit International Money Order with your application.
-
U.S. Postal Money Order is not accepted in Korea.
Personal Check or Traveler’s Check is not accepted.
2. Wire your payment to the following recipient:

Bank: Woori Bank
Branch: Seoul Women’s Univ. Sub.
Beneficiary: Seoul Women’s University
Account #: 1005-801-220276
Swift code: HVBKKRSE
Please make sure to wire the payment on or after March 1st, 2014, as SWU’s fiscal year renews as of
March every year.
Please note that payment by cash is no longer accepted.
Other Information
Weather
- In July, the average temperature is 22°C (72°F) in the morning, and 29°C (84°F) during the
daytime.
- Usually it’s the monsoon season during BIP. It means a few days of raining and then a few days
of clear day; it will be humid.
Currency
- Currency used in Korea is Korean Won (KRW). US$1 is roughly equivalent to KRW 1,000.
(Usually between 1,000 and 1,100)
Point of Contact
- The person in charge of BIP is Mr. Wonjin Joey Yoo at bip@swu.ac.kr, and +82-2-970-5143.
- The mailing address is:
Division of International Relations
Seoul Women’s University
621 Hwarang-no Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-774, Republic of Korea
Past BIP photos
- The photos from previous years may be seen at the following websites:
1. BIP 2014: https://www.facebook.com/BIP2014
2. BIP 2013: https://www.facebook.com/Bip2013
3. BIP 2012: https://www.facebook.com/groups/490366710977752/photos/