Most of the university students, who are interested in traveling to other countries as exchange students, would say that they wanted to learn foreign languages experience diversity in other countries, rather than focus on their studies. However, there is one person who has achieved all of these. The ST has become acquainted with Yoon Tae-hyun (Economics,07). He spent one semester in Argentina, and he had matured after the experience.

ST: What made you decide to go to Argentina rather than an English-speaking country?
Yoon: I had planned on going to the USA because it would be better to pursue my education there. However, my plan has been changed while I was studying. I became aware of human rights, distribution of wealth, and poverty while I was reading books. Furthermore, I volunteered for one year at multicultural families. This has given me the idea that sharing is more important than making a lot of money; therefore, I have decided to research economic inequalities in an international organization. There was a lecture on finding employment in the international organization, and the lecturer said, “If you want to work in South America, go there.” This statement was influential in my decision to go to South America. I am still astounded by the fact that I have been to Argentina.
ST: How were your studies there?
Yoon: There were no academic stressors in the USA or European countries because if an exchange student gets a D, it

is considered a passing grade. In Cuyo, however, they mark their students’ papers based on an absolute scale. Students in class are studying together instead of competing with each other. This is based on the fact that if their scores do not exceed seventy percent of the correct answers, they are going to fail the test. I asked for a favor, in a clumsy Spanish, to share notes with the model students, and I even checked their notes to see if they jotted down everything. In addition, I have studied as many as 170 pages in Spanish material, which took up an hour per page. At first, it was really tough for me, since I studied Spanish for only 3 months in Korea, but later on, it became much easier for me to read all of those. I also visited the professor’s office every day in order to ask questions. Due to my persistence, the professor treated me in a different way afterwards. During the final presentation, I received a remarkably high score, which is hard to get even for the local students.
ST: What was your most favorite travel spot?
Yoon: It is the Salt Desert of Uyuni in Bolivia. The 4-day trip itself had been wonderful. Moreover, I could not forget how beautiful the stars were, and they were shining overhead at an altitude of 4000 meters. The ability to speak Spanish was a good point for me. While traveling in South America, I could hear invaluable stories from the local people. It was remarkable for me to hear something that I could not understand before, and this has helped in boosting my confidence.
ST: Are there any special cultures in Argentina?
Yoon: Argentina is famous for the ‘mate’ and the barbecue recipe called ‘Asado’. It is also well known for its culture. One of the students came to class with mate, and seven to eight students drank it one by one while talking about stuff. They attended the class with mate, as Koreans did with takeout coffee. They were all busy sharing mate before the class started because drinking mate together is considered very pleasing for them as friends, and even the professor requested for them to share it with one another.
ST: What is the charming point of Argentina?
Yoon: People in South America are warmhearted. They also have a leisurely lifestyle. I bought mate to drink in Korea; however, there was no time to drink and talk with my friends in Korea unlike in Argentina, where I can spare some time with my friends while studying.
ST: What kind of economist are you dreaming of?
Yoon: While traveling in South America and Africa, I realized that there are many problems concerning social and political ways. The people in those countries could not enjoy their due rights. I want to build a system that will help people to become aware that if they put their effort into their jobs, they can also live better lives.
ST: Which SSU students do you think are eligible for the student exchange program in Argentina?
Yoon: Students who are eager to study hard, and not just aiming to improve their English skills. Those who believe that the experience will help them in their future are eligible for this.