The Way To Junggye

Subway Station Sign to Junggye Station

What do you get when you take a group of eclectic people and stick them in northeastern Seoul? Here’s a hint, the answer starts with a “J” and rhymes with “Unggye”. From the second you got off the plane at Incheon Airport, your biggest fear, after “I hope I like kimchi”, probably was, “I hope I like my co-workers?” While many other schools are known for recruiting the same type of person over and over again, the Chungdahm experience is unique in that from the very beginning it brings people from all walks of life together that may otherwise never have met.

The Junggye Branch is a perfect example of this dynamic blend. The general consensus seems to be that from the instant you walk through the door on your first day at Junggye, there is something very laid back about this branch; yet also full of many knowledgeable people who can teach each other so much in and out of the classroom.

One of the first things that you realize is the amazing diversity of the instructors being of different races, of vastly different alma maters, and of very different backgrounds. Broken down even further, each individual brings experiences so unique spanning from the teacher who spent the last year backpacking the world to the one who has never visited any country but Korea. Junggye is the microcosm of what teaching needs – a collective of diversity that enhances the classroom experience. Whether this includes the disc jockey, camp counselor, sandwich artist, post-modern rock guitarist, customer service representative, journalist, swing dancer, or class president, we create quality teaching.

The second thing you quickly realize is they all genuinely like each other and want to spend time in each others company. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what you look like. From Namsan to “noraebang”, to dinner and disco, from baseball games and barbecues, to volleyball Sundays and trips to Busan or Seoraksan, the group at Junggye is packed full of fun-loving people always planning events to spend time together even when they don’t have to. I can hardly count the times an email has circulated at 9:15pm about having Chinese in Kondae or galbi in Nowon. People will generally hang around to see what everyone else is doing after work or ask you about how your class was.

So what is the secret to having a group of people who like each other this much? We like to think it starts from the top:

Have a Faculty Manager who is open, friendly, generous, laid-back, and inspires - rather than scares you into action.

Have Head Instructors that are objective who do not nit-pick about minor details, but encourage you to find your own style in order to become the best instructor you can be.

Have instructors who are willing to share materials, secrets, and tips of the trade that work for them, rather than hog them away so that only they can be number 1.

Have a fun-loving and high-spirited group of people who are friendly, honest, open, and up for new things.

But most importantly, the real beauty of Junggye is that we consider ourselves a family; not just a group of co-workers. Cheesy as this may sound, we actually call ourselves the “Junggye Family” because here, that’s just what we are. We find ourselves laughing, crying, teasing one another, and experiencing life together. We have students wondering what really happens in the break room because at any given time there is animated discussion, laughter, and sometimes even a dance contest or two.

Singing at Hweshik (Company Outing) & Silly Bonding
Noraebang & St. Pattys Day

Paparazzi Bonding

Me, Norma & Susie, Eugene, Mark, Juliann, & Dan B.

Everland & Hiking
John, Marc, Dave & Dave and Hannah

Girls & Boys Bonding

Hannah, Mierie, Ellie & Dan C., Mark, Dan B.

Jeju & Busan Trip Bonding
Paula, Susie, Norma & Me + Eugene & Dave

Most of us have met people here who will be in our lives long after teaching in Korea becomes a distant memory. We may leave because the teaching experience has forever scarred us, or simply, that our year is up and we need to move on to the next stage of our lives. Despite the reasons, we leave with a genuine feeling of love for our co-workers – our family. Even when we have to go our separate ways; we are always part of the family. It’s this special bond that keeps people coming back to visit long after they have moved on to different lives.

The Junggye Family

In the end, what you learn about yourself at Junngye is that it doesn’t matter where you are from or what you identify with. To everyone here, you are simply a person, and even more importantly, you are family. One veteran at Junggye put it best “It doesn’t even matter if you leave the country… once Junggye-er, always a Junggye-er”. You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family, and with a family like Junggye, why would you want to?

*This article was published in the Chungdahm Summer/ Fall edition of Culture newsletter written & edited by Norma Ojehomon & Shadiyah Lim.