If you're considering studying about Korea, or doing research about Korea for your PhD, here's a hard truth: if you're not a Korean national (and it's a good idea even if you are) you need Korea specialists on your dissertation committee. FULL STOP. Why?
1) If you want a job dealing with Korea or funding from Korea you need the rec letters of people who are *known to know about Korea*
They literally are confirming your legitimacy and worth as someone who would know.
They literally are confirming your legitimacy and worth as someone who would know.
2) Korea specialists can catch you on your misunderstandings, suggest good readings, make connections and introductions.
Storytime:
I once saw a woman's dissertation abstract. It was full of the hippest theoretical ideas and addressed a topic very close to my own work.
Storytime:
I once saw a woman's dissertation abstract. It was full of the hippest theoretical ideas and addressed a topic very close to my own work.
I even found an article online where her advisor praised her amazing work!
Her abstract HAD A TYPO IN KOREAN. She didn't even need to include Korean. But she had her "key term" in han-geul (to look cool?), but spelled wrong. That's how bad her Korean was.
Her abstract HAD A TYPO IN KOREAN. She didn't even need to include Korean. But she had her "key term" in han-geul (to look cool?), but spelled wrong. That's how bad her Korean was.
I started reading-- she literally had NO IDEA about the basic facts. Like if you were explaining trees and you didn't know that they photosynthesized-- that kind of basic info.
THAT is what happens when you have no one to check your understanding. You literally end up with mud
THAT is what happens when you have no one to check your understanding. You literally end up with mud
on your face.
You need to have specialists on Korea to check your work, even if it's just one.
Do not be the woman who wrote an entire dissertation based on misheard and misunderstood assumptions as she bumbled through Korea without enough Korean ability.
You need to have specialists on Korea to check your work, even if it's just one.
Do not be the woman who wrote an entire dissertation based on misheard and misunderstood assumptions as she bumbled through Korea without enough Korean ability.
When you're done with your PhD, if you're going to follow up with Korea-related work, esp. in academia, you cannot expect to be successful if no one can vouch for your linguistic ability or your research.
A Korean national, b/c of the legitimacy of their Korean passport, can
A Korean national, b/c of the legitimacy of their Korean passport, can
do a PhD without someone to check that they know what color the sky is in Korea. They probably need other sorts of feedback more than they need someone to check what they know about Korea. But if you're not, find a program where someone *is* a specialist in Korea.
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