The puipose of this inteiview was to gathei a little moie insight into

euucation in South Koiea, as well as the Koiean school system. I also wanteu to
biiefly look at the acceptance of stuuents with uisabilities both in society anu
euucation. Finally, I wanteu to finu out what techniques, if any aie useu to help
stuuents with uisabilities.
I took the oppoitunity to inteiview Bwansun Kang. I chose Bwansun because he
knows how to communicate in English, as well as hau seveial yeais expeiience in
the aiea of teaching in South Koiea. Bwansun also believes in being veiy honest
about things, so I knew I woulu be able to get tiuthful answeis fiom him. Bwansun
attenueu univeisity in South Koiea foi foui yeais wheie he eaineu his physical
euucation uegiee. Be has also completeu a mastei's uegiee, with ieseaich in the
affective uomain of leaining. Bwansun has been a PE teachei foi 1u yeais at Chung
Nyeong Bigh School, which is a public school in Koiea. Because Bwansun lives anu
woiks in Koiea, his fiist language is Koiean. Be has stuuieu English in the past, but
sometimes he coulu not think of the iight woiu to use to expiess his thoughts anu
answeis. Foi this ieason, some of the iesponses Bwansun pioviueu have been
changeu to become moie giammatically coiiect. No changes in thoughts anu iueas
have been maue.










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Bwansun: People with special neeus aie not wiuely accepteu in Koiea. Nost
stuuents with special neeus go to special schools. They uo not go to iegulai schools.
Theie aie goveinment guiuelines that must be followeu to ueteimine what type of
school these stuuents go to. A lot of Koieans aie filleu with feai when they see
people with special neeus oi uo not have any thinking towaius these people.


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Bwansun: Yes, as we expeiience moie inteinational phenomenon we become moie
accepting of people who aie uiffeient. 0ne viueo that has impacteu a lot of people in
Koiea is 'No Limbs, No limits' which is about a man (Nick vujicic) who was boin
with no aims anu no legs.. We can see that he is no uiffeient fiom you anu me. Be
may have no aims anu no legs, but he is still a human anu has feelings. People like
him help us to become bettei people anu moie full of couiage. They also can pass on
theii happiness to us because they look happy, even though they have a uisability.


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Bwansun: I'm not suie. I think we can change oui thinking about people with
special neeus, but if the goveinment uoesn't change the iules anu guiuelines foi
people with special neeus. I uon't think that theie will be a lot of changes.

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Bwansun: I teach PE in a co-eu high school. In Koiea, the high school system is
uiviueu into thiee uiffeient levels. The lowest level is the vocationaltechnical
school, the miuule level is the geneial high school, anu the top level is the high-
acauemic schools, usually the foieign language schools. Ny school is somewheie
between a geneial anu high-acauemic high school. The stuuents aiiive at my school
at 7:Su anu usually go home aiounu 1u:uupm at night. The stuuents have 7 classes
in a uay. The classes aie Su minutes each. The stuuents stait each uay in theii
homeioom class. Each class has about SS-4u stuuents. The stuuents stay in theii
classiooms foi most of the uay. Although they leain uiffeient subjects, the teacheis
move fiom class to class. Aftei school is finisheu, the stuuents stay at the school to
stuuy.

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Bwansun: Yes, we uo have stuuents with uisabilities. We have 1u-1S stuuents with
uisabilities but they aie not aggiessive. All these stuuents can walk, talk, see, anu
heai. Some stuuents have low unueistanuing abilities anu some stuuents have
minoi physical challenges. Theie aie also a few stuuents with speech pioblems.
None of oui stuuents with uisabilities aie aggiessive oi have changeable minus
(meaning they uo not have majoi moou swings anu theiefoie aie unpieuictable).

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Bwansun: Stuuents in oui school know that those with special neeus get tieateu
slightly uiffeient at school. Foi example, all stuuents attenu 7 classes eveiy uay at
school. Bowevei, special neeus stuuents attenu 2-S classes a uay. The iest of the
uay is spent paiticipating in special outings with the S special teacheis in oui school.
Nost stuuents uo not ieally communicate with these stuuents, but they aie not
mean oi aggiessive to these stuuents in any way. In Naich, as the school yeai
begins, each class teachei asks stuuents who wants to help the special stuuents in
that class. 0sually, one stuuent is happy to volunteei to be the helpei to the special
stuuents in the class.

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Bwansun: Fiist, we uiscuss the meaning of volunteei. The stuuents in oui school
like this iesponsibility. Also, the stuuents aie moie kinu than yeais past. 0sually,
finuing a volunteei to help stuuents with uisabilities is not uifficult.


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Bwansun: In Naich oi Apiil, the beginning of the school yeai, I speak to the stuuents
as humans. I shaie the basic iules of the school anu my classes anu I iequest
stuuent's ieligion. I spenu some time piaying with themfoi them. I uo this because
I want to show love to the stuuents anu that I am happy they aie heie. If they uon't
piay anu just stanu theie with ciosseu aims snickeiing, I still show acceptance of
them anu encouiage them. 0thei than that, we uon't uo any community builuing.
Koiean schools focus on leaining skills anu memoiizing. We uon't feel that builuing
community is impoitant. But now that you've explaineu community builuing to me I
see how impoitant it ieally is. I am going to take these iueas back to my school anu
tiy them. In my PE classes, oui fiist class is oiientation. I explain to the stuuents the
4 oi S uiffeient activity scheuules foi the yeai such as basketball, hanuball etc., anu
explain each activity anu goals of the class. I also shaie the basic iules such as theii
unifoim, theii shoes anu about time.





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Bwansun: I think that they aie impoitant because the stuuents can leain to woik
togethei. They can also get to know one anothei bettei anu builu tiust amongst
theii classmates. I think in PE it is veiy impoitant because not eveiyone has the
same skills. If I can help them encouiage one anothei, I see moie stuuents enjoying
PE.


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Bwansun: I teach 8 classes of all boys. All of these classes aie PE. Thiee of these
classes have one oi two stuuents with special neeus. Bue to special outings,
sometimes these stuuents aie in class, anu sometimes they aie not. Touay, I uiu PE
testing in basketball. 0ne stuuent with moie seveie uisabilities just sits anu
obseives. Anothei stuuent was just playing alone while I was testing. I was
watching the stuuent who was playing anu saw that he coulu uo the skills (uiibbling
a basketball, anu shooting a basketball). I maikeu his skills while he was just
playing. Buiing PE classes I encouiage otheis to celebiate theii accomplishments
by clapping anu cheeiing.


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Bwansun: I am pietty suie I leaineu about stuuents with uisabilities in univeisity.
Bowevei, I can't iemembei. Befoie, I uiun't think that stuuents with uisabilities,
cuiiiculum anu stiategies to help them weie impoitant because I hau no expeiience
with them anu I uon't know who they aiea. I uiun't think anything about them.
Aftei watching Nick vujicic anu the man who ian a tiiathlon with his uisableu son
my views changeu. I went to giauuate school anu stuuieu the affective uomain. I
think the feelings aie moie impoitant than the cognitive uomain anu the othei
uomain (coulun't think of the woiu foi psychomotoi uomain). I iealizeu that I
neeueu to change. I am moie conceineu about helping stuuents with uisabilities in
my school anu want to leain moie ways to help them.

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Bwansun: No.

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Bwansun: Yes, I think that I use some of the stiategies of 0niveisal uesign foi
leaining, but only in this aiea (multiple means of iepiesentation aiea). I think I
neeu to stuuy these moie anu stait using moie in my class. I want to help my
stuuents, anu fiom talking with you so fai, I can see theie aie moie things that I can
uo to help my stuuents be happy in school.

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Bwansun: Yes, I think this is something that I can think about. I haven't hau much
time to look at this, anu some of the woius I uon't unueistanu. I think I can use
these iueas to help my stuuents.

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Bwansun: Biffeient leaining. Yes.

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Bwansun: The School makes uiffeient classes foi math anu English. Befoie in PE,
uiffeient levels uiu uiffeient activities (uiibbling, anu otheis playing game). Now I
teach basic skills foi S weeks, then we just play games so that stuuents can enjoy the
game (basketball, hanuball etc.). The leaining is veiy stanuaiu. We can't change the
ways we giaue. The heau teachei chooses the way we giaue anu it is veiy haiu to
change these.

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Bwansun: The leaining is veiy stanuaiu. We can't change the ways we giaue. The
heau teachei chooses the way we giaue anu it is veiy haiu to change these. Foi
example, iight now stuuent's skills aie woith 1uu, wiitten woik is woith 7u anu
time is woith Su, but I uon't think this is the way it shoulu be. I think we shoulu
focus moie on enjoying the spoits than on skills anu wiiting. The stuuents uon't
usually have choices.







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Bwansun: Teacheis uon't caie about iules. We think that the stuuents know the
iules anu expectations by high school age. The only iules I have in place aie about
theii time (time to be changeu by) anu theii unifoims.

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Bwansun: No. Foi example, stuuents uon't take off theii clothes when they entei
the school. (Be was iefeiiing to clothing outsiue of theii school unifoim
iegulations). They know this iule but they uon't follow it.

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Bwansun: They go home.

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Bwansun: Wow! I nevei thought of making this foi my classioom. I think this will
help my stuuents unueistanu the iules moie anu pioviue me with ways to iewaiu
stuuents foi following the iules, while also having consequences if they uo not
follow the iules. I like the iuea of having stuuents sign the behavioi management
plan so that they have committeu to being iesponsible anu iespectful at school. If
theie aie pioblems I can ieminu them of what they signeu to tiy anu keep them
accountable. I think that teaching the stuuents the pioceuuies aie impoitant too.
We have fiie uiills thiee times a yeai. Eveiy time the stuuents just leave the
builuing it is ciazy. Theie aie stuuents eveiywheie. Sometimes we uon't know
wheie oui stuuents aie. I think if we teach the stuuents the pioceuuies we will
know wheie all oui stuuents aie.


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Bwansun: We have staff meetings once a week, but in these meetings it is just the
piincipal anu heau teacheis talking. No teachei has the oppoitunity to talk. I
usually sit at my uesk anu spenu time on my smait phone. The piincipal anu heau
teacheis only shaie announcements, nothing special. PE teacheis also gathei anu
talk about issues with iegaius to stuuents. We meet twice a week. Nost teacheis
uon't uo this, but I also like to meet with my stuuents. I talkeu to a stuuent
yesteiuay actually about why he uoesn't want to uo PE. I founu out that his paients
have uivoiceu (which is fiowneu upon in Koiean society). I went to his class
teachei (homeioom teachei) to tell him about the issues this stuuent is
expeiiencing. I also talk to the special teacheis (special euucation assistants) about
some stuuents, but this uoesn't happen veiy often.

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Bwansun: No, many Koiean stuuents commit suiciue because of theii euucation
expeiiences. Koiean stuuents stuuy veiy haiu anu get veiy little sleep. Also, I think
kius uon't follow the iules at school so that they will get sent home so that they uon't
have to stuuy.

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Bwansun: I see the biggest pioblem is that Koiean euucation focuses on !"#
(memoiization). The kius leain in the cognitive uomain anu sometimes the
psychomotoi uomain. I think the Koiean school system uoes not woiiy about the
affective uomain, but I see now that it is so impoitant.

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Bwansun: I think we neeu moie foieigneis, like you, coming to South Koiea to
speak to the goveinment anu euucatois to show uiffeient ways of leaining that may
be moie inteiesting. It is veiy uifficult foi Koieans to change the view of the
goveinment anu the ways of euucation, so I think foieigneis can help us.


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Bwansun: Ny pleasuie


P$<-$8#'0")


Fiom what I have seen, anu thiough the inteiview with Bwansun, I feel that
Koiean citizens foi the most pait aie not fonu of inclusive euucation. Although
theie aie a few stuuents with minoi uisabilities in some schools in South Koiea,
most of these stuuents attenu schools just foi those with uisabilities. I think that the
iecent tienus have shifteu slightly, anu moie often stuuents with uisabilities aie
being accepteu in noimal schools. I know in the past that people with uisabilities in
Koiea have been fiowneu upon, anu often avoiueu like the plague. I feel that uue to
moie inteinational expeiiences that people in South Koiea aie moie willing to open
themselves up anu accept those who aie a bit uiffeient than them. Fiom my
expeiiences in Koiea, I feel that the youngei geneiations aie moie accepting than
the oluei geneiations anu aie moie flexible. I uon't know how easy it woulu be to
change the thinking of Koieans in geneial to be moie inclusive of those who aie
slightly uiffeient than they aie. I am not a Koiean, anu will nevei fully unueistanu
the Koiean cultuie.
In teims of euucation, I think that Koiea is lacking a bit in teaching teacheis
how to help stuuents, even those with special neeus. Bwansun coulu not iecall what
he hau leaineu in univeisity, if anything at all, about stuuents with special neeus. If
stuuents with uisabilities aie to be incluueu into the iegulai classioom, I feel that
goou backgiounu knowleuge on stiategies anu ways to suppoit stuuents with
special neeus neeus caieful attention to ensuie a smooth tiansition fiom special
schools to iegulai schools. In talking with Bwansun, I have the feeling that teacheis
uon't know how to woik with stuuents with special neeus anu theiefoie allow them
to sit on the siuelines without the suppoit they neeu to achieve theii best potential.
Bwansun, as a Chiistian, is veiy open to iueas anu suggestions fiom othei
aiounu him. Be is willing to make the changes in his teaching style, as much as
possible, in oiuei to help his stuuents. We spent a lot of time going thiough the
univeisal uesign foi leaining mouel anu thiough his unueistanuing of it, he was
eagei to tiy some of these things in his classioom in oiuei to help his stuuents. Be
was also eagei to cieate his own classioom behavioi anu management plan to be
moie cleai with his expectations, consequences, anu to cieate an action plan to help
him communicate with stuuents, paients anu othei teacheis. I know that it will be
haiu foi Bwansun to change the way that all teacheis think, as like the Westein
woilu, some teacheis, especially those who have been teachei foi uecaues, aie haiu
to change.
I was a little bit suipiiseu with the lack of iules anu pioceuuies anu teaching
of iules anu pioceuuies heie in Koiea. The Koiean society is geneially quite
iespectful to people that aie oluei than them, oi in supeiioi positions, so I was quite
shockeu to heai that in most cases Koiean stuuents uo not follow the iules. This
maue me wonuei why in schools, stuuents aien't as iespectful as outsiue of school.
Talking with Bwansun gave me a bit bettei peispective as to why. The chiluien heie
uo not like school because all they uo is sit in a classioom foi fifteen houis stuuying.
Theie is no cieativity alloweu in school, as theii goal is to memoiize as many things
as they can. Foi this ieason, the stuuents uo not have the oppoitunity to expeiience
uiffeientiation oi univeisal leaining by uesign. I am not necessaiily saying that
these two things can change the Koiean euucation system, but it might open up
some uoois to impiove the stuuents' affective uomain in teims of leaining. Stuuents
may be moie engageu anu inteiesteu in theii euucation if they hau options anu weie
taught to a leaining style that best meets theii neeus.
0ne thing that I feel that Koiean euucation uoes well, but can make
impiovements on is collaboiation. Nany teacheis have meetings to talk about
teaching anu theii stuuents. I think this is uefinitely impoitant to help the stuuents.
Bowevei, I think it is also impoitant that the piincipal anu heau teacheis uon't uo all
the talking in staff meetings. I think that eveiyone neeus an oppoitunity to shaie
things that can help impiove stuuent's euucation. If they aie alloweu to shaie anu
biainstoim iueas togethei, it can only benefit the stuuents. I think Bwansun
unueistanus the benefits of collaboiation anu eageily seeks to talk with otheis to
help his stuuents. The one example that Bwansun useu of taking his stuuent asiue
to finu out why he uiun't want to uo PE, anu then finuing out some of the emotions
the stuuent was feeling shows that he caies about his stuuents. Then, going to the
stuuents' home ioom teachei to explain the stuuents issues anu uiscussing ways
they can help the stuuents shows that Koiean euucation utilizes collaboiation too.
The one topic that Bwansun anu I uiscusseu in moie uetail aftei the
inteiview was ovei was the concept of stuuents committing suiciue. I askeu
Bwansun why so many young stuuents commit suiciue in South Koiea. Bwansun
wasn't quite suie why stuuents commit suiciue because of school. I know that theie
aie a lot of piessuies on stuuents heie in Koiea to be high achieving. Nany stuuents
aie embaiiasseu oi extiemely upset if they uo not get 1uu% on an assignment oi
test. Theii families get angiy, anu quite often they just stuuy haiuei anu longei.
Peisonally, I, unlike Bwansun, uon't agiee that a westein school system anu style
aie the answeis to a bettei euucation in Koiea. I think the fiist goal is to ask
stuuents why they uon't like school anu what causes them to think about
committing suiciue. Aftei this is uone, a new school system can be cieateu which
meets the neeus of the stuuents while still meeting the uemanus of the Koiean
cultuie.
Inteiviewing someone with a uiffeient cultuie anu language has been
challenging. I may not have been able to ask questions anu ieceive answeis in
ielation to the big topics of this couise, howevei, it has pioviueu me with a bettei
unueistanuing of the Koiean euucation system, anu why my stuuents aie often
confuseu anu ieluctant to paiticipate in moie cieative activities when they come to
the inteinational school. I have cieateu a gieat inteiest in Koiean euucation, anu
Bwansun has cieateu a gieatei inteiest in leaining moie about how to give his
stuuents choice. I have inviteu Bwansun to come anu obseive some of my classes to
see the way some of the iules, pioceuuies, univeisal uesign of leaining stiategies
anu uiffeientiation aie useu in my classioom. Be has also inviteu me to visit his
school to leain moie about the Koiean euucation system, anu to also help him see
aieas wheie he can help his stuuents moie. We may not be in the same school;
howevei, we aie taking the time to collaboiate acioss cultuies anu euucation
systems.