High School Language Immersion Programs in South Korea

The program , from application to flight info to class navigation, was super smooth and easy. Clear instruction is always provided. Not only are the other kids friendly, but the teachers and program leaders are amazing.

So fun W trip I had a W time this trip so fun and bussin food I will be returning for the adventure maybe to a more wild location like the wilderness so I had a W time thank you rustic pathways for this

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewJuly 22, 2025

Hi Sofia!! We love to hear it was a great trip all around! So glad you had fun and enjoyed the food too. We’ll be ready for you when you're ready to take on nature next! See you next summer :)

Actually, now I will be 3rd grade of High school and willing to apply University after getting High school diploma in Korea. I have nothing about Korean language so I just had few months in High school exchange program, it was quite new experiences, something was stupid because of lack of language issues. Now I can speak Korean much better than before and keep going high level. I moved another High school but still chat and rarely meet with Korean friends when I first came in Korea. It is good to know my Korean friends and people.^^

I had a wonderful time participating in this program. It was very well-organized and offered a variety of activities that allowed me to immerse myself in Korean culture. Each experience was thoughtfully planned, making it easy to engage and learn. I would definitely want to join this program again in the future!

I could not adjust well in China and not interested in study so my parents and I try to get better opportunities in Korea. Almost of High schools rejected me because not enough Korean language but VOYAGE Korea gave me a chance and persuaded many schools for me. NO I am a freshman in my High school and I so happy with my life in Korea. Everyday is lovely and curious and want to go everywhere if I can...haha!

My son enjoyed the service work with seniors and children that they did in South Korea with Rustic Pathways. He also said the food especially the chicken was delicious and the karaoke was a lot of fun.

This past July I had the opportunity to take part in the 2023 South Korea immersion program by the experiment and it was a blast. We went to a variety of places ranging from Seoul shopping centers to museums and temples and traditional markets in Gwangju. Each day was jam packed with new activities and new international friends. The group dynamic was really comforting and the staff always supported us. This program also focuses on the growth of an individual and for me i’ve grown immensely. This trip really gave its students a sense of independence like going to the laundry mat to do our own laundry or hanging out with friends in an area of the city for a few hours. All of this independence led up to our free day where I met up with international friends I had met throughout the month. I learned about Korea’s dark history, their gorgeous scenery, and immersed myself into the language and trying to speak it. Although this trip was only a month, the memories I made will last a lifetime <3

I was interested in all the activities provided and I genuinely did enjoy my time in Korea. The adults supervising us were extremely respectful and helpful and the children in my group were also likeable and I am glad I got to share this experience with them. If I had to add anything, I would have to say the day we got to truly experience the culture and wear hanboks was my absolute favorite. The food was amazing and the demographic was even better. My entire experience was positive. I would say this changed me in a way where I would actually like to spend my future doing things revolving around peacebuilding internationally.

My experience with the Experiment was phenomenal. You are able to experience traveling aboard while learning the Culture and traditions of a new environment. The leaders were nice, respectful and would check up on you regularly. Overall it was a good experience.

I spent the entire month of July participating in The Experiment's K-Culture and Peacebuilding program. I hadn't been on a plane since I was a toddler, and I'd never traveled without family before. Despite my tremendous excitement for the opportunity, I was also extremely anxious. It ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. Every participant and group leader was easy to connect with, and I feel I've formed incredible bonds. I was also able to achieve my goal of reconnecting with my language and culture, and I returned home feeling more worldly, knowledgeable, and sociable. With the help of The Experiment, I was able to take a trip I never would have been able to take on my own, experience incredible moments, and learn invaluable lessons. I will treasure the memories from this trip for a lifetime.

The Experiment in international Livings South Korea program was an amazing trip and experience. I was born in South Korea but at a very young age I move to the United States of America. This trip was a great way to learn about the people and culture of the place I was born. During the trip I visited many incredible places for example we visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace, The Korean War Museum, Han River, the DMZ, and many more incredible places. My personal favorite places we visited was the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Han River, and Seoul. I learned so much about the old and new traditions and culture of South Korea. It was amazing to see how technologically advanced Korea was. There were robot servers at restaurants and robotic guides in the airport. The food was another highlight of the trip. Korean cuisine was very different compared to America. The seasonings as well as the food ingredients themselves were different. I’ve had a good amount of Korean food growing up but there was a difference between having it in the USA vs having it in Korea. At the end of our trip, we met with a group of Korean high school students and did many activities with them. We visited Cheongju and learned about the Korean presidents, we attended a student lead fair and toured through an art museum. It was a lot of fun to learn about their lives as students in Korea and what their plans for the future were. At the very end of the trip, we were allowed to explore the city of Seoul and I was able to meet with a friend from America that was there as an exchange student. They gave me a tour of the surrounding area and we did some shopping. My biggest take away from the trip would have to be the culture of South Korea. Korea is so different than the US in so many ways. There are definitely cultural mannerisms I’ve taken back to the US and that I’ve implemented into my daily life. I would love to go back to visit again.

I will never forget this amazing trip. From wearing traditional clothes to dancing modern K-pop. Learning about my host family and their daily life was awesome. I am so glad I was able to participate, and better myself through these experiences and knowledge.

This summer I had the greatest opportunity to go to South Korea for one month. I applied and was accepted to the Experiment of International Living and had the best month of my life! It was my first time out of the country and going without my family, and with complete strangers was a new challenge for me to face. A few days before I left for study abroad trip, I was nervous about eating new foods and meeting the group I was going to be with for an entire month. But once I got to know everyone and meet them for the first time, everyone was really nice and sweet. I knew a long lasting friendship was going to happen. Once we got to South Korea, I felt like I was in a completely new world. Everything was very advanced, especially the technology. People were speaking in Korean and there were many signs in Hangul, the Korean language, and English. When we got to Incheon Airport, we met one of our Korean partners. He was very sweet, friendly, and spoke really good English to us. We took a bus to Seoul and stayed at a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing guest house. We stayed there for around one week and during that time we went to many museums, including the War Memorial of Korea, the National Museum of Korea, the War and Women's Museum, and the DMZ. During this month, the main topic we were learning about peace building and modern culture. The whole month involved the topic about peace and the Korean War. It was interesting and fascinating to learn more about the divide between the two nations and what the people of South Korea think of the division. I noticed that they all hope for a future where both nations can come to an agreement to become one Korea again and have no more war against each other. After a week in Seoul, we spent 4 days in Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. We went to the beach and walked around some of the city during the night. It was absolutely beautiful! We also had the opportunity to meet with high school students from Busan and did peace workshops with them, played traditional games, and went to the Astronomical Observatory. Meeting the students was really fun and we bonded well with each other. We even keep in contact with them through social media. Next stop was Gwangju, where we made traditional Korean treats, experienced a traditional Korean wedding, visited the Archives of the May 18th Democractic Movement, and did a dance class. My favorite part of the entire trip was the dance class because it was really fun and challenging. Another important part of this peacebuilding trip was the 3 day temple stay. We traveled to Gimje and stayed at a temple in the mountains. All of us had to wear matching uniforms and toured the multiple temples with Budda statues everywhere inside. There were very few monks and they all were very nice. The first morning we stayed, we had to wake up at 5 in the morning to pray to Budda. The ceremony was 15 minutes long and we had the opportunity to sleep in for another few hours. We also had the option of doing the morning ceremony the next day, but I decided not to. I liked that during the temple stay because we were allowed to do not do certain practices that made us feel uncomfortable. We were not forced and we had a choice of what we wanted to practice during our stay. After the stay in the mountains we went to a city called Goyang. In Goyang we would experience homestay with Korean families. Personally in this part of the trip, I did not have a good time because of how one of my host siblings treated me throughout that week. But during this time we did see the people from our original group and learned more about peace from the students in Goyang. We returned to Seoul after one week of homestay and relax, reflected, and cherished our last moments with each other. Overall, this trip was so life changing and empowering. I learned how to be on my own in a new country and loved the experience. Thank you to the Experiment in International Living for giving me this opportunity.

Over the summer I attended the South Korean trip on Peacebuilding and Modern Culture hosted by The Experiment. The program lasted for a month but flew by incredibly fast. I chose this trip due to my interest surrounding Peace in the Korean Peninsula, as well as my hopes to work in South Korea in the future. We completed various activities including; community service work with local teens, living and learning at a local Buddhist temple, as well as my favorite part… the homestay. My homestay family and I spent a week together, but through that week we grew closer than I could have ever imagined. They truly welcome me into their home and for the first time ever I finally got to have siblings. I still talk to my host sister and other Korean teens I met on the trip every day. The bonds I formed during my time in Korea were not the cliche type ones which we all forget about in a matter of a couple of weeks… they were the very real connections which I will foster and keep. Along with the connections I made, my Korean language skills improved dramatically due to this experience. I was able to have a conversation easily with Koreans in the end. The Korean people are so incredibly kind and I found myself in awe of my experience day after day. I grew as an individual dramatically in just the span of a month and my travel leaders especially were the ones to help me unlock this growth. I would strongly encourage this trip for those who are interested in East Asian culture, peace, and languages.

The South Korea program was such an exciting trip and experience. The culture in the country is something I have never experienced. To learn about how this small country went from being so poor to now thriving and a technologically advanced was mind blowing. The trip showed me that old traditions and new modern trends can come together beautifully. The Korea trip is in the summer so it gets quiet hot so i recommend packing light clothes and keeping water on you at all times. It was supposed to be their rainy season but it barely rained. Coming home from the trip I hope to tell my experience to whoever will listen in hope to spread the idea that there is a whole world out there beside our country worth learning about.

This study abroad trip absolutely changed my life and will forever effect who i am as a person. This was an amazing program to be apart of, and all aspects were executed perfectly The trip had a perfect amount of freedom and guidance. I was able to practice Korean at all times, with native speakers and feel super comfortable the whole time.

This trip started out with strangers whom in the end shed tears saying goodbye. It was a very organized trip. On the first day, before we got on the flight, the leaders made it a mission to get everybody familiar with each other. We played name games and ice breakers. By the time we got off the flight, we were chatting like we had known each other. I learned many things about the history of South Korea. The thing that stuck with me was 5.18 (Kwangju Uprising). In that disaster, many found ways to help out even if it was just giving blood. Another thing I learned was that South Korea is advanced in technology, maybe even more advanced than the U.S. They also have a very precise and earth friendly way of recycling. Nothing goes to waste. Going on this trip, I was most nervous about the home stay, but it turns out that was the most exciting part. My family was very friendly. The first day, we went shopping for Korean barbecue, went to norae bang (karaoke), and played traditional Korean games. They treated me as though I was one of them. To this day, I still keep in contact with them. It brightens my day when I wake to a text from my Korean mom. Currently to keep up my Korean language, I'm taking Korean at University of Maryland College Park. This trip made me realize that for college, it would be a great idea to study abroad in South Korea. The program gave me an opportunity to learn about South Korea and do more than imagine myself there. Thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity.

This was such a life changing experience. To be able to study youth empowerment and see it brought to awareness changed me for a better version of myself coming back to New York City. Going abroad has made me realize that both sides of a plate had to work together to stick together. I have been able to take away not only a new culture that I can call my own, but a plan to help bring world peace.

The experience I had was unbelievable, I cannot put my feelings into words. I met so many wonderful people and made great memories with them. We traveled all around South Korea and at each destination we did something new and different from anything I have done before. The leaders took care of us and the programs partners in Korea were outstanding and I miss them everyday. I am so lucky to have had this experience and it is something I will never forget. If you are planning on studying abroad I highly recommend this program.

Words cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for this opportunity. I learned and grew SO much, and The Experiment in International Living was a phenomenal program to go through. Firstly, the application process was very easy. The admissions staff was extremely helpful and they were willing to work with me. They answered questions promptly, kept me very informed, and worked with me in regards to finances. I was very impressed with the help and information that I received before I even left for the program! The program itself was very organized and professional. All of our travel and housing arrangements, both domestic and international were very well planned. Throughout the trip, my parents were very much at ease because they knew where I would be at a given time, and what I would be doing. They were also appreciative of the fact that they could call The Experiment headquarters at any time with questions or concerns. Not only were the travel logistics of the program very professional, the activities and curriculum were AMAZING. There was a perfect balance between classroom study, and hands on learning. I really enjoyed the language and culture classes/immersion, as well as the various workshops and lectures on leadership, peace, politics, communication etc. Although we worked hard in the classroom, we also had the opportunity to go into the city for hands-on learning. I learned SO much more by experiencing the culture first hand, and by actually talking to people in their language. The group leaders were absolutely incredible. They were professional, and responsible, and were more than just leaders..they were teachers. They were friends. They were mentors. I knew that if I EVER had a concern, worry, or fear, or if I just needed someone to talk to, I could turn to them. Their very first priority was always our safety, and then our learning. They were successful in both of these aspects. The admissions directors did a really great job at ensuring we had a diverse group. I learned as much about America, perhaps, as I did about South Korea. I learned lessons that can only be learned by experience, such as tolerance, respect, and love. To put it short, I embarked on this journey with 11 complete strangers, and came home with 11 new best friends. Overall, I was extremely impressed with The Experiment in International Living. I would highly recommend it. The program was great, the people were great, the experience was life changing.