Economic Development Volunteering in South Korea

These past 3 months in Korea have been a dream. I’ll be real the whole waiting through covid thing wasn’t easy, but actually landing in Korea was a literal dream come true. My interest in Korea kinda grew exponentially over the past few years after watching about every Korean drama I could set my eyes on (I know… basic) but I quickly felt like it was the place for me. My internship there confirmed this. I come from a fashion/design background and my host company basically couldn’t have been any more perfect, working alongside young Korean fashion designers was such good experience for me and my future. I learnt so much and took so much inspiration, that in itself I think is super valuable. Work aside, I probably don’t have to say how amazing Seoul is. I think I had a bit too much fun and a bit too much food (at least if I’m listening to my waistline). Also now I think back to it I’m super grateful Meiji arranged the accommodation for me, I just don't have the patience for that especially in a language I don’t speak. So basically if you haven't got it by now, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. I literally can't thank Meiji enough lol I feel like it’s going to be real hard to match this experience.

I'll start by saying that if you have the means to intern abroad then you should simply do it, there is truly no other experience like it. That said, do I recommend Meiji Internships as an internship provider? All I can say is that they made everything nice and simple for me and were there every step of the way. It can be very intimidating to find accommodation on your own, especially in an Asian country where you don't even speak the language, so for me it was really a no brainer to seek for help. Since I wanted to do my internship in Korea it just made sense for me to go with Meiji instead of other providers because they specialize in Asian countries and that just made it seem like they would know better than companies that aren't specialized in any particular region. From the beginning it was clear that they knew what they were doing, they were always polite, friendly and made sure to tailor my internship experience to my needs, I'm very happy with the company I was assigned to and more than just working I had a GREAT time in Seoul.

My two months helping homeless children and supporting them with educational activities was a very intense, yet rewarding experience for me. Initially, I wanted to engage in other social projects with animals and street dogs in Korea. Meiji recommended me to consider this type of volunteer internship as it is becoming a social problem in Korea and it would give me a good insight in how I could develop my skills for helping others. I really felt that my communicational and organisational skills improved tremendously, not to mention of all the great Korean & international friends I made during my time. I booked my own accommodation as I went with the placement package. If I could change anything I would have booked my accommodation with Meiji. The other Meiji intern I met had a really good time there and made a lot of friends. The sharehouse that I found by myself was not the cleanest and quite far away from my internship placement.