INTRODUCTION
Sport and physical activity are well and truly on the rise. Worldwide, universities everywhere are taking advantage of what regular exercise has on the learning mind. Healthy diet, a weekly workout and you’re well on your way to increased focus and keeping the knowledge sponge as porous as possible.
In Seoul, though, it’s done a little differently. They understand how advancements have improved both the quality and longevity of human life, but their initial goal is to pass down this information to keep human life as convenient and free from as many mental and physical horrors as possible.
The university campus is broken up into different centres, which feature all necessary and relevant facilities within walking distance, the Centre for Sports Development and Promotion, is where we’ll be focusing today.
WHAT IS THE SPORTS CULTURE LIKE IN SEOUL
The emphasis on sports is huge. Featuring a wide array of sports facilities such as a baseball court, athletics track, multiple basketball courses and more.
The university features a philosophy which runs from the ground up, from undergraduate students to professors. It mentions how the body, morals and knowledge are all keys to becoming the best leaders you can be, especially in the sports field. The students are encouraged to embody a real connection to everyone around them, enhancing the community and overall spirit of the university.
Since they’ve hosted a handful of major sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, a Summer Olympics and now most recently a Winter Olympics, Universities all over South Korea seem hell-bent on constant improvement from the experience of hosting these large-scale events.
Working to further the inclusion of sports culture among students, adding walking and running paths to the campus maps as well as looking to develop more sports into the recreational and competitive curriculums.
SPORTING SUCCESS OF SOUTH KOREA
- Hosted the 1988 Sumer Olympic games, obtaining 33 medals in the process 13 of which were gold.
- Co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan, reaching the Semi-Finals for the first time in their history and becoming the first nation outside of Europe and The Americas to do so.
- Organized the 2018 Winter Olympics, coming in 7th place with 17 medals
IMPACT OF SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY’S SPORTS CULTURE ON STUDENTS
It’s a university that does things differently. Often stated in the physical education student handbook how important the mind, body and morals are. They’d like their students to carry great knowledge from their time spent learning and carry it forwards with great integrity and goodness of heart.
Touching on the spirituality side of things further, each fall term starts with a field trip in which students hike in the countryside with their peers and professors. This encourages a more open discussion about life and knits a solid trust and togetherness among the educational community.
The sports culture here is very endearing and soul-warming. It’s about taking your teachings and passing them down, keeping the flow of knowledge and betterment trickling down as you become leaders, either in the playground or in a sports business of some kind.
CONCLUSION
It’s clear to see, thanks to this forward-thinking university, the future of sports management shines brightly in South Korea. There’s a clear plan and thoroughly executed vision that’s running through the foundations and right to the summit.
We really love the identity of making everyone feel involved and connected on a deep, transcendent level. It’s nice knowing you can open up to anyone about anything and you feel like all the students can be a truer version of themselves because of it.
At the National University of Seoul, there’s plenty to admire and we hope they’ll be hosting another major sports event soon because everything their teachings are built upon flourishes and flashes outstandingly with culture.
