안녕~ My name is Faafetai Kirifi and I am in my 4th year of University. I am a double degree student, studying for my Bachelor in Business Administration & Bachelor of Global Studies. I have an interest of learning about business in the Asian world and am very intrigued by the advances in technology made in Asia. I also have an interest in marketing and management, which is one of the reasons why ACOPIA was appealing. It offers a space to put into action skills needed in the marketing & management world. ACOPIA offers both a time to learn about the business world, while also increasing one’s knowledge of the Korean culture.

My interest in Asia is what brought me to South Korea. I have worked with ACOPIA for about 6 months and have learnt a lot since coming here. Since I joined ACOPIA in its busiest time, I had to work hard to catch up to understand how to complete my job so that it doesn't affect ACOPIA negatively. Time Management was an important concept that I learnt as deadlines were very short and needed to be met. I identified that working under pressure is one of my strengths and that I can work more effectively under pressure. Working with many people from different countries all around the world was interesting. Learning how to put our differences aside and to view ACOPIA’s vision in the eyes of the ‘Asian culture’ is what helped to bring the team together.

Working in ACOPIA has allowed me to see how politics affects one’s country. During the time I worked here, the disagreement between Japan and South Korea occurred. It was an obstacle we had to overcome together as Japan was one of ACOPIA’s main partners. This gave us an opportunity to broaden ACOPIA’s vision in reaching out to other Asian countries as well as opening up to the Western countries. KPOP had exploded in the recent years, especially in the Western countries, therefore we used this as an opportunity to focus on partnering with countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and many more. The work done in the second week of the internship was also to work with future partnerships. The job handed to me specifically needed for me to communicate with partnership overseas. Partnership deals is important in ACOPIA as it allows the company to expand and keep running. This point was proven during the challenge given by the changes in politics.

Through this internship, I was able to make friends from all over the world. The programs I had to monitor, for example the KPOP Training Camp or the Camp held for Japanese and Korean Students in Gurye gave me an opportunity to meet new people and to expand my circle of friends. ACOPIA had sent me on a trip to Gurye with the South Korean and Japanese students. It was a great opportunity as it opened our eyes to the agriculture of South Korea. Gurye is a small and picturesque farming town that many tourists visit to see South Korea from the mountains of Jiri-san. We learnt about the importance of the work of the elderly in the farms. My Korean also improved because of the classes ACOPIA provided. It was fun and easy going which made learning easier.

My communication, management, marketing and leadership skills has improved through this internship. It has provided a platform to put into practice the concepts I have learnt in University in regard to management and marketing. In order for our team to be effective, there needed to be clear communication. To lessen misunderstandings, I needed to learn to construct my sentences in an easier form to consider the other interns whose first language was not English. In regard to marketing skills, it was enhanced in the sense that everyday we were challenged in finding new ways of promoting ACOPIA’s programs. The more creative we were, the more participants we had which was a nice reward for the work we put in.

Life in South Korea has been great. Learning a new language, living in a new culture has broadened my understanding of South Korea. Often, the country is just seen as the place where it produces ‘KPOP Idols’ and ‘KDRAMA’, but many miss the beauty that lies within Korea. I was able to learn about the Korean history, visit museums and understand how South Korea today came to be. I was exposed to the South Korean culture that is influenced by Confucian principles that exists not only in family relations, but in business as well. Every restaurant I entered offered great table service, although the trains were packed, they were very fast making travelling from one place to another very convenient.

Overall, my 6 months in South Korea, working as an intern has changed and improved me as an individual. I am walking away with a greater understanding of South Korea and its people. It has been an experience unlike no other and one where you won’t understand until you come and experience it for yourself.