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[School of Hallyu] Dongguk University offers hands-on experience in content production

Published: 19 Jun. 2022, 18:33 Updated: 03 Mar. 2023, 17:41

Star of 2021 Netflix show “Squid Game” Lee Jung-jae, center, is a graduate of Dongguk University. [NETFLIX]

Netflix Korea's award-winning TV series “Squid Game” (2021) did more than just put Korea at the forefront of the global entertainment scene: Some of the stars that rose to international stardom, such as Lee Jung-jae, Oh Young-soo and Kim Joo-ryeong, also put their alma mater, Dongguk University, on the global university map.

But these stars are far from being the only — or even the first — to represent Dongguk University. Cho Yeo-jeong of award-winning 2019 film “Parasite,” Jun Ji-hyun of 2012 film “The Thieves” and 2013 TV drama “My Love from The Star,” and Shin Min-ah of 2021 TV drama “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” are all graduates of the school. K-pop celebrities like Yoon-ah of Girls Generation, Son Na-eun of Apink and Sunmi, former Wonder Girls member, also completed their education at Dongguk.

Even now, students on campus may come across celebrity actors like Jin Ji-hee, from SBS drama “Penthouse” (2020-21), walking to class or Jungwoo of girl group Bvndit, who just enrolled as a freshman this year, talking to classmates. Budding entertainers, like actor Lee Kyeong-min from “The Uncanny Counter” (2020-21) on OCN, can also be found roaming the campus.

Actor Jun Ji-hyun of 2013 TV drama “My Love from The Star” is a graduate of Dongguk University. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

“I wanted to study at the campus where so many prominent actors have studied and trained,” Lee said of his thoughts as he applied to the school. He is now a senior just waiting for the day he himself can call the school his alma mater.

During his time off from school after finishing his freshman year, Lee signed with a management agency and was then cast for a role in “The Uncanny Counter,” through which he made his official acting debut. Since then, the opportunities have kept coming.

“The university has a very analytic approach to acting in general,” said Lee. “If you were to move your body some way, there always has to be a reason why you do it. The classes teach you to pay attention to the littlest details.”

Actor and singer Yoona of Girls’ Generation completed her education at Dongguk University. [JTBC]

Dongguk University, established in 1906, introduced its theater major for aspiring entertainers in 1960. Budding from that one major, the university now has an entire theater department dedicated to educating and training aspiring entertainers. Its film and digital department, which is also under the arts college along with the theater department, has similarly been garnering attention for those who still want to be part of the production, but from behind the camera. The graduate school of film and digital is also gaining popularity, especially among international students looking to get their postgraduate degree in Korea.

An aerial view of the Dongguk University campus in Jung District, central Seoul [DONGGUK UNIVERSITY]

Out of the 1,018 students enrolled in either the film and digital department or the theater department, international students in the theater department account for 3.3 percent, or 34 students, and 5.1 percent, or 154 students, in the film and digital department. The majority of international students come from China and Taiwan, with 86 in the theater department and 130 in the film and digital department. Other students come from some 20 different countries and regions including Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the Netherlands, Nepal, Germany, Bangladesh, Australia, Austria, Indonesia, Chile and Canada.

“Before, many of the students who came to Korea to attend school were heads of Korean celebrity fan clubs in their own countries,” said Prof. Tcha Sung-jai of the university's film and digital department.

Actor Kim Hye-soo of 2012 film “The Thieves” completed her education at Dongguk University [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Chen Yu, now a junior at Dongguk University, first dreamed about coming to Korea to study after becoming a fan of SM Entertainment’s boy band EXO. She wanted to work in a field where she could work on projects for her favorite K-pop stars. Even back home in China, she worked as a part-time photographer whenever local singers would hold live performances, hoping one day that she would get a chance to take professional photos of Korean stars. Her distant dream of coming to Korea become more concrete as she started browsing schools for her undergraduate degree two years ago. She wanted to focus on making music videos, so she chose to apply to Dongguk University's film and digital department.

“Based on my research, this school seems to be at the top of the field I’m interested in,” Chen said. “So many professors have work experience in production companies so they can give practical lessons, and the school provides all the facilities and equipment necessary for students to get involved in video productions.

“Of course, being a fan of K-pop isn’t the only thing that made me want to come here, but it really inspired me to want to come to Korea when I was younger.”

To get herself better adjusted to campus life, Chen chose to take some special classes only open to international students. These classes are taught in Korean, but the academic staff make the lecture more approachable for those who are not yet fluent in Korean. While she went for all foreigner-only classes last semester, this semester she decided to mix it up with some regular classes as well as her Korean language skills improved.

Actor Shin Min-ah of 2021 “Hometown Cha Cha Cha is a graduate of Dongguk University. [TVN]

“We focus on helping international students mingle well with Korean students in and outside of the classroom so that they can be reliable partners to work with, even years after completing their education,” said Prof. Tcha. “Since there is no line separating films from TV dramas any more thanks to over-the-top [OTT] platforms, we invite these international students to share content trends in their home countries in class so that Dongguk students can have a more refined viewpoint when it comes to planning out what contents to create.”

In class, students do everything from scratch. They write down the proposal to raise funds to put together their creative work, then plan out who they will cast to play the roles and how long they will film and edit. Through this process, students become prepared for the real-world work environment. And making a small production themselves helps them prepare for productions of any size, even for the currently trending OTT platforms.

“I think Korea has been known as a top country when it comes to content production,” Tcha said, explaining why international talents choose the Korean school for their education. “And since the school focuses on hands-on experiences in its classes, many potential students get interested in coming here for all the experiences that they can use right away when they get a job at a production company.”

Actor Choi Min-sik, best known for 2003 film “Oldboy," is a graduate of Dongguk University. [STUDIO 706]

Taiwanese graduate student Liao Chia Hsuan focuses on strategically planning out the production of visual content, such as dramas or films, to be released on OTT platforms and in offline theaters.

“Besides learning how to make content, I have been learning what distribution channels to use for different types of content and how to make certain content appeal to consumers,” said Liao. “The practical lessons professors offer in class have helped me stay more up-to-date with new and changing trends in the entertainment industry.”

Inside the university’s Lee Haelang Theater where students and other professional performers put their gig on stage [DONGGUK UNIVERSITY]

To keep up with the trends seen in popular Korean shows and for a little extra pocket money for her life in Seoul, she also works as a part-time translator for entertainment shows, which she found through fellow Taiwanese international students studying in Korea. She works with an agency based in Taiwan that assigns her with Korean productions that need to be translated in Chinese. She has worked on the ongoing hit reality show “One Night Two Days” on KBS and other dramas like “Again My Life” (2022) on SBS.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [[email protected]]