Embracing the arrival of autumn and the commencement of the 2023 fall semester, Kookmin University's (KMU) Student Council hosted the 'F!¡p' Autumn Festival from Sep.19 to Sep.21. While "flip" suggests a reversal or turning over, this event offered KMU students contrasting experiences throughout the day and night. F!¡p featured two distinct themes: an energetic athletic competition during the day and a romantic autumn festival at night. The official dress code for the festival was sporty attire, and many KMU students enthusiastically participated in the day booths, night booths, movie festival, and performances by both students and artists, donning athletic gear and sports uniforms. Both KMU students and international students appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the festival. THE KOOKMIN REVIEW conducted several interviews with Korean and international students present at the festival to gather their opinions on the event and identify potential improvements for a more enjoyable experience for all.

Interview No.1 with Korean Students

1. Could you please introduce yourselves?

We are Um Min-Seo, Kim Da-In, and Kim Jae-Hyun, all majoring in the Department of Economics.

2. The 2023 Autumn Festival hosts a variety of events, including day booths, night booths, a movie festival, and performances by both students and artists. Which event are you looking forward to participating in the most?

We're most excited about attending the night booth, which we haven't had a chance to experience before. We're also looking forward to the bars, which were not available at the festival in previous years. Of course, we're eagerly anticipating the performances by artists like Jung Yong-Hwa and Davichi.

3. On the school community app 'Everytime,' there was strong criticism of school budget management. Some people insisted that KMU should prioritize school maintenance over spending a significant amount of money on artist performances. What are your thoughts on this criticism?

While we understand that maintaining a balance between these two aspects can be challenging, we believe it's desirable to strive for such a balance. We've noticed that some other universities manage to invite popular artists while still maintaining their school facilities effectively. Therefore, even if KMU invests significantly in artist performances, it doesn't necessarily mean that school maintenance is being neglected. School festivals are considered a highlight of university life and an exclusive event for university students. Therefore, the criticism of school budget management seems somewhat unfounded.

4. If there were room for improvements to make the festival more enjoyable for everyone, what changes would you suggest?

Despite the current criticism directed at the Student Council, we genuinely appreciate their efforts in preparing and hosting the festival, which we're thoroughly enjoying. If we could make one
suggestion for improvement, it would be regarding the food trucks. We've noticed the same food trucks at every festival, so it would be more enjoyable to have a more diverse food menu. 

Interview No.2 with Korean Students

1. Could you please introduce yourselves?

We are Kim So-Myoung and Cho Bee, both majoring in KMU International Business School.


2. The 2023 Autumn Festival offers a wide range of events, including day booths, night booths, a movie festival, and performances by students and artists. Which event are you most eager to participate in?

We're looking forward to the artist performances the most, as we don't often get the chance to see them. We also enjoy band music and were big fans of CNBLUE, so we're excited about watching
Jung Yong-Hwa's performance. 

3. On the school community app 'Everytime,' there was strong criticism of school budget management. Some people insisted that KMU should prioritize school maintenance over spending a significant amount of money on artist performances. What are your thoughts on this criticism?

We believe it's desirable to strike a balance between investing in school facilities and artist performances. We've observed that many KMU students have been resorting to personal attacks against the Student Council lately. However, it should be constructive criticism rather than personal attacks. Instead of blindly attacking the Student Council, it would be wiser to identify the root causes of the issues and collectively seek solutions.

4. If there were room for improvements to make the festival more enjoyable for everyone, what changes would you suggest?

To keep the streets cleaner, it would be much better if there were more wastebaskets placed outside. Additionally, we wish there were more opportunities for KMU students to participate in student performances.

Interview No.1 with International Students

1. Where are you from? How long have you been in Korea, and what are you studying at KMU?

My name is Lukas Schoeneberg and I am from Germany. My major at KMU is Business Administration. I'm here as an exchange student for one semester, and I'm currently a sophomore.

2. What do you think of the fall festival? Is it different from festivals in your home country?

It's quite enjoyable. Firstly, we don't have anything similar in Germany, so it's quite fascinating. Particularly, the inclusion of bands playing in the concert area is great. We don't have this type of festival at our schools. We do have semester parties at the end of each semester where students gather and socialize at clubs near the university, but we don't have multi-day festivals with a wide
range of events.

3. Is there anything specific about the festival that you like: the day booths, night booths, movie festival, or performances by students and celebrities? 

Everything feels different, and that's what I appreciate about KMU's fall festival. In Germany, universities wouldn't typically spend money for students to attend a concert on campus. So, it's fascinating for me to see KMU invest in concerts for its own students. In Germany, we don't have high tuition fees, which may explain the difference.

4. What kind of improvements do you think could enhance the fall festival next year?

It would be great if they could add some signs in English. I noticed that all the information about the school festival was in Korean, and I had to rely on a translation app to understand it. Adding a sentence or two in English for foreign students would make it much easier for us to get acquainted with the festival.

Interview No.2 with Korean Students


1. Could you please introduce yourselves? 

We are Kim So-Myoung and Cho Bee, both majoring in KMU International Business School.

2. The 2023 Autumn Festival offers a wide range of events, including day booths, night booths, a movie festival, and performances by students and artists. Which event are you most eager to participate in?

We're looking forward to the artist performances the most, as we don't often get the chance to see them. We also enjoy band music and were big fans of CNBLUE, so we're excited about watching
Jung Yong-Hwa's performance. 

3. On the school community app 'Everytime,' there was strong criticism of school budget management. Some people insisted that KMU should prioritize school maintenance over spending a significant amount of money on artist performances. What are your thoughts on this criticism?


We believe it's desirable to strike a balance between investing in school facilities and artist performances. We've observed that many KMU students have been resorting to personal attacks against the Student Council lately. However, it should be constructive criticism rather than personal attacks. Instead of blindly attacking the Student Council, it would be wiser to identify the root causes of the issues and collectively seek solutions.

4. If there were room for improvements to make the festival more enjoyable for everyone, what changes would you suggest?

To keep the streets cleaner, it would be much better if there were more wastebaskets placed outside. Additionally, we wish there were more opportunities for KMU students to participate in student performances.

Interview No.1 with International Students

1. Where are you from? How long have you been in Korea, and what are you studying at KMU?

My name is Lukas Schoeneberg and I am from Germany. My major at KMU is Business Administration. I'm here as an exchange student for one semester, and I'm currently a sophomore.

2. What do you think of the fall festival? Is it different from festivals in your home country?

It's quite enjoyable. Firstly, we don't have anything similar in Germany, so it's quite fascinating. Particularly, the inclusion of bands playing in the concert area is great. We don't have this type of festival at our schools. We do have semester parties at the end of each semester where students gather and socialize at clubs near the university, but we don't have multi-day festivals with a wide
range of events.

3. Is there anything specific about the festival that you like: the day booths, night booths, movie festival, or performances by students and celebrities? 

Everything feels different, and that's what I appreciate about KMU's fall festival. In Germany, universities wouldn't typically spend money for students to attend a concert on campus. So, it's fascinating for me to see KMU invest in concerts for its own students. In Germany, we don't have high tuition fees, which may explain the difference.

4. What kind of improvements do you think could enhance the fall festival next year?

It would be great if they could add some signs in English. I noticed that all the information about the school festival was in Korean, and I had to rely on a translation app to understand it. Adding a sentence or two in English for foreign students would make it much easier for us to get acquainted with the festival.

Interview No.2 with International Students

1. Where are you from? How long have you been in Korea, and what are you studying at KMU?

I am Lupoli Michele from Italy, and I'm 26 years old. Back at my home university, I study Korean Language, Culture, and Society. Here, I'm an exchange student in the Department of Political Science and International Relations.

2. What do you think of the fall festival? Is it different from festivals in your home country?

We don't have similar festivals at my home university. We do have prom nights, but not like this. Maybe just the biggest universities might have some events, but they don't compare to the festivals like the one here in South Korea.

3. Is there anything specific about the festival that you like: the day booths, night booths, movie festival, or performances by students and celebrities?

I haven't tried the food yet, but I'm very excited about the food trucks, especially the Takoyaki. It looks delicious. As I walked around the campus, it seemed like a lot of fun. The day booths prepared by the Student Council and those selling handmade items are enjoyable and interesting.

4. What kind of improvements do you think could enhance the fall festival next year?

It is my first year in KMU, so I'm not familiar with how festivals are usually organized here. However, I hope to have fun and enjoy the night. Good organization is key, and I appreciate how everything has been well-organized, given the size of the event. 

Interview No.3 with International Students

1. What is your name? Where are you from? How long have you been in Korea, and what are you studying at KMU?

My name is Yegor Karpenko, and I'm from Kazakhstan. I've spent the past year in Korea after completing a language course at KMU. Currently, I'm enrolled as an undergraduate student majoring in Business Administration.

 

2. What do you think of the fall festival? Is it different from festivals in your home country?

This is my first festival as an undergraduate student, but I did attend the fall festival last year. In Kazakhstan, we host citywide summer festivals that attract people of all ages, including students, the elderly, and children. However, we don't specifically have festivals exclusively for students.

3. Is there anything specific about the festival that you like: the day booths, night booths, movie festival, or performances by students and celebrities?

Yes, having famous artists in the lineup would be fantastic. Additionally, I believe it's a valuable opportunity for students to connect with their peers from various faculties and different academic years, fostering better communication among students.

4. What kind of improvements do you think could enhance the fall festival next year?

I hope that next year there will be more options for artists to perform. I understand it's challenging, but offering a variety of options would be great. Also, I hope that the prices for food could be made more affordable, as they currently seem relatively expensive.

Kim Seo-Hyun, Lee Song-Lee
Editor-in-Chief, Reporter
aprilkim404@kookmin.ac.kr.
Songleelee@kookmin.ac.kr