During a conversation with The Granite Tower (GT), the president of Humans of Korea University (HoKU) posed a thought-provoking question – “Think of the people in your class who are all studying the same material. You see each other, but time goes by, and you do not say a word.” Now, there is a remedy for this disconnection. Formally known as Humans of Korea University, HoKU is a student-run club that captures the stories of the diverse population that surrounds Korea University’s (KU) facilities. By approaching strangers in an unscripted scenario, the club aims to connect a community that shares the same physical space but still lives behind the curtain of a hectic and detached academic life.
“With the stories and faces of the countless people at KU, we strive to shed light on the ordinary yet most precious values of life,” reads HoKU’s description on their main platform, Facebook. The club has also made its presence felt on Instagram, where it has created a virtual gallery of unique narrations from the humans of KU. According to a statement provided by their staff, students at HoKU were inspired to conduct street interviews after realizing that “people who feel closest to each other are actually the furthest away.” Thus, members have been trained to look for hidden gems in the most underrated places and reveal their distinct identities, occasionally leading to unexpected life lessons. In a Facebook post uploaded last December, a 90-year-old interviewee expressed, “I have been taking walks here for 10 years, yet this is the first time that someone has spoken to me.” This anecdote is a testament to the wide scope of HoKU’s mission – at times, approaching strangers can be enough to bring a moment of joy to someone who would appreciate some company.
About HoKU
HoKU revolves on three fundamental figures – editors, translators, and managing staff. Editors venture out in search of interviewees and capture their experiences. Interestingly, there is no exact pattern of people who are selected to be featured. GT was told that members usually develop a sixth sense for candidates merely based on the context and their potential appeal to the online readers. However, editors are also challenged not to depend solely on their intuition, and so they sometimes try to approach people that appear more introverted. Next, translators are an essential component that makes HoKU’s content available to a wider range of international followers. While they are not pushed to partake in interviews, they often choose to do so to benefit the overall accuracy of their work by replicating a more authentic atmosphere. Lastly, managing staff operates as an intermediary between the people of HoKU and the student body. To gain a better understanding of HoKU’s calling to tell the stories of KU, The Granite Tower (GT) interviewed the president of HoKU, Seo Jun-Min (’18, Korean Language and Literature).
GT: What drew you to interviews and what makes them more meaningful than other forms of communication?
Seo: From my personal experience, few things are as mesmerizing as the dynamic that unfolds during an interview. What makes it so unique is the fact that both parties – the interviewer and interviewee – are on equal footing, both meeting and learning from each other for the first time. While there are instances where hosts or documentary filmmakers may have a predetermined agenda and specific questions in mind, our approach is vastly different. We seek to explore the unknown and engage in dialog with complete strangers in a way that is completely natural and unscripted. This approach allows us to break down barriers and engage in more human conversations, providing our readers with an opportunity to discover new faces and learn about them in a more enticing format.
GT: Who was your most memorable interviewee and why?
Seo: My most memorable interview happened when I first joined the club. Being completely new to the format of impromptu interviews, I had no clue what would happen that day. I was quite nervous, but I still ventured to the Central Plaza and pleasantly bumped into a happy family of four. I took the courage to ask them for a brief interview. Even though we had never met before, and despite our vastly different backgrounds, nationalities, and significant age difference, we were able to engage in a profound and genuine conversation. Later, when I edited the piece, I tried my best to render the same special feeling that struck me that day, hoping that it would resonate with our readers.
GT: What interesting differences and similarities have you found between Korean and foreign interviewees?
Seo: Although it is common practice to judge foreigners as more intriguing than locals, we strive to emphasize that the nationality of our subjects is not the focal point of our content. Instead, we consider all interviewees as equal individuals that share our same space and time. As such, we are more interested in discerning personal characteristics such as age, occupation, or what emotions they may quietly be experiencing around us. Generally speaking, our philosophy lies on the essential belief that maintaining a similar attitude toward any bystander can more effectively help create a space for genuine connections and encourage people to spontaneously tell their stories.
HoKU is a multifaceted experience that unlocks one’s creative potential through creative writing, translating, and photography, allowing members to seek people’s souls instead of dwelling on their appearances. By joining, students can broaden their network, express their creativity, and ultimately make a positive impact on the KU community.