“Growing up in the countryside of Norway, I always dreamed of venturing into the unexplored,” said Nikolai Johnsen (Graduate School of International Studies). Johnsen, who was first recognized by the public for his appearance on the talk show Non-Summit as the representative of Norway, seems to have had a keen interest in exotic languages and cultures ever since his adolescence. He is now fulfilling these childhood dreams, experiencing life in countries all over the world.

▲ Nikolai Johnsen participating in the program Non-Summit. Provided by JTBC news.

Non-Summit, cable TV network Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting’s (JTBC) talk-variety show, has been receiving a notable amount of attention from the public, thanks to its unique concept of having several young men present themselves as unofficial representatives of their home countries. One such representative in the program is the aforementioned Nikolai Johnsen, who started with the show earlier this year. With his fluent command of Korean and extensive knowledge of Norwegian history and culture, Johnsen is endeavoring to further his expertise in Korea by majoring in Korean studies at the Graduate School of International Studies in Korea University (KU). 

As a child, Johnsen was fascinated with traveling abroad and watching movies; his desire to experience numerous cultures was satisfied through films. He, somehow, became curious about Asian culture. “Asian countries, such as Japan and Korea, particularly aroused my interest, in that they were a mixture of high technology and intrinsic tradition at the same time,” he said. Johnsen said he felt that being interested in different countries had made him open-minded. 

Movies became reality when Johnsen was a junior high school student. “I started to travel abroad when I was 14, participating in a home stay program in South Africa and traveling in Spain for a month with a friend. I also paid a short visit to Japan, the country that I was most intrigued by at the time,” Johnsen said. Believing that acquiring the language of a country was the best way to understand its culture, he started to learn Japanese in junior high, deciding that he would someday study abroad in Japan. 

Keenly intrigued by Asian culture, Johnsen sensed the need to experience it first-hand; as a result, he spent a year in Japan as an exchange student in high school. The only foreigner in his class and unable to fully command the language at that time, he was always puzzled, never understanding much about what was going on around him. He was, however, rather fascinated by the distinct atmosphere. “I experienced culture shock every day, but that was the best part about living abroad,” he explained.       

Afterward, Johnsen enrolled in a Japanese university, and ironically, that was when his curiosity about Korea was stimulated. He soon began to study Korean. “Before going to the university, I went to a language institution in Japan; most of the students I met there were Koreans. They told me that I would be more intrigued by Korea, rather than Japan,” he said. “Later on, my instructor in Japan offered me a spot to Korea as an exchange student, and at that point, I decided that I would go,” said Johnsen. 

His initial visit to Korea as an exchange student at Hanyang University (HYU) left him wanting to return and learn more about Korea and its language. Reality struck, however, when he got a job in Japan after graduating from the university. “To tell the truth, I wasn’t really fond of my occupation that much. Every day while I was working, I dreamed of moving back to Korea to study more. Then, one day, I decided that I should, so I quit my job and came to Korea,” he recounted. 

Johnsen started as a graduate student of Korean studies in the Department of International Studies last semester. He said he had two main reasons for choosing Korean studies. The first was that he wanted to learn more about Korea, and the second was that, he felt being knowledgeable about Korea could work to his advantage, since not many Norwegians are acquainted with Korea.

Inclined to do something special in Korea as a Norwegian and encouraged by some of his Korean friends, Johnsen decided to apply for Non-Summit. He thought participation in the show would be a great chance since few Norwegians are able to speak Korean and, at the same time, not many Koreans are that familiar with Norway. “Much research in depth with regards to both Korea and Norway is necessary prior to shooting the show, thereby I have obtained a notable amount of new Korean words, as well as learning more about its culture and history,” he added.

One of the difficulties he confronted while filming the program had to do with speaking up more. “I find it hard to interrupt and point out my own viewpoints while a heated debate is going on,” he said. In addition, he said he sometimes finds it challenging to expound on complex points that he cannot express in Korean. However, he can sense that his proficiency in Korean is improving with each show. “It’s a good difficulty, since my Korean is improving drastically,” he said.

Johnsen hopes to follow a career that is related to Korea after his graduation from KU. “I’m considering working at a travel agency either in Norway or in Korea, but I’m also interested in non governmental organizations (NGO) or cultural exchanges. I’m also hoping that later on I could make documentaries regarding my experiences,” he said. He emphasized that whatever position he ends up in, it would be, in some way, linked to Korea.   

“To foreign students planning to study in Korea, I suggest they try to learn at least some basic Korean before actually coming to the country. I see a lot of students in Korea unable to speak any Korean. They really miss out on a lot, since acquiring the language is a necessity when it comes to fully absorbing the country,” Johnsen opined. Johnsen seems to be living out his childhood dreams and to be more than a little interested in where they will lead him next.

▲ Nikolai Johnsen talking about his experiences of living abroad. Photographed by Lee Ji Hoon.