Honestly?
When I received my confirmation email from Seoul National University, my first thought wasn’t about courses or language barriers. My first thought was, “How do I do this right?”
I care about this planet in a way that shows up in my actual life. At home in Birmingham, I’ve joined three community litter-picks in my neighbourhood through a volunteer program run by Birmingham City Council. Thirty strangers, bin bags, two hours, no fanfare. These are individuals who hold the belief that their community deserves more. There’s something quietly addictive about leaving a place cleaner than you found it. That feeling is coming to Seoul with me.
My diet is a conscious decision too. I’ve eliminated red meat and significantly reduced all other animal products, not as a label, but as a practical response to what I know about food systems and their environmental cost. In Korea, this approach is seen as exciting rather than restrictive. Korean cuisine is one of the most naturally plant-forward food cultures on earth. Kimchi, bibimbap, doenjang jjigae, endless banchan. Eating locally and seasonally every day exemplifies SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) in practice.
The flight from Birmingham is the carbon cost I can’t eliminate. The flight from Birmingham covers roughly 8,700 miles and produces approximately 1.7 tonnes of CO₂. I’ve chosen the most direct route, and I’m offsetting it through atmosfair.de, which funds verified science-backed climate projects. Not guilt-free. Accountable.
Once I land, the car doesn’t exist for me. Seoul’s metro is one of the greatest urban transport systems on earth. Fast, clean, connected via a single T-money card covering metro, bus, and city bike-share. Moving like a resident rather than a tourist is both cheaper and cleaner. That’s SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) in practice, and Korea’s Smart City programme makes it genuinely inspiring to be part of.
Here’s where it gets bigger. I’m launching a travel vlog and sustainability-focused social media account documenting the entire experience. Han River cleanups with Seoul volunteers, hiking Seoraksan’s trails, leaving only footprints. Protecting Korea’s rich biodiversity directly reflects SDG 15 (Life on Land), a goal that strikes differently in a country where rapid urbanisation has put real pressure on natural ecosystems. Every KTX train journeys to Busan instead of a domestic flight, every cycle along the Nakdong River trail, every night market meal. This experience was documented, shared, and hopefully will inspire other students to rethink how they move through the world.
I’ve already contacted SNU’s Environmental Society on Instagram. They run Han River cleanups and sustainability workshops. I’ve already scheduled my appointment before packing.
Korea’s 2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap embodies SDG 13 (Climate Action), particularly meaningful in a country where industrial air pollution remains a daily reality for millions. I want to engage that story on campus, online, and back in Leicester. That’s SDG 17.
That’s the ripple effect.
Resources: atmosfair.de, SNU Society, Naver Map, KTX (letskorail.com), un.org/sdgs
