Project: UIC Snapshot (ft. Addie Gerszberg)

Interview with Addie Gerszberg, who started in the fall of 2019. Underwood division, major undecided. 

What led you into working with North Korean defectors?

Doing work related to North Korea has been something that I've just fallen into: being invited to work with North Korean defectors at the US embassy this past fall, working as an intern at The Korea Society in NYC this past winter with people who specialize in North Korean reporting, and now this semester as a research assistant for a Professor whose work focused on North Korea as well. It's been a surprising and rewarding experience; Learning about North Korea and has really broadened my perspective on how diverse the study of the Korean peninsula is.

The largest grievance with the giant Onion-article-come-to-life that was the year 2020?

My largest grievance is that there is no manual for what to do when your family is on the other side of the planet during a pandemic and for the first time you aren't sure when you'll get to go back. While some parts of this year have just been inconvenient, like online classes, other parts have been more difficult like figuring out what it means for Seoul to be my long-term home.

What plans do you have for next semester?

I'm looking forward to being the treasurer of 180 Degrees Consulting (a Yonsei club) and starting to take non-CC classes related to my major. I'll also be living outside of dorms for the first time in six years so it'll be a welcome change of pace.