In this blog post, I’m sharing a sample personal statement I wrote for my application to the Department of Public Administration at Korea University.
Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences
To develop excellent public speaking skills and fluent writing abilities—I was deeply moved by the movie ‘The King’s Speech’. The story follows a country’s president who is ridiculed by his people due to a stutter but eventually overcomes this through relentless training, regaining his rightful role. Watching this film, I realized that a leader managing an organization must be supported by strong public speaking skills. While it’s important to study deeply on the inside, outward presentation is also crucial for a leader, so I decided to focus on related studies.
Therefore, I studied the “Speech and Writing” course—part of the advanced Korean language curriculum—diligently. I wanted to become a future leader, and more specifically, an administrator who runs an organization. I concluded that, above all else, a leader must possess excellent public speaking skills and strong writing abilities if the members of an organization are to follow and respect them. I felt that speaking and writing were not so much skills that could be learned later in life, but rather habits formed through consistent effort from a young age; therefore, to master rhetoric and composition during high school, I stayed true to the textbook content and diligently completed my class assignments.
These assignments served as excellent teachers. My Korean language teacher assigned most of the tasks from learning activities or in-depth materials, and many of them provided opportunities to practice speaking in real-life situations. Through these assignments, I learned how to give presentations without nervousness, how to modulate my voice when giving speeches, and how to conduct interviews by asking questions. By practicing what I learned in pairs with friends, I acquired natural conversational skills and etiquette. In writing, rather than simply writing as much as possible, I prioritized completing assignments that were most effective for my learning. Through writing argumentative essays that present the main point first and news articles that describe events without personal opinion, I was able to identify my weaknesses and improve them. I found great satisfaction in completing writing assignments after multiple revisions, guided by my teacher’s feedback.
School Activities: Serving as Class President and Organizing Departments Efficiently
I served as class president during my senior year of high school. Although I had previously held roles such as class president, vice president, and club president, the position of class president in my senior year was the most demanding. At the time, my homeroom teacher was not particularly attentive to the class, so much of the responsibility for managing the class fell on me.
Since I wasn’t an elected class president, I decided that gaining the goodwill of my classmates was the top priority. At a class meeting, I explained my commitment to the role and proposed that we elect the remaining officers ourselves. I accepted applications for vice president, treasurer, and secretary, ensuring that those who volunteered could take on the roles.
While there were applicants for treasurer and secretary, no one stepped forward for vice president. I persuaded them that serving on the executive committee would foster a sense of responsibility and offer benefits, such as the opportunity to visit the faculty office and gather college admissions information from teachers. Thanks to my persuasion, a few students volunteered, and including recommendations from classmates, we ended up with a total of three candidates. After a brief round of pre-election speeches and self-introductions by the candidates, we held a fair election via paper ballots to elect the vice-class president, and I worked in collaboration with him to manage the class.
The vice-class president and I held another class meeting to form the remaining committees. We needed committees for General Affairs, Academics, Library, Discipline, Cleanliness, and Recreation, and we ensured that every student in the class was assigned to one of these committees. Since students tended to shy away from committee leadership roles, we decided to offer incentives to encourage them to volunteer. We asked our homeroom teacher for permission to allow committee heads to use “off-campus passes” or “self-study privileges” several times a month. Since off-campus passes allowed students to leave school during lunch break and self-study privileges allowed them to freely use their evening self-study time, this increased the number of volunteers for committee head positions.
Instead of creating departments and then selecting leaders, we adopted a method of first electing a leader and then recruiting members to follow them. When we introduced the leader’s responsibilities during a class meeting, several students volunteered for the role, and we were able to easily form the organization as classmates who were willing to work together came together.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, Cooperation, and Conflict Management
With the class president fulfilling their role, class operations ran smoothly in the early stages. The Administrative Department managed the class budget alongside the treasurer, and the Academic Department encouraged quietness to foster a studious atmosphere. However, divisions and conflicts soon arose among the class members.
The source of the conflict was the incentives initially provided to the department heads. The department heads argued that since their roles were important, it was justified for them to use the incentives, but the other members complained that they were performing important roles as well yet received no benefits. For example, while the head of the Cleaning Department devised and led the plan, the members of that department carried out their roles according to the plan to keep the classroom clean. Even though they were working together, the fact that only the heads received benefits felt like discrimination.
When the conflict arose, I felt a sense of responsibility as the person who had initially proposed the incentives. First, I asked each department head to minimize the use of pass slips and to remain at their posts during self-study periods. However, since the conflict was not fully resolved, I adjusted the existing incentive system to a quantitative limit, stipulating that it could be used no more than five times per month, and allowed members to use the incentive twice a month as well. Although there was some initial confusion with this new system, we were soon able to achieve a result that satisfied everyone.
Motivation for Applying to This Program and Preparation Process
A Leader in the Administrative Department Responsible for Corporate Operations — My motivation for applying to the Department of Public Administration at Korea University stems from my desire to fulfill the role of a leader who manages an organization. I believe that the position of an organizational leader entails significant responsibilities that go beyond mere job duties. I distinguish between corporate leaders and business executives, and I view each department within a company—such as finance, human resources, and administrative management—as having its own distinct leaders. Among these, I aspire to work as a leader in the administrative and management department.
While professional managers and HR experts are crucial talents, leaders in the administrative department who specialize in administration are also key figures in corporate operations. Administrators not only manage organizational operations but are also involved in all areas, including personnel administration, strategic planning, and budget and financial management. I will strive to grow as an expert in this field and become the next generation of corporate administrative leaders. To this end, I have been gaining relevant experience since high school by serving as class president and participating in class management and club activities. I have experience efficiently resolving conflicts or unexpected issues within the class while prioritizing the interests of all members. I view these experiences as foundational efforts toward pursuing a degree in Administrative Science and as preparation for my future professional practice.
In particular, as a member of the near-low-income bracket, I applied through the Special Admissions Program for Equal Opportunity. Although I grew up in a family with limited financial resources, my parents taught me that one must cultivate one’s own abilities. My parents have specialized in budget management in their professional careers, and witnessing their dedication to faithfully fulfilling their roles in their respective fields inspired me to resolve to do my very best in my own role. Once I enter college, I will remain true to my original aspirations and do my utmost to gain specialized knowledge in public administration, leadership, and organizational behavior.
