By Maddie Laskoski ‘13

Sponsored by the Pyongyang Project, 17 Lafayette students and three Lafayette professors made the first for-credit collegiate trip to North Korea in August 2011.

It is unlikely Lafayette will conduct a similar trip anytime soon.

“We are not going to North Korea this summer,” Government and Law Professor Seo-Hyun Park, who planned and executed the 2011 trip, said. “This is a judgment made on our part as faculty leaders. The utmost priority is the security and well-being of our students.”

In recent months, tension has risen significantly in the region as a result of stricter U.N. sanctions, South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, and the threat of another missile launch. The unpredictability of North Korea’s new ruler, Kim Jong-un, adds an element of risk to the already unstable geopolitical situation.

Do the security risks outweigh the educational benefits of studying abroad in North Korea?

“As educators, we are constantly weighing the educational benefits with risks in a number of programs on campus, including programs involving travel to Israel, Kenya, Haiti, Honduras, and North Korea” Park said. “These are all countries that have involved State Department travel warnings.”

The Pyongyang Project will continue to sponsor trips to North Korea this summer.

On April 6, the Pyongyang Project published a Facebook post: “Despite the recent tension, our summer programs are all expected to run as usual. Additional restrictions may be expected. At this point individual safety in the DPRK remains unaffected.”

When it comes to security, faculty and students at Lafayette appear to be in agreement.

“I probably wouldn’t go back right now,” said Brendan Fahey ‘13, who went on the summer 2011 North Korea trip.

While cautious of the high-risk environment, Fahey said that students interested in East Asian studies should not cut North Korea out of their abroad experience.

“The museums in North Korea, compared to China and South Korea, show a completely different perspective on history,” Fahey said.

Tristan Thompson ‘13 commented on the educational benefits that extend beyond academics.

“There are educational aspects of being in a position where you have to stay on your toes and you’re not as comfortable,” he said. “In a more risky environment, you are more conscious of your surroundings.  If you’re comfortable, you may become stagnant.”

But after reflecting on the benefits of studying abroad in high-risk countries, Thompson concluded, “North Korea is not a safe place at the moment, and I think the cost and risk outweigh the educational value.”

North Korea may be off the table for now, but the East Asia trip is here to stay.

“We are seeing more student interest in East Asia on campus,” Park said, attributing this interest to both classroom and experiential learning opportunities at Lafayette.  “The bottom-up, real, student-generated interest in studying the complexities of East Asian politics and history is the best outcome of the program.”

This summer, students will be travelling to South Korea and Japan.

“It is a very topical course so we can do a mix of countries,” Park said. The program will focus on interdependence in the region.

Although North Korea is not an option for students this summer, it is a viable contender for future trips.

“This year: no,” Park said, “but in the future, certainly.”