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One of the frustrations you will likely experience in Korea is finding extracurricular opportunities as a teenager. The Korean education system does not emphasize that middle and high school students should continue to play sports or music regularly. Most students rarely have time for these activities, and spend most of their after-school hours in academies ("hagwon") or study centers.
Most students in middle and high school who participate regularly in sports or musical activities plan to major in their respective areas in college. These students are extremely competitive and committed to their activities, so there is rarely middle ground for students who want to pursue sports or music as a hobby semi-competitively. Here is some information I’ve picked up from my own experiences.
Music
Koreans love music, and it’s easy to find places to learn an instrument in Korea. However, like sports, very few people continue taking lessons beyond elementary school. Most students instead focus on math and English from 5th/6th grade. If you want to continue learning an instrument, you can hire a private teacher. Finding a private teacher is not too difficult. The real challenge is finding a group of students with whom you can play chamber or orchestra music with a good level of commitment.
Look up or call your county office (구청) to find out if your area runs a youth orchestra. Some cities/counties/towns run youth
orchestras (e.g. Gangbuk-gu in Seoul, or Yongin-si in Gyeonggi-do). Once benefit of joining an orchestra affiliated with your
city/country/town is that the government covers most management expenses, so participation fees are relatively low.
You can also join a private music group. Participation fees may be higher and practice locations may not necessarily be in your local
area, but there are quite a few available.
Here is a list of some private music groups:
Heavenly Sound Orchestra: Yangjae. Originally founded for homeschooling students. Meets every Thursday.
JL Choir & Orchestra: Yongin. Run by the vice-conductor of Heavenly Sound Orchestra.
Camarata Music Company: Yongsan. Younger students (up till junior high) can participate in this multiethnic choir. Run entirely in
English.
Art
Art is relatively easier to pursue than music or sports. There is an abundance of art academies in Korea, and you likely won't have a hard time finding one near your home. Again, classes for teenagers tend to be quite intensive, but you can adjust the level of intensity by discussing your situation with your instructor.
If you do not like the college-prep oriented atmosphere of art hagwons, you can try to find a professional artist who would be willing to take teenage students into his or her studio. You could also try going to a hobby hagwon, but most people who attend art hobby hagwons are adults.
Volunteer work
Most Korean teenagers get their volunteer hours certified through this website:
https://www.1365.go.kr/vols/main.do
This is where non-profit organizations that are eligible to issue service hours register availability for volunteer work. However, the
work that teenagers are allowed to do is often limited.
If you attend a regular brick-and-mortar school, you may come across plenty of opportunities to do volunteer work through your
school. If you are an online school or homeschool student though, you will have to search for service opportunities yourself.
I’ve been rejected several times by different organizations when I contacted them to ask if I could serve with them because I was still a minor. But persistence and creativity will help you find volunteer work where it is most needed. For example, famous hospitals may have a long waiting list of volunteers, but smaller no-name nursing homes may be where your work is truly needed and appreciated.