Seungja K. Choi

Senior Lector II in East Asian Languages and Literatures

Seungja K. Choi, BA and MA, Yonsei University; MA, University of Toronto; PhD, Yale University; faculty member at Yale since 1990: An expert in second language acquisition, semantics, pragmatics, and Korean cinema, you are an extraordinary teacher of Korean language and culture.

Your colleagues are grateful for your exceptional contributions to the Korean Language Program and to Yale. In the fall of 1990, you started Yale’s Korean Language Program with Professor Samuel E. Martin. Since then, enrollment in the language program has steadily risen to an average of about 300 students annually for the past three years, making it the fifth most studied language at Yale. Colleagues describe you as “a walking legacy of the Korean Program and Korean Studies at Yale” who will be highly missed.

Over the years, you were awarded numerous grants to build the program, and you developed an oral proficiency test, online Korean placement test, and web-based advanced Korean course. One of your colleagues said the care with which you cultivated the Korean Language Program reminded her of your skills as a gardener, explaining that you grew the program as though it were a special plant you were tending over the years. You brought the same care, commitment, and high expectations to your work with the Richard U. Light Fellowship Program through your Korean site visits and ongoing support.

A dedicated teacher, you taught Korean Cinema, The Linguistic Structure of Korean, and Korean language courses from elementary through advanced levels. Known affectionately as “Professor J,” you challenged your students while, at the same time, helping them engage deeply with Korean culture. After you sparked their interest, many of your students went on to pursue Korean studies. Your students explained that, rather than simply reviewing vocabulary and memorizing terms, your classes focused on discussions in Korean about topics related to the culture, society, and politics of Korea, which “made class special, fun, and interesting.” One student explained that you truly cared for your students, describing how you checked in on her when she was sick and even brought Korean soup to her dorm.

Your students and colleagues share our profoundest gratitude for all you have done for Yale and the Korean Program over these past thirty-four years. In retirement, we wish you more happiness as you continue to grow your beautiful perennials, including your tulips and bleeding hearts. These flowers are more evidence of the beauty and joy you will continue to bring into the world as you embark on new and well-deserved adventures.