Membership Training (MT) is an event held among

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s in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. These events last roughly two days and are considered a free-form training session, where students spend time socializing with peers in the same

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s or

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s, often at a remote location.

Overview

MTs are designed especially to establish ''esprit de corps'' among university students within the same academic year, major or club, and to encourage students and teachers of these groups to become familiar with each other. They are generally scheduled at the beginning of the school year when there is a large influx of newcomers. The purpose of these "ice-breaking" events is to help

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students become accustomed to campus life, to establish connections within the major or club, for members to exchange information, and to boost morale. Participants stay at resorts, often in remote locations, boarding overnight for a couple of days. Organization of the event rests upon the student leaders. Their responsibilities include: recruiting participants, arranging recreational activities, and making reservations. The organizer's primary job is to make the event interesting and unique by applying creative flair.

Varieties of membership training

There are several types of membership training. ''Sae-teo'' (Korean: 새터) is an MT that helps freshman students learn the basics of campus life and gives them a chance to get to know other freshmen. These sessions open before lectures start, and are focused on building relationships. "OT" is orientation for the people within the same university department. OTs are centred on conveying the necessary information about campus life, such as course registration, specific classes, and annual events. The students are introduced to the department's

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s. Students may also attend an activity called , which is conducted by volunteers who want to help Korea's rural communities during summer vacation. Beyond these official MTs, students also often organize unofficial MTs. They are planned by various campus clubs whose members want to create groups of like-minded friends.

Common experiences in membership training

Students often travel to their destination using chartered buses. Upon arriving, the student union prepares dinner while other students talk with professors or play games. Students sit in a circle while sharing dinner. After dinner, the student union arranges a group game to increase the students' congeniality. Some common games include quiz games, cross-dressing games, and couple games. Occasionally, student-leaders invite professional singers to perform. Leaders may then prepare an activity called "Moonlight Dating", in which students randomly choose a boy or girl counterpart and fulfill random missions outside of the resort under the moonlight. Early the next day, the student union prepares light meals. After students complete packing their bags, they gather to take a group photo before boarding the bus and returning to school. This marks the end of the official MT; however, some students continue to meet.

Membership training issues

During Membership Training, upperclassmen students may mistreat or

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underclassmen students by pressuring them to drink

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, such as

soju Soju (English pronunciation: ; ) is a clear and colorless distilled alcoholic beverage from Korea, traditionally made from rice, but later from other grains and has a flavor similar to vodka. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content ...

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, or by forcing them to behave in an embarrassing manner. There have also been a few reported cases of sexual assault. The

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has made efforts to impose restraints on these sessions, and students found committing human rights abuses can be held legally responsible, and could face severe punishments.

References

External links