Interviewee: Choi Jaeri
Interviewer: Shiyun Xia
The interviewee, Choi Jaeri (referred to by her married name, Mrs. Wang, throughout the interview), was born in 1987 in Changwon, South Korea. She came to China in 2010 to study, where she married Wang Yan, a Chinese national, in 2015, and has remained since. During the interview, Jaeri shares her experiences as a foreigner in China, talking about the cultural differences and similarities between South Korea and China as well as the international relationship between these two countries. She also addresses educational experiences that provide valuable information on how the worldviews of the South Koreans were shaped. Overall, this interview covers various topics, including food culture, identity, the China-South Korean relationship, and education. The interview was conducted online via Zoom since Jaeri was in South Korea visiting her family while I was in the United States. The interviewer is Shiyun Xia, a first-year Colby College student interested in modern Korean history and food culture.
Choi Jaeri was born in 1987 in the city of Changwon in Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea. She has a brother who is four years older than her, and grew up in Changwon with a family of four. During her senior year in high school, she learned Chinese in a language school. In 2006, she attended Changwon University as a law student. After four years of study, she graduated and obtained a bachelor’s degree in law. In 2011, she moved to Shanghai and married a Chinese citizen, Wang Yan, whom she met before she went to Changwon University. In the same year, she applied to the graduate school of Fudan University. She received a full scholarship during her four years of study at Fudan University and obtained a master’s degree in law in 2014. She has continued to live in Shanghai since.
Interview Transcription 1 (Translated Version)
Interview Transcription 2 (Translated Version)