Before coming to Madison, my biggest worry was what if there were no Koreans here.

To be honest, it is true that the community is much smaller compared to LA or New York.

However, once I arrived, I found that there are indeed Koreans here, and because the community is smaller, it feels like we see each other's faces more often.

At UW-Madison, there are several Korean-related student organizations. Notable ones include KASA (Korean American Student Association), KUSA (Korean Undergraduate Students Association), and KSSA (Korean Students and Scholars Association).

There are also KBSA (Korean Business Student Association) for business majors and KESA (Korean Economics Student Association) for economics-related students. The existence of such diverse Korean organizations on campus is evidence that Korean international students and graduate students are quite active at UW-Madison. Each semester, various events, networking opportunities, and cultural activities are held by these organizations, and information is quickly shared through social media.

In addition to student communities, local Korean religious communities also become a central part of life for Koreans in Madison. There are several Korean churches, as well as the Korean Catholic Community (KCCM). These religious communities serve not just as places of worship but also as practical community hubs that help newcomers settle in and share information about daily life. When I first arrived in Madison, having a place where I could ask for neighborhood information in Korean was a surprisingly great comfort. Just knowing there is a space where the language is understood makes a psychological difference in an unfamiliar city.

The presence of the Korean community is also felt in terms of food. Korean restaurants like New Seoul Korean, Five Star Korean BBQ, K Peppers, Sol's On the Square, and Apex Grill have established themselves in Madison.

While the variety is not on par with Seoul, at least you can find basic Korean dishes like kimchi stew, bulgogi, and Korean BBQ. Walking around the UW-Madison area, it's not uncommon to hear Korean being spoken. The faces you meet in restaurants are also seen in church and at the grocery store, reflecting the size of this community. It may be small, but that makes it feel closer.

The Madison Korean community may not be large, but it is dense. Thanks to the nature of being a college town, new people come in every semester, and interactions continue. If you feel lonely when you first arrive, joining a Korean student organization or visiting a Korean church is the quickest way to connect. Many Korean events held on the UW-Madison campus are open to those who are not currently students.

You can exercise tomorrow, but it's better to start building community today. The Madison Korean community is not a finished product; it is something we are creating together at this very moment. A single conversation in Korean somewhere between Madison's lakes and campus serves as a thread that connects this community.

The UW-Madison Language and Culture Program operates under the name K-community, offering Korean language education and cultural exchange programs. The real value of the Madison Korean community lies in the fact that there are people sharing the experience of living as Koreans in this city, beyond just speaking the same language.