My sophomore year brought more uncertainty than I expected. As a freshman, I struggled because I had no confidence or real interest in my major, Safety Engineering. However, military service gave me time to consider my future and what direction I really wanted my life to take.

To make the year more memorable, I entered the 2025 Superior Lecture Essay Contest and realized that I had developed considerably more than I had thought. Writing my submission, which focused on Professor Jinwoo Jung’s module Safety and Law, became a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and a chance to revisit what I had learned over the past year. In this article for The SeoulTech, I summarize that essay and explain why Safety and Law became a milestone during a period of doubt.

I took Safety and Law in the first semester of 2025. The biggest reason why this subject stands out to me is Professor Jung’s extraordinary enthusiasm for what he calls “safety science,” which he pointed out is a more appropriate term than “safety engineering.” The field is something to which he has dedicated his life, and he showed genuine devotion to every student. Professor Jung’s lectures turned my confusion with my major into confidence. Drawing charismatically from his experience as director of the Seongnam Regional Employment and Labor Office, he highlighted the limitations of current safety laws. Even now, when I open my notebook, I can hear his passionate voice. His teaching was not merely a transfer of knowledge; it was a profound example of the sense of mission every expert should possess.

Professor Jung went to great lengths to stress the importance of having a “legal mind” in the field of safety engineering. To him, this means more than just memorizing statutes; it is about cultivating the ability to critically analyze the principles and limits of the law. Unlike my previous studies, which focused on mechanical memorization, I now approach law with a more critical perspective.

One of the biggest rewards of entering the Superior Lecture Essay Contest was becoming more conscious of my own learning method. I recall how frequently I visited the Korea Law Information Center website to fully grasp the contents of Safety and Law and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, two key texts. I spent countless hours questioning myself and diving deep into those thousands of pages, preparing for an open-book exam that demanded critical thinking. In the process, I transformed from a passive student into an active one, taking the initiative to pursue knowledge on my own.

This experience helped me realize how to study Safety Engineering going forward. Beyond simply reflecting on the past year, I also recognized the significant impact my major can have on society and what I truly wish to achieve through my studies in SeoulTech.

I remember Professor Jung once saying, “Your four years of campus life are the most valuable time, during which the direction of your life is decided.” That idea became the driving force behind my current dedication to The SeoulTech. Furthermore, Professor Jung’s advice to “Live a life that cannot be replaced by others,” has become the compass guiding my life’s direction. To cultivate the expertise needed to secure the future of safety in Korea, I intend to move forward with the “legal mind” passed down by Professor Jung.

To any fellow students without a clear sense of direction in their university life, I strongly encourage you to participate in the annual Superior Lecture Essay Contest and reflect on your own learning. At the intersection where passionate classroom learning meets calm reflection, I am certain that you, too, will discover your own lifelong milestone.

Reporter

Jaeho Lim

limjaeho4119@seoultech.ac.kr