IIKS News
Korean Studies Student Success: Sarah Coughlan
"I graduated from UCC in 2023 with a joint BA in Asian Studies and Politics.
Thanks to my time as a student of Asian Studies at UCC, I was able to secure a position as an international sales assistant at The Quarto Group, a global illustrated book publishing group based in London. I have since become an international sales executive, covering Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong, where I work with numerous international distributors to ensure our books are sold effectively throughout these regions.
My background in Asian studies played a significant part in helping me secure this role as I was able to demonstrate a strong knowledge of the markets I would be selling to. Korean Studies was especially valuable to me as my deeper understanding of the culture, and history, and politics that continue to shape the Korean market set me apart from other interview candidates. Having spent a year studying in Korea through the study abroad programme, I was also able to stand out from others as I had experienced Korea not just from an academic perspective, but also from the perspective of daily life, which has helped me build strong relationships with our Korean customers."