[Interview] Inside Mondragon University’s LEINN Seoul Lab: What Sets It Apart? (Part 2)

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Leinners in action at LEINN Seoul Lab (Photo courtesy of Mondragon University LEINN Seoul Lab)


 South Korea has a uniquely demanding educational environment. Because university entrance exams carry immense weight, an intensely competitive academic culture has developed. Students routinely stay at school late into the night, often heading directly to private cram schools (*hagwons*) or study cafes afterward. Growing up in Korea, I followed this exact path—participating in late-night self-study (*yaja*) at school and attending private academies until midnight. Even in college, I spent most of my days in the library maintaining competitive grades. While this felt routine to me, compared to international contexts, Korea's distinct educational realities are undeniable.

 

Mondragon University’s LEINN operates on a completely different paradigm. As explored in Part 1, lecture halls are replaced by active business environments, and professors are replaced by team coaches. It functions in stark contrast to traditional Korean classrooms.

 

How does LEINN Seoul Lab operate within this context? What distinctive dynamics emerge when this radical European model meets Korea’s educational landscape? This article is the second installment of my conversation with Coach Yena Lee.

 

👉👉Read Part 1 First

[Interview] A University Inside Real Business: Mondragon University’s LEINN Seoul Lab (Part 1)

 

Interviewee: Yena Lee, Team Coach at Mondragon University LEINN Seoul Lab

 

Q: Among LEINN labs operating worldwide, what unique characteristics and energy define the Seoul Lab?

 

A: The Seoul Lab is relatively young compared to older international labs. Because LEINN originated at Mondragon University in Spain, operating in Korea naturally involves navigating distinct cultural differences.

 

Due to the fundamental nature of team coaching, coaches never simply provide answers; Leinners (students) must discover solutions through their own inquiry. This dynamic directly intersects with Korea's traditional schooling. In Korea, academic excellence is typically defined by finding the single correct answer as quickly and accurately as possible to outperform peers. Our philosophy is the complete inverse. Many students joining the Seoul Lab were conditioned by conventional schooling. While our underlying methodology remains identical to European labs, we adapt our facilitation to provide clearer structure. We maintain structured frameworks that support the curriculum without diluting the core philosophy, and Leinners often appreciate this clarity. Consequently, when executing projects, they gravitate toward clear step-by-step processes, demonstrating strong goal orientation and a drive for high execution quality. This reflects the disciplined work ethic rooted in Korea's educational background.

 

While Leinners worldwide share entrepreneurial qualities, cultural nuances emerge in presentations and working styles. Fundamentally, Seoul offers an exceptionally dynamic global business hub with dense startup infrastructure. Every year, Leinners undertake international Learning Journeys. Third-year Leinners from Spain and Mexico travel to Seoul precisely because the city offers an exceptional ecosystem for experiencing advanced tech and innovative ventures. Having the Seoul Lab here makes cross-border resource matchmaking seamless. Major venues like COEX and Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) host global startup summits that serve as live learning grounds for our students. Furthermore, because company field visits are built into the curriculum, Leinners learn continuously by witnessing active businesses run in real time. The vibrant energy of Seoul's commercial ecosystem is an invaluable asset. Additionally, with global interest in Korean culture surging, international Leinners frequently develop collaborative ventures connected to Korean industries.

 

❓What is a Learning Journey? An annual global learning expedition grounded in the international MTA (Mondragon Team Academy) community, where Leinners explore and execute diverse business opportunities abroad.

 

Q: Given Korea's high-stakes academic culture, Korean youth must experience considerable friction when adapting to LEINN's open learning environment. How do you view this transition as a coach?

 

A: Having embraced LEINN's educational philosophy with deep conviction, I see this tension as a natural and necessary transformation. Korean youth grow up under intense pressure to follow predetermined paths and pre-packaged answers within a hyper-competitive system.

 

When new Leinners arrive and encounter this open pedagogical model for the first time, their biggest initial hurdle is receiving reflective questions rather than ready-made answers. The key to the solution ultimately rests within themselves, and coaches deliberately refrain from handing it over. Skeptics might ask, "What is the coach actually doing?" or assume that learning must always flow authoritatively from teacher to student. Yet authentic learning requires students to do the work themselves. While foundational technical knowledge can be taught conventionally, real personal agency develops only when learners navigate uncertainty to find their own answers. Because self-directed habits were rarely cultivated in school, students initially feel disoriented navigating both the method and content of their learning.

 

Some join the Seoul Lab deliberately seeking this autonomy—looking to break free from rigid academic hierarchies and experience an alternative model of higher education. Others are drawn to our collaborative ethos, supported by our local lab community and our broader international network of Leinners. Naturally, the transition is challenging, particularly during the first year. Yet transformation is inevitable because the environment demands it. Through peer support and coach facilitation, students gradually internalize the method. At first, they default to asking the coach for answers, but the moment they realize answers won't be spoon-fed, they begin building their own problem-solving mechanisms. Conventional schooling often restricted students from exploring beyond exam syllabi out of mistrust. Once those artificial boundaries are removed, their intrinsic potential flourishes. That liberation is central to our educational philosophy.

 

In an era shaped by artificial intelligence, this approach is more essential than ever. Acquiring factual knowledge and finding standard answers has become effortless. What cannot be automated is the capacity to reflect on oneself, engage in authentic human collaboration, take initiative, and learn through messy, real-world execution. Therefore, I view the initial friction not as a setback, but as profoundly healthy growing pains.

 

The story of Mondragon University’s LEINN Seoul Lab will continue in Part 3.

 

🌱🌲🌳🌴🌵🌷🌸


Do you have questions about Mondragon University’s LEINN Seoul Lab?

 

We value your curiosity. If you have questions about the LEINN Seoul Lab, please send them to [Email Address]. We will gather your inquiries and address them in a follow-up interview.

 

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