On June 15, the Korea Foundation held a ceremony at the Ferrum Hall in downtown Seoul to celebrate the launch of nine public diplomacy projects and the Youth Public Diplomacy Corps, composed of 71 Korean youths, as part of the 2018 KF Public Diplomacy Program.

From 2013 to 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea ran a series of “Public Diplomacy with People” programs. However, with being designated as Korea’s representative public diplomacy organization in pursuant with the Enforcement Ordinance of the Public Diplomacy Law in July 2017, the Korea Foundation is now undertaking public diplomacy projects and activities with the involvement of the Korean public under the 2018 KF Public Diplomacy Program.

With an aim of reinforcing the Korean public’s public diplomacy capabilities and increasing the pool of participants through direct citizen involvement, the KF Public Diplomacy Program is composed of the △ KF Public Diplomacy Program with Korean Citizens through which the Foundation provides support to public diplomacy projects planned and implemented at home and abroad by Korean citizens; the △ KF Youth Public Diplomacy Corps under which Korean youths participate in public diplomacy activities targeting foreign residents in Korea; and the △ KF Public Diplomacy Youth Camp, an intensive program to enable Korean youths to increase their knowledge and abilities related to public diplomacy.

The launch ceremony was organized to reaffirm the meaning and importance of public diplomacy activities based on citizens’ direct participation and serve as an occasion for the participants of the KF Public Diplomacy Program for Korean Citizens and the KF Youth Public Diplomacy Corps to reinforce their aspirations and determinations.

In her lecture prior to the ceremony, titled “Public Diplomacy with People,” Ambassador for Public Diplomacy, Ms. Park Eunna, spoke about the role and necessity of public diplomacy and emphasized the importance of the general public’s participation in public diplomacy activities.

At the launch ceremony, newly appointed KF Executive Vice-President Kim Seong-in and Ambassador Park made welcoming and congratulatory remarks, respectively, and gave encouragement to the participants of the KF Public Diplomacy Program.

Over the next six month, the program will see around 140 participants engage in various public diplomacy activities both at home and abroad promote a better understanding of Korea within the international community and increase friendship and goodwill between Korea and the rest of the world.