KOREA FOUNDATION

For the March issue of the KF Newsletter, we sat down to chat with the new members of our team. Moon Ha-eun of the Korean Studies Department, Lee Da-un of the Global Networking Department, Lee Bo-yeon of the Innovation and Strategic Planning Department, and Lee Soo-youn of the Arts and Culture Department have been working for the KF for less than three months, but each of these new officers seems to fit perfectly into their respective positions.

*Also new to the KF team is Han Young-geun of the ICT Management Department, who could not participate in the group interview due to a business trip. His story will be shared later via the KF’s social media channels.

Q. Hello, everyone! Please tell us a bit about your department and what you do there.

Lee Bo-yeon: I’m in the Innovation and Strategic Planning Department, which deals with mid- and long-term strategic plans, management evaluation of Korean Foreign Ministry-affiliated organizations, evaluation of internal achievement, management of overseas offices, regional cooperation, etc. My responsibilities include assisting with external and internal evaluation and the management of our overseas offices, as well as staff meetings, ideas for event promotion, and other assignments that concern the KF’s overall operation.

Lee Da-un: I belong to the Global Networking Department, which supports Korea-related research at policy institutes abroad in order to create a Korea-friendly atmosphere. We also hold forums with experts in major countries and communicate with them on current issues. My position supports Korea-related research at major policy institutes in the United States.

Lee Soo-youn: I’m in the Arts and Culture Department, which fosters international understanding of Korea through the promotion of arts and culture. I do work related to the online publication of Koreana, the KF’s comprehensive Korean arts and culture quarterly. I also support the screening of Korean films at Korean diplomatic missions overseas.

Moon Ha-eun: I work in the Korean Studies Department, which aims to enhance accurate understanding of Korea by establishing Korean studies professor positions at foreign colleges and universities, assigning visiting professors abroad, and supporting Korean studies researchers and Korea-related events at institutes of higher learning and other organizations overseas. I’m responsible for supporting lectures in the region of Northeast Asia and miscellaneous projects in areas affected by the Korean government’s New Southern Policy.

Q. How do you like the atmosphere in your respective departments?

Lee Bo-yeon: The first time I came to the office, I was a little surprised because it was very quiet. Our office is still quite quiet, but the senior staff members are friendly and keep the workday fun.

Lee Da-un: The atmosphere in my office can be summed up as “harmonious.” I’m new at this job and make more than a few mistakes, but the more experienced employees take good care of me and teach me a lot. When we have departmental meetings, everyone is free to speak his or her opinion. We exchange feedback and work together to create the best results.

Lee Soo-youn: Perhaps because the KF is a public organization, everyone here seems to have a truly high degree of integrity. The people in my department have such lovely manners of speech and conduct. Of all the good things about the KF, I love my department and my coworkers the best.

Moon Ha-eun: The KF seems to have a lot of officers with a strong sense of purpose. It’s great to work in my department as everyone here gives me good answers whenever I ask questions.

Q. The KF’s headquarters are on Jeju Island. How do you like living on Jeju?

Lee Bo-yeon: I used to suffer from rhinitis, but my symptoms have improved since I settled here. I feel like I’ve become healthier on Jeju. The only downside is that it’s a little difficult to find conveniences here, especially compared to Seoul where they’re everywhere.

Lee Da-un: If you don’t have a car, you can get a little bored. I had thought I wouldn’t need to drive, but I’ll be taking the written test for my driver’s license soon. Jeju is making me drive.

Lee Soo-youn: It’s a little disappointing when the things I order online are delivered late or require additional charges, or sometimes are even not delivered at all just because I live on Jeju.

Moon Ha-eun: It’s nice that I’ve come to know Jeju better through my work at the KF headquarters. It’s also good that I don’t need an air purifier at home. My only regret is that I have to spend money on airfare because I often go to the mainland.

Q. What advice can you give to people aspiring to join the KF?

Moon Ha-eun: If applicants keep up with the latest issues in the field of public diplomacy, they’ll be able to do well on the written test.

Lee Bo-yeon: Practical job experience seems to matter a lot during the interviews. The KF offers various short-term job opportunities during conferences and workshops, and I’d advise aspiring applicants to build up experience by taking advantage of such opportunities.

Lee Soo-youn: I recommend that applicants get a grasp of what the KF does before they go for an interview. They can do so by checking the KF website and other channels of information.

Lee Da-un: I’d recommend that they work on improving their language skills. I didn’t think my English was particularly poor, but when I began my work at the KF, I found myself writing official emails every day, and now I think I need better skills. Since the written test measures applicants’ ability to write in English, I advise that they try to improve their English whenever they have a chance, even if they think they already have a good command of the language. And my tip for the interviews is to be honest!

We’d like to express our gratitude once again to these four new members for participating in this interview. Interviews with our new team members on topics including the KF, public diplomacy, and insider tips on successfully joining our team will be shared with the public through the KF’s social media.

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Interview by Kang Da-in, Program Officer, Public Relations Task Force

Photographs by Lee Dal-bit, Senior Program Officer, Resource Management Department