The Korea Times welcomes 45 global student supporters

By Park Han-sol

The Korea Times has appointed a new group of 45 university students from 41 countries as its global supporters, marking the largest and most diverse cohort yet. Throughout the first half of the year, these students will be tasked with promoting the newspaper’s key events and forums, amplifying its global reach.

As the country’s longest-running English-language newspaper, The Korea Times has selected student ambassadors annually since 2021, aiming to foster international engagement.

This year’s participants represent a truly cross-cultural mix, hailing from Vietnam, Iran, Korea, Bangladesh, Senegal, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Central African Republic, France, Romania, Spain, Myanmar, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Canada, Russia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Peru, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Indonesia, Moldova, the U.S., Japan, Armenia, Taiwan, Colombia, Mongolia, Turkey, Uruguay, China, India, Britain, Italy and Germany. Fluent in both English and Korean, all are currently enrolled in universities here.

As global supporters, they will play a vital role in promoting The Korea Times’ flagship events, such as the Korean Language Speaking Contest and the “Howdy Korea” YouTube channel, while also creating content across social media platforms until August.

The program officially launched with a kick-off ceremony at the newspaper’s headquarters in central Seoul on Friday. During the event, The Korea Times' President-Publisher Oh Young-jin and Kim Jae-kyoung, managing director of content and business planning, highlighted the significance of the students’ participation.

“Forty-one countries — more than one-fifth of the world — are represented here. When you come together, your collective strength becomes immense,” Oh said. “Looking at all of you, I see great potential. Your participation is crucial.”

Among this year’s ambassadors is Ndema Yetomane Axel Deo Gratias from the Central African Republic, who has lived in Korea for seven years and is currently pursuing a master’s in English language and culture at Konkuk University.

“My goal is to build a school in Africa to educate young children. I understand the power of news, and I hope to become someone who can share important stories with others. That’s what drew me to this program,” he said in Korean.

Jale Azizova, from Azerbaijan, has been studying for a master’s in international business at Korea University since moving here two and a half years ago.

“I’ve taken part in content creation for different programs, and I saw this as an opportunity to contribute to one more project in Korea,” she said.

“I feel a sense of satisfaction in promoting South Korea to my international followers. I hope that, together with The Korea Times, we can create a great synergy and make an impact.”