K-campus reporters reminisce as third program ends

The Korea JoongAng Daily’s third K-campus student reporter program wrapped up on Wednesday with a certificate ceremony, marking the end of a five-month journey.

Members of the Korea JoongAng Daily’s third K-campus student reporter program celebrate the end of their journey on Wednesday at the paper’s office in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The Korea JoongAng Daily’s third K-campus student reporter program wrapped up on Wednesday with a certificate ceremony, marking the end of a five-month journey that included reporting activities, journalistic writing, special lectures and a collaboration with the cosmetics giant Amorepacific.

The Outstanding Student Reporter Award went to three participants: Kim Che-yeon, a senior at Seoul National University who studies Russian language and literature; Lhakpa Dolma Lama, a Nepali who will graduate from Inha University in Incheon this month with a bachelor’s degree in international business and trade; and Abdul Sameed Abdulwahab, an Indian who’s soon expected to complete KAIST’s Techno MBA program in Seoul.

A diverse group of 15 students hailing from different backgrounds, 12 countries and nine universities participated in the third K-campus student reporter program. With assistance from the paper’s reporters and editors, they delved into a wide array of topics, providing insights into university life in Korea from a foreigner’s perspective.

Their contributions were featured in the Korea JoongAng Daily’s paper and on its website, as well as K-campus, an online platform managed by the paper which provides guidance on living in Korea.

Toward the end of the program, a reporting competition was held in collaboration with Amorepacific, with the winning groups rewarded with a free trip to Jeju to explore the island and a tea museum showcasing Amorepacific’s premium tea brand, Osulloc.

Looking back, Kim, who was the chief editor of her college English-language newspaper, The SNU Quill, said one of the best aspects of the program was reaching a wider audience. Her most memorable article, she said, was a piece on suicide among Korean youth.

“I got to interview three to four professors and experts in the field, and I was able to hear about possible solutions and talk to them in-depth about the issue,” said Kim. “It was hard to get people to talk to me, but in the end, I succeeded. It became a big accomplishment for me.”

Lama, who dreams of working for an NGO or international organization one day to help contribute to her home country Nepal, said she recommends the program to students who wish to share their experience in Korea.

“I didn’t have any background in journalism or mass communication, and I honestly didn’t expect to get chosen,” said Lama. “I was mentored by real journalists, and I met a lot of amazing people.”

Abdulwahab said he learned how to think from the reader’s perspective when writing.

“I still don’t think it’s easy to write a news article because you got to be creative and logical and see things from a different perspective,” he said.

“When I wrote my first article, I got like 100 comments, change this and change that, and I learned that I should be really detailed and think from the reader’s perspective because they probably don’t know about the topic.”

That lesson, he said, will later come in handy even if he doesn’t end up working in journalism.

“If you ask me if the program will help me in any way in my career, not directly because I’m from a business major and I don’t see myself writing articles in the future,” he confessed.

“But it helped me see things with a broader mind, and maybe I can use what I’ve learned when I have to make business presentations.”

Claudia Patino Pichaud, a Chilean who will soon graduate with a master’s degree in international relations from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said she recommends the K-campus student reporter program to international students who wish to build new connections in a new country.

“It’d be great if you want to pursue journalism, but it’s also good in a way that you get to know a lot of people here: students from other universities, Korean journalists and people working in Korea,” said Pichaud. “It’s a great way to network especially if you want to stay in Korea” after graduating.

Helia Nikzaddinan, an Iranian who will start her master’s program in media and communication at Ewha next semester, said the program took her one step closer to her dream.

“This has become something that I really want to do after I graduate,” said Nikzaddinan. “I learned so much from the feedback I got because I’m not used to writing in English.”

Mireia Martinez, a Spanish exchange student at Seoul National University, said the student reporter program allowed her to represent the foreign community in local media.

“Most of the time, I don’t see news about foreigners struggling or advice for foreigners in Korean media, so the fact that this program exists is a chance for us to raise our voices and explain our situations,” said Martinez. “I think that’s very nice because it’s not something that I usually see.”

Aliza Khan, a Pakistani sophomore at Yonsei University in Seoul who majors in civil and environmental engineering, said she learned how to structure her writing better.

“I learned how to conduct better interviews and about what questions to ask and how to structure articles,” said Khan. “Regardless of what career I go into, I will be able to use these writing skills in the future.”

Applications for the fourth K-campus student reporter program opened on Tuesday and will last through Aug. 23. Around 10 students will be chosen to produce articles from September through the end of the year.

Application forms can be found on the K-campus website, app and Instagram account.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]