University student experiences envoy life with Czech embassy's 'A Day with Ambassador'

Kim, a 24-year-old junior majoring in economics and public administration, shadowed Ivan Jančárek, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea, throughout the day, engaging with officials and executives from various sectors.

From left, Choi Ji-young, executive editor of the Korea JoongAng Daily, Ivan Jančárek, ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea, Kim Ju-yong, a junior at Korea University and winner of the ″A Day with Ambassador″ event and Trevor Treharne, digital editor of the Korea JoongAng Daily pose for a photo at the Korea JoongAng Daily office on Tuesday. [EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC IN KOREA]

For Kim Ju-yong, an aspiring diplomat studying at Korea University, Tuesday was a momentous occasion.

He had the opportunity to immerse himself in the life of an ambassador.

"As a student passionate about international relations and aspiring to become a diplomat, spending the day with the ambassador has further motivated me to pursue my dream," he said.

Kim, a 24-year-old junior majoring in economics and public administration, shadowed Ivan Jančárek, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea, throughout the day, engaging with officials and executives from various sectors.

Among his numerous activities during the day was a visit to the office of the Korea JoongAng Daily in Mapo District, western Seoul. Kim toured the newsroom and gained insights into the newspaper's daily operations from the paper’s executive editor, Choi Ji-young.

"It was my first time visiting a newspaper company, and it was incredibly meaningful to observe journalists at work," Kim said.

As ambassador for the day, Kim also met with the paper’s digital editor, Trevor Treharne, to discuss the news topics the paper has been reporting lately and the company’s key digital strategies.

The embassy’s inaugural "A Day with Ambassador" event coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union.

Kim was selected from a pool of candidates from both bachelor's and master's programs who wrote essays on how the Czech Republic’s position as an EU member state impacts its relations with Korea. In his essay, the 24-year-old ambassador for a day expressed his hopes for mutual political and economic influence between the two countries, highlighting the democratic landscape in both countries and cooperation on sustainability, particularly in the EV industry.

During the day, Kim also interacted with members of the Future Forum 2024 and toured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in downtown Seoul.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]