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Global Korea Award winners share experiences with gender minister
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By
Park Ung
Published
May 7, 2026 4:31 pm
KST
Updated
May 7, 2026 4:47 pm
KST
Multicultural youth call for policies moving beyond awareness into careers, lifelong support
Won Min-kyong, sixth from right, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, poses with winners of the Global Korea Award at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Thursday. Sixth from left is The Korea Times president-publisher Oh Young-jin, left is The Korea Times Managing Director of Content and Business Planning Kim Jae-kyoung, and right is Upbit Investor Protection Center Director Lee Hae-boong. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Outstanding students from multicultural backgrounds shared their stories and policy ideas with Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyong, turning their personal experiences into proposals for change.
Winners of the Global Korea Award — hosted by The Korea Times to support multicultural students who often encounter hurdles rooted in cultural differences or language barriers — gathered for a luncheon with Won at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Thursday.
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“I read about each of your backgrounds and achievements. You are all truly remarkable,” Won said, explaining that the ministry is shifting from awareness campaigns toward policies that respond to what multicultural families and immigrant-background youth actually need.
“We all share this planet. That common ground calls us to reject discrimination and build a society where young people of all backgrounds stand equal,” she said.
The Korea Times president-publisher Oh Young-jin noted that multiculturalism, once an unfamiliar concept when the award launched 15 years ago, has become a natural part of Korean society.
“Seeing each of our winners, I feel a great sense of pride,” Oh said, adding that Korea, now playing an increasingly important role on the world stage, must embrace diversity to build on that standing.
Upbit Investor Protection Center director Lee Hae-boong echoed the sentiment, pledging the company's continued support for multicultural youth. Dunamu, operator of Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, is one of the award's sponsors.
“If you put down strong roots, a brilliant future will find its way to you,” Lee said.
The student also took the floor, each drawing from their own backgrounds to share stories and policy ideas.
Winners of the Global Korea Award join a mentoring session for multicultural youth at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Selma Naciri, born to a Korean mother and a Moroccan father who later became a naturalized Korean, said education in schools has long cast multicultural youth as people who need to be helped rather than as individuals with strengths of their own.
“Multicultural youth are not people who need help, but people with potential,” she said, suggesting career programs that draw on their cultural and linguistic strengths. Hoping to pursue a career in diplomacy, she added that her goal is to help build a framework for shared growth between Korea and Morocco.
Shadikhodjaeva Asilakhon Sherzodovna, born and raised in Korea to Uzbek parents, said years of feeling like an outsider eventually became artistic fuel. “I hope more students can find ways to express their identities, like I did with art,” she said, noting that her art led her to become a student at the Korea National University of Arts, where she is currently in her first year.
Andrua Haque, a graduate student at Seoul National University, volunteered as a mentor for children of migrant workers, helping students from Timor-Leste settle into life in Korea. Born here to Bangladeshi parents, he spent his school years living in Australia, Brunei and Kuwait.
Ju Ye-bom of Sogang University, who left North Korea with her parents at age 15, said she settled in with community and school support when she first arrived in South Korea, but struggled at university with limited networks and information access.
“Policy should extend beyond initial settlement to cover the full life cycle, linking career, mentoring and psychosocial programs,” she said.
After the luncheon, Haque and Ju ran a mentoring session to share their experiences. Ju said accepting her North Korean background lifted a long-held burden and that when she eventually opened up to friends, they took it in stride. Haque noted moving between countries throughout his life allowed him to learn and experience the social challenges each society faces.
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