Kim Wants to Make Documentary About Korean Emigration to Russia
By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Marina Kim, 25, a Korean-Russian news anchor at one of the most viewed Russian TV stations, has a dream: Making a documentary on the history of Korean immigration to Russia.
And the desire for making her dream come true is gets stronger each time she visits what she feels is her `connected' land.''
Kim came to Korea for the second time at the invitation of the Overseas Koreans Foundation to the 2008 Future Leaders' Conference that began on Tuesday at the Grand Hilton Hotel in Seoul.
She is a third-generation Korean in her family born of a Korean father and a Russian mother. Her grandparents were Korean immigrants to Russia.
In light of her first trip five years ago, she said it was very emotional
``Both my father and I came to Korea for the first time,'' Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times Wednesday.
She said they were impressed by economic development that their mother country has made. ``I thought Seoul looked like how Moscow will appear in 50 years time.''
Her second trip gave her an in-depth understanding of Korea, which was presented through discussions and talks at the conference.
Kim said the TV channel has given a lot of attention to the Dokdo issue, and that's how she is aware of the matter.
She said Russia has a similar dispute with Japan over the Kuril Islands, but didn't elaborate on that much.
Kim has been in the news business for five years now.
Her first position was as an anchor at a business channel called the Russian Business Consultant where her Oriental look met the channel's preference for an Asian-looking announcer. ``They wanted an anchor with an oriental appearance for their Asian business section.''
Then, the VGTRK Rossia, the most important state-owned television channel where she still works, picked her up.
``I love what I do,'' she said proudly.
She said she has learned to introduce herself as half Korean and half Russian in Russia, after encountering people who looked puzzled by an Asian looking Russian.
That doesn't trouble her a bit, she said, because the bottom line is ``In Russia, I am completely Russian.''
What grows inside her now is a connection to Korea and the people and willingness to do something to help Koreans in Russia, especially through this trip which has gotten the participants enormous attention.
A total of 105 Korean descendants from 21 countries participated in the annual conference which ends Friday.