my timesThe Korea Times
lhj

Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

Go to Email

Read more

Global Community

Outstanding high school students

Future IT expert Hong inspires others with positive energyHong Seok-yeon is a junior at Seoul Information Technology High School. Born to a Mexican mother and a Korean father, she shows a strong interest in her mother's home country.Hong Seok-yeonHong often interacts with other children from similar backgrounds by engaging in various activities in the local community of Latin American immigrants, through which she learns about her Mexican culture.At school, she shows a big passion for the information technology (IT) field. From his early school years, she showed strong intellectual curiosity in IT subjects and has been actively participating in various international programming contests, as well as those hosted by local education offices. With the goal to pursue her career as an IT expert, she entered Seoul Information Technology High School. As she strives to achieve her dream, the hardworking student has already attained several certificates for computer programing. Beyond her scholastic achievements, Hong is popular among her peers thanks to her outgoing personality. She is always

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Outstanding high school students
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

Outstanding elementary school students

Cui is diligent high-achiever with strong leadership skillsBorn to Chinese parents, Cui Yun-zhi is a sixth grader at Yangji Elementary School in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. She is an exemplary student with strong leadership skills.Cui Yun-zhiAfter serving as the leader of the school's student representative group in the spring semester this year, Cui was elected class leader for the fall semester. She communicates effectively with her classmates and teachers, while taking a leading role in school volunteer activities.Cui is also a self-driven, diligent student with remarkable grades in all subjects including Korean, English and mathematics. She strives for development in every subject. She is also praised by many for her warm-hearted and thoughtful attitude toward others. She does not hesitate to help classmates in need. Her dream is to become a doctor in the future. Other than her academic achievements, Cui shows respect for the elderly and encourages others to do so too.Mandigo is a well-rounded student with passion in sports and multilingual skillsBorn to a Canadian father and Kore

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Outstanding elementary school students
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

Children from multicultural backgrounds are Korea's future

The judges for the 11th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards participate in the evaluation of award applicants online, Nov.21. They are, clockwise from top left: advisor to Woongjin Foundation Sohn Wie-soo; Migrant Youth Foundation Board Chairman and Hanyang University Professor Emeritus Cha Yun-kyung; Park Dae-jin, an official at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's department for multicultural family policies; Cho Jae-hyon, managing director of The Korea Times; Korea Cultural Diversity Organization Chair Jasmine Lee, Seoul YMCA's civil society movement department representative Ju Gun-ihl; Asian Friends Honorary Chairman Kim Joon-sik; and Asian Friends Chairwoman Lee Nam-sook. Captured from ZoomBy Kim Joon-sikIt has been 11 years since The Korea Times established the Korea Multicultural Youth Awards in 2012. I would like to congratulate the winners of this year's awards. Reading your applications, I was very pleased to see you studying hard and engaging in various volunteer activities in and outside of school. The winners of the inaugural awards in 2012 would have probably begu

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Children from multicultural backgrounds are Korea's future
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

Outstanding middle school students

Warm-hearted Ramirez Cruz perfectly adapts to life in KoreaBorn to Colombian parents, Jairo Andres Ramirez Cruz first came to Korea from Colombia in 2016 at the age of nine. Six years have passed since he began his school life as a second grader at elementary school. He is now a second grader at Hongik Middle School in Seoul.Jairo Andres Ramirez CruzDespite having spent his early childhood in Colombia, he has adapted perfectly to school life here. In the first few months, he put a lot of effort into learning the Korean language. After he adjusted smoothly to Korea, he displayed leadership as the class president in the fourth grade of elementary school. However, Ramirez Cruz's life has not always been bright. After the divorce of his parents, his father moved to Colombia, leaving him and his younger brother to be raised by their mother. Things became more difficult after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.Despite the hardships, however, Ramirez Cruz never lost hope. He took good care of his brother and helped his mother. In particular, the bilingual student always sup

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Outstanding middle school students
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

Prime Minister's congratulatory remarks

By Han Duck-sooGreetings to the outstanding award winners. I would like to express my gratitude to the staff at The Korea Times for organizing this meaningful event. Prime Minister Han Duck-sooI send my congratulations to the students who are receiving the honorary awards: Lee Jennifer, Cui Yun-zhi, Gina Kim Mandigo, Jairo Andres Ramirez Cruz, Kwon Ji-ae, Hong Seok-yeon, Kim Kyung-min, Aljalaali Marwa, Nwamadi Joeljin, Kam Hyo-bin, Hirose Minori, as well as teacher Kim Eun-og.As we enter an era where 1.1 million multicultural households are living across the country, Korea has already become a nation where diverse cultures and ethnicity coexist. As seen by the rising global popularity of K-content (Korean content), boundaries in cross-national borders, races and languages are becoming increasingly meaningless.The government will step up efforts to actively support the children so that our future generation can grow up as global citizens equipped with inclusivity and openness. The improvement of tailored support measures for multicultural families is being carried out as one of our na

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Prime Minister's congratulatory remarks
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

Special Awards

Special jury award winnersSyrian refugee Aljalaali dreams of becoming an interpreterSyrian national Marwa Aljalaali came to Korea in October 2015 at the age of 10. Fleeing from their war-torn homeland, her family settled in the central city of Daejeon. Marwa AljalaaliAljalaali did not know a single word of Korean when she first came here. But she was a fast learner. On top of her school classes, she regularly attended Korean language classes provided by a local welfare center for children. As a result of her hard work, she attained level 3 in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) in 2018 and then obtained the highest level in 2021. Her proficiency in Korean was proven in a nationwide bilingual speech contest in 2020 hosted by the Ministry of Education, in which she was awarded a gold medal. Based on her bilingual skills, she dreams of becoming an interpreter in the future.Being the eldest child of the family, Aljalaali grew up taking care of her younger brothers and sister. She is a responsible daughter at home, always supporting her parents who at times experience difficulties l

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Special Awards
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

Outstanding volunteer

Dedicated teacher Lee helps children from multicultural backgroundsLee Eun-og, 57, a teacher-librarian at Gonjiam High School in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, is dedicated to supporting children of multicultural backgrounds. Lee Eun-ogSince she began working at the school in 2019, Lee has helped many students from multicultural families, as well as those from foreign countries, adapt to school life. Not only did she support the students in learning the Korean language by helping them to read books and write essays, she also came up with creative activities using newspapers. There are currently about 20 students from multicultural backgrounds at Gonjiam High School, and Lee has made the library a comfortable environment where they can freely gather to chat about their school life, read books and do assignments together. Lee also supported third graders with career planning. She offered consultations to students who struggle to find information about universities, helping them narrow down their career paths and college major options. She has also helped them write cover letters for colle

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Outstanding volunteer
  • All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
Global Community

All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background

Jennifer Lee, grand prize winner of the 11th Multicultural Youth Awards, demonstrates a figure skating pose in her classroom at Sangtap Elementary School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 28. The sixth grader loves doing sports such as figure skating, swimming and running. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulGrand Prize winner of The Korea Times' 11th Multicultural Youth AwardsBy Lee Hyo-jin Jennifer Lee, a sixth grader at Sangtap Elementary School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is a multi-talented student who excels in her studies as well as extracurricular activities.Born to a Mexican mother and a Korean father, she naturally speaks Spanish and Korean. She also speaks German and English, both of which she has learned since her early childhood in Mexico.Lee was born in Korea in 2010. At the age of two, her family moved to Queretaro, a city in central Mexico, and lived there until she was nine. After they came back to Korea in 2019, Lee began her school life here from the third grade of elementary school.“To be honest, it was quite difficult to adapt to classes at first, bec

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
All-rounder Jennifer Lee takes pride in her multicultural background
  • Outstanding elementary school students
  • Children from multicultural backgrounds are Korea's future
  • Outstanding high school students
  • Outstanding middle school students
  • Prime Minister's congratulatory remarks
  • Special Awards
  • Outstanding volunteer
  • 11 students from multicultural backgrounds and teacher awarded for accomplishments
Health

Debate reignites over indoor mask rule

A sign attached at the entrance of a book store in Seoul, Sunday, reads that visitors are required to wear a face mask. YonhapDaejeon city, central government at odds over mask requirementBy Lee Hyo-jinA debate has reignited over the indoor face mask mandate following a move by the Daejeon city government to lift the requirement in the region, going against the nationwide directive that has been in place for over two years.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has requested the city government to refrain from making unilateral decisions in COVID-19 response measures. But Daejeon's move has added pressure on the government to expedite its discussions on dropping the mask mandate, as the country is experiencing a less threatening winter surge than previous years.The nationwide requirement to wear masks in indoor spaces such as offices, cafes, hospitals and public transportation was first implemented in October 2020. After the outdoor mask mandate was lifted in May of this year, there have been growing calls among the pandemic-weary public that the government should beg

Dec 4, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Debate reignites over indoor mask rule
Global Community

Migrant rights groups call for investigation into sudden death of Nepalese worker

Migrant workers hold a rally near Seoul Station, Aug. 21, calling for better working conditions. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Local migrants' rights groups are calling for a thorough investigation into the recent death of a Nepalese worker at a meat factory, as they view that the death could be related to harsh working conditions. Birendra Tamang, 25, who was working in a meat factory in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, was found dead in his dormitory on Nov. 27, according to the police. His death occurred some five months after he was hired to work there.While the police are yet to disclose the autopsy results, migrant rights activists are demanding a full investigation into possible health issues related to harsh labor conditions and long working hours.The Nepali worker entered Korea in early July with an E-9 work visa, which guarantees a stay of up to four years and 10 months under the Employment Permit System (EPS). The employment scheme, operated by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, brings in migrant laborers from 16 countries, mostly in Southeast Asia, to fill quotas needed in i

Dec 1, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Migrant rights groups call for investigation into sudden death of Nepalese worker
previous page
106107108109110
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.