The Jeollanamdo Provincial Government, which represents South Jeolla Province, aims to support young people of Korean ethnicity residing overseas through the K-Diaspora Youth Project.

The regional office signed the memorandum of understanding on Monday with the Godowon Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to youth mentoring, the Blue Tree Foundation, an NGO against school violence, Rep. Yang Hyang-ja of Democratic Party and The Korea Herald, agreeing to work closely to educate young ethnic Koreans overseas about Korean culture.

According to the data provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2020, there are some 7.5 million Koreans living overseas. Nearly 2 million are young people between the ages of 9 and 24, who are second, third or fourth generation immigrants. Often billed as the Korean diaspora, they have Korean ethnicity but face cultural and linguage barriers to connecting with Korean culture, as they often leack opportunities to associate with their roots.

The K-Diaspora Youth Project hopes to educate the youths overseas about Korean culture, inviting them to visit Korea and having them connect with local young people to expand their understanding of Korea, in the belief that they will be a great asset to Korea in the future.

The Jeollanamdo Provincial Government, with its overseas network, will work to invite influential Koreans living abroad, offering them a meaningful experience here, utilizing the unique tourism and cultural assets of South Jeolla Province.

“It is very meaningful that South Jeolla Province can take part in the K-Diaspora Youth Project,” Gov. Kim Young-rok of South Jeolla Province said. “We will do our best to help youths in and out Korea to grow as creative, global citizens who will lead the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)