Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do – Gochang-gun in Jeollabuk-do is actively fostering future talent by launching its 'Youth Diplomat' program. This initiative aims to strengthen the global capabilities of local youth and promote international exchange. On the afternoon of May 28, a significant 'Youth Diplomat Appointment Ceremony' was held in the county office's 5th-floor conference room, where 43 students from Gochang High School, Gochang Buk High School, and Jeonbuk AI High School were officially appointed as Youth Diplomats. They are now tasked with the important role of promoting Gochang's charm to the world and contributing to strengthening relationships with international sister and friendship cities.

 
Youth Leading the Future, Becoming the Face of Gochang

The 43 appointed Youth Diplomats are expected to become key players in leading Gochang-gun's future and serving as Gochang's face in communicating with the world. Beyond being a symbolic title, they will directly participate in various international exchange activities, striving to introduce Gochang's culture, history, natural landscapes, and industrial characteristics to people worldwide.

Their main activities will include direct communication with overseas youth through online chats and email exchanges. This will allow Gochang's youth to overcome language barriers, interact with young people from other cultures, cultivate a global mindset, and answer questions about Gochang. Furthermore, Gochang-gun's promotional activities will leverage various online platforms such as SNS, blogs, and video content creation to introduce the region's major tourist attractions and cultural content, including Gochang's UNESCO World Heritage sites (Gochang Dolmen Sites, Gochang Getbol) and the Green Barley Field Festival. The process of directly planning and producing multilingual promotional materials that capture Gochang's unique charm will be an excellent opportunity for these young people to enhance their creativity and practical skills.

In particular, this program is expected to play a crucial role in strengthening Gochang-gun's ties with its international sister and friendship cities. Gochang-gun currently has sister and friendship city relationships with Zaozhuang City in China, Shimanto Town in Japan, and Miri City in Malaysia. The Youth Diplomats will participate in cultural exchange programs with youth from these cities or produce materials introducing Gochang in their respective languages, thereby solidifying friendly relations through practical exchange activities. This is expected to contribute to forming deep bonds between future generations, going beyond mere inter-governmental cooperation.

 
Gochang-gun's Vision: A Cradle for Nurturing Global Talent

At the appointment ceremony, Gochang-gun Mayor Shim Deok-seop emphasized, "I hope the Youth Diplomat program becomes a valuable opportunity for Gochang's youth to communicate with the world and cultivate global capabilities," adding, "We will continue to provide various international exchange programs to help local youth grow." This demonstrates Gochang-gun's firm commitment to nurturing local youth into global talent from a long-term perspective, rather than focusing solely on short-term achievements.

Gochang-gun has already made various efforts to strengthen the international capabilities of its youth. It plans to support Youth Diplomats in gaining richer experiences by linking the program with existing initiatives such as English speaking contests, international cultural experience camps, and exchanges with overseas sister schools. In particular, it will help young people cultivate the sense of responsibility and inclusiveness required as global citizens through global citizenship education and multicultural understanding education.

In recent educational circles, core competencies required for future society, such as global citizenship, creative problem-solving skills, and communication skills, are being emphasized. Gochang-gun's Youth Diplomat program can be evaluated as a proactive educational model that responds to these demands of the times. The experiences young people gain by directly acting as diplomats will cultivate practical global capabilities that cannot be learned in the classroom. By communicating with people from diverse cultures and representing Gochang in promotional activities, young people will enhance their planning and execution abilities, as well as cultivate problem-solving skills and leadership.

 
Global Gochang in Partnership with the Local Community

Gochang-gun's Youth Diplomat program is expected to be more than just a youth development project; it will serve as an opportunity to enhance the entire region's global competitiveness. As Youth Diplomats promote Gochang's charm through their activities, Gochang-gun will naturally increase its international recognition and gain opportunities to attract more overseas tourists and investors.

Furthermore, this program will have a positive impact on local community members. Seeing young people communicate with the world will help residents cultivate a global mindset and recognize the importance of international exchange. Ultimately, this will contribute to building the social foundation necessary for Gochang-gun to grow into an international city.

Gochang-gun plans to provide unsparing practical support for the activities of the Youth Diplomats in the future. This may include mentoring from international exchange experts, foreign language education support, and technical and equipment support for producing promotional content. Additionally, the program plans to regularly evaluate and provide feedback on the Youth Diplomats' performance to continuously improve the program's quality.

The appointment of these Youth Diplomats is a symbolic move that demonstrates Gochang-gun's strong determination to emerge as a leading region in the global era, commensurate with its status as a 'UNESCO World Heritage City.' We anticipate that Gochang's youth, who will grow by communicating with the world, will become global leaders who will lead the future of South Korea.