Interview: Korea content creator Foteini Chatzoudi Recounts Winning the Korea.net Award of Excellence
2024-11-181. Briefly introduce yourself.
My name is Foteini Chatzoudi, and I live in Thessaloniki, Greece. I graduated in 3D Animation and Design from a private institution in Greece. However, my true passion lies in graphic design, which is why I decided to pursue a career in this field, and I’ve been an Honorary Reporter for Korea.net since 2021.
2. What was your contribution for the 2024 Korea.net HR program that is most meaningful to you?
I believe my time as a special guest at the networking event on August 23, which was organised by Korea.net via Zoom, was a great experience. I discussed the process of conducting interviews and shared the secrets behind crafting the right questions.
3. What does receiving the Korea.net award mean to you personally, and what difference would it make in your career?
I applied for the Honorary Reporter program in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a challenging time when the whole world was confined to their homes. I chose to apply because of my admiration for Korea and my desire to share my knowledge of this beautiful country with a wider audience.
So, receiving this award is incredibly meaningful to me, as I have been an Honorary Reporter for four years. It brings back memories of the hard work I've put into writing articles and conducting thorough research to find the right interviewees. In terms of my career, this award will be a valuable addition that I will be proud to display on my resume.
4. What has been your biggest inspiration for your unique writing style and consistency?
My biggest inspiration comes from reading articles published on Korea.net's main website or in the "Korea Magazines" section. About consistency, it solely depends on you and your free time.
5. What's your top 3 memorable articles written for Korea.net and why?
Firstly, I had the opportunity to interview Ha Mi-hyun, the author and founder of Spoken Company. Through her, I learnt about the differences between rural, temple, and urban cuisine—a question I had always wondered about. Secondly, in 2023, I travelled solo to Seoul, and while exploring the Ikseon-dong neighbourhood, I stumbled upon a sculpture called "Mello" created by artist Steven Harrington. I never imagined that a year later, this same artist would have his first solo exhibition in Seoul, and I would have the opportunity to interview him because of that encounter with ‘’Mello’’. It felt like fate. Lastly, the interview I had with Daniel Tandler, a Korean-German Hanok architect, was incredibly enlightening. Having been fascinated by Hanok, the traditional Korean house, since I was young, it was fascinating to learn about it directly from an architect.
6. How would you describe your visit to Korea and activities that were prepared for you and other winning HRs?
Truly remarkable. The activities and places we visited were carefully planned by KOCIS and MCST. In short, everything was perfect, from the well-organised trips to the delicious K-food we enjoyed. It was an experience I will never forget. My fellow winners were all so wonderful: funny, talented, and friendly. It felt as if I’d known them all along. I was able to meet our HR managers, Mrs. Kal and Ms. Misun.
At KBS (Nov. 4, 2024), the KBS representative took us behind the scenes of a weather forecasting studio, a cartoon dubbing corner, and the KBS' News 9 presenter studio (you could read the script on the monitor), and we saw the Music Bank stage/studio. It was my first time seeing something like this and experiencing how a news studio operates; it was very fascinating. We had such a funny moment at the cartoon dubbing corner, where my fellow winners experienced stepping into the roles of characters from a KBS cartoon.
Some of the places we visited were Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheong Wa Dae, and KBS in Seoul. We also went to Danyang County, where the Mancheonha Skywalk, Cheongpung cable car, and guinsa temple are located.
7. What future projects would you like to work on, and any advice for your colleagues?
I would like to continue conducting interviews and, of course, to write articles about this fantastic experience in Korea. My advice to fellow Honorary Reporters would be to stay curious, dive further into the K-culture, and write about what you truly love.
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