- MOFA Holds its First “Forum for Youth Expansion to Latin America” Outside Capital Region, Sharing Information on Jobs and Work Experiences in Latin America -

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the “2026 Forum for Youth Expansion to Latin America” on Wednesday, September 16, at the Busan University of Foreign Studies to support Korean youth seeking career opportunities in Latin America.

The forum, held annually since 2016, provides youth interested in working in Latin America with information on careers overseas and serves as an arena for engagement with those who have worked in the region.

This year, the Foreign Ministry held the forum outside Seoul for the first time to improve for youth in provincial areas access to information on overseas jobs and broaden their opportunities for career exploration. At this forum, participants learned about the government’s programs to support overseas employment and heard firsthand experiences from those who have worked in Latin America.

This year’s forum consisted of four sessions: a lecture aimed at enhancing interest in and understanding of Latin America; an introduction to the government’s programs to support overseas employment; sharing  work experiences in various fields related to Latin America; and an in-depth question-and-answer session.

In session 1, K-content YouTuber “Liry Onni,” who also serves as an honorary ambassador for Busan Metropolitan City, gave a lecture titled “Captivating Latin America with K-Content.” Amid growing interest in Korean content in Latin America, she shared her experiences of introducing Korean culture to the region as well as local responses to Korean content.

Session 2 covered various government programs designed to support young people seeking jobs overseas, including that conducted by the Foreign Ministry for those seeking jobs at international organizations; the internship at regional organizations in Latin America; the field training in public diplomacy at overseas diplomatic missions; the dispatch of young talent from provincial areas to overseas diplomatic missions;, and the internship at Korean companies overseas.

The third session on “Sharing Work Experiences in Latin America” featured those who have experiences of engaging in Latin America-related work at POSCO, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Hyosung Heavy Industries, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA): Recalling such experiences, they shared information on career paths in their respective fields, their job preparation experiences, and their work experiences in the region, providing practical career information to the young participants.

In the final fourth session, titled “The MOFA Youth Intern Asks,” a youth intern at the Foreign Ministry preparing for a career related to Latin America moderated the session and asked questions to the speakers from session 3. The speakers offered practical advice in response to those questions from the perspective of a young job seeker, leading to an in-depth exchange of questions and answers.

For youth residing in other parts of the country and overseas who were unable to attend in person, the event was livestreamed on “Latin Plaza by MOFA KR,” the YouTube channel run by the Foreign Ministry’s Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau. A recording of the forum will also be made available on the channel.

The forum, held outside Seoul, helped improve young people’s access to information on overseas career opportunities and explore career paths on the global stage. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its efforts to help strengthen global capabilities of Korean youth including those in provincial areas, and pursue careers abroad.