By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee
Early morning on September 5, at the Chinese Embassy in Jung-gu, Seoul. Though still early, the air outside the embassy is thick with a peculiar mix of tension and excitement. Twenty-six youth reporters, notebooks in one hand and passports in the other, board the bus bound for China.
They were participants in the ‘6th Korea Youth Journalists’ Visit to China’ program, the protagonists of a bilateral youth friendship exchange initiative organized by the Korea China Economy & Culture Educational Association (KCCEA, Chairperson Shin Kyung-sook) and co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Korea.
This group consists of winners of the National Chinese Speech Contest and outstanding students passionate about learning Chinese. After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event finally resumed in 2025 for its sixth iteration, breathing new life into civilian diplomacy and youth cultural exchange between the two nations.
Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing attended the departure ceremony and delivered a congratulatory address. After the ceremony, the students proceeded to Incheon Airport to begin their 6-night, 7-day journey visiting Yunnan Province and Beijing.
In Yunnan Province, they will interact with students from Yunnan Normal University Affiliated Middle School, directly experiencing traditional Chinese culture and educational settings. In Beijing, they will participate in joint reporting activities and cultural explorations with students from Beijing No. 11 Middle School.
Through museum visits, on-site interviews, and joint report production, the student journalists are expected to capture vivid impressions of China. While South Korea and China have maintained close economic and cultural ties for decades, concerns have emerged that recent diplomatic tensions and disruptions in civilian exchanges have gradually eroded mutual understanding.
At such times, direct encounters and exchanges among youth become the starting point for ‘preventive diplomacy’ that reduces misunderstandings and builds trust. Beyond the realms of politics and diplomacy, the experience of sharing life and culture is the path to restoring the true essence of diplomacy.
The KCCEA is a public interest corporation established in 2006 with approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently operating 12 branches nationwide. Since 2007, it has hosted the annual Korea Chinese Speech Contest, providing valuable opportunities for middle and high school students nationwide to develop global language skills and a sense of civilian diplomacy.
Today's youth reporters are not merely a ‘reporting team’. They are future diplomats, cultural interpreters, and bridges connecting nations. Those who experience China firsthand will gain a deeper understanding of Korea, and those who introduce Korea will grow closer to China.
True friendship begins with such steps. “Real diplomacy starts not with politics, but with people.” In 2025, the Korea Youth Press Corps' journey to China will be the most vivid proof of that statement.
