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• ​​​​​​Administration Staff Park Chan-min smiled in front of Daegu IDCC.

With the relocation of the Daegu International Development Cooperation Center (Daegu IDCC) to Keimyung University, international development cooperation opportunities will arrive at our university. Our newspaper reporter went to the IDCC office to interview a staff member.

1) Please briefly introduce yourself.

Hi, my name is Chan-min Park, administrative staff member of Daegu International Development Cooperation Center. I want to become an ODA (Official Development Assistance) agriculture expert, so I am studying for a master's degree at Kyungpook National University. In short, I was a KOICA (KOrea International Cooperation Agency) volunteer in Indonesian for two years. Then, I was an intern for the Rural Development Administration in Ecuador. After that, I went back to the KOICA Indonesian office and recently come here.

2) What does Daegu IDCC do and what are your main duties?

First of all, Daegu IDCC serves as a platform to promote regional international development cooperation. We are doing everything we can that could be helpful to all the players in the region in the field of international development. In particular, we educate people about international development cooperation targeted for regional citizens and future generations. Moreover, we guide procurement of ODA business for corporations.
Mainly, I’m working in the administrative field, introducing the KOICA volunteer program called World Friends Korea (WFK) and training or project planning.

3) KOICA is well known for its Overseas Volunteer Program, WFK. Is there any specific reason that we have to participate in WFK?

For me, after two years of volunteering, my perspectives about the world changed a lot. Do you know ‘Peace Corps’ of the United States of America? KOICA is similar to that. After the graduation, many well-off Ivy League students volunteer to go overseas through Peace Corps. However, in Korea, there is a lack of awareness that we should give back to our society. WFK is a way to give back to society what you've been given, and it's a great opportunity to develop yourself as well!

4) Then, can you give some advice to students who are looking for jobs related to the international development cooperation field?

KOICA has drawn a blueprint for young talent to join the international development cooperation field. The first step is the WFK and YP (Young Professional) internship system. You will have more choices after you've experienced the first step. In the second phase, you can apply to be a contract employee of overseas offices. Moreover, you can be a project action officer (PAO) or join an NGO (Non-government Organization) or CSR (Corporate social responsibility) section of enterprises. You can also apply for KOICA projects carried out by other public institutions in Korea.