Draft:International World in Korea

Introduction:

International World in Korea (IWIK) is a non-governmental non-profit organization composed of foreigners and Koreans in Korea.. It strives to improve multicultural awareness by creating a platform for interaction and communication among individuals from diverse cultures around the world, and focuses on spreading good influence in society and revitalizing international exchanges through various volunteer activities. Recently, it has been actively advocating for global citizenship and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

Establishment:

IWIK began as a small exchange activity for foreigners in Korea in 2012, and has since grown into an international exchange organization involving members from around the world. In early 2018, its founder, Sol Kim, created a Facebook community under the name of "Learning Korean & Language Exchange", which has since grown into a Facebook group with 230,000 current members. The community actively engages in a range of volunteer efforts and international activities.

Activity:

Members have actively participated in various activities in collaboration with numerous organizations, embassies, and the government. The organization officially began its activities under the name of "International World in Korea" in January 2021. The organization is led by Kim Ah-sol and other foreign leaders, in charge of overseeing many projects and campaigns.

Volunteer activity:

One of the main goals of IWIK is to spread good influence in society through volunteer work. IWIK's volunteer activities are not limited to one area, and the planning team ensures proper arrangements by deliberating on members' preferences. Some of these activities focus on environmental protection, the elderly, children, homelessness, and animal shelters . While most volunteer activities are organized and conducted by IWIK, there are instances where they work with external organizations for larger projects.

Cultural exchange program:

Considering that IWIK comprises individuals from all over the world, its members have unique insights into different cultures and communities. In addition to informal cultural and language exchanges during meetings, activities, and gatherings, IWIK prepares cultural exchange events where foreigners introduce their home countries and cultures to Koreans, and sometimes, the exchange takes place in the reverse direction. Examples include cultural exchanges between Turkey and Korea and the 2022 Lunar New Year's Day, which saw the participation of ambassadors and diplomats from several embassies participated with their families .

Campaign:

In the fall of 2021, IWIK launched a winter clothing collection campaign for homeless people in Seoul. The activity was proposed by a member during a planning meeting. After reaching out to the Seoul Homeless Facilities Association to examine the situation and make appropriate arrangements, the campaign succeeded in securing several boxes of winter clothing. This was made possible through the active cooperation of the Danish and Philippine embassies in Korea as well as the commitment of group members.

In 2022, IWIK launched a global campaign to promote the concept of global citizenship and to contribute to the UN-SDG. This campaign was carried out in cooperation with like-minded partner organizations that recognize the importance of this initiative

Other activities:

At the invitation of the mayor's office, 20 IWIK members visited Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, and were appointed as ambassadors . Moreover, they engaged in an initiative to promote Seoul Land, Korea's first amusement park. Likewise, responding to an invitation from the Seoul Tourism Foundation, seven IWIK members were appointed as ambassadors for the Seoul Lantern Festival

Goal:

In addition to volunteer activities, cultural exchange activities, and campaigns, the organization aims to support language exchanges between young Koreans and foreigners , improve multicultural awareness, implement programs designed to help with the adaptation of foreigners in Korea, and strengthen cooperation with related organizations. This effort extends to the involvement of Government agencies and embassies in fostering international exchanges.