By Honorary Reporter Debolina from India

The K-Wave Festival was held on Nov. 2 in Seoul. Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the annual event started off by honoring international creators of Korean content like Honorary Reporters, K-influencers and Talk Talk Korea contest winners. 

The following are excerpts from online or email interviews on Nov. 2 with Honorary Reporter from Timor-Leste (East Timor) Frenky Ramiro de Jesus, K-influencer from Tunisia Salma Knani and Talk Talk Korea award winner Andrei Renzo Castro from the Philippines. 

Frenky Ramiro de Jesus

How did you feel after being named this year's top Honorary Reporter?
I didn't expect this since so many talented Honorary Reporters wrote many good articles. But I'm really happy and proud of myself because my effort and hard work for promoting Korea paid off. 

Frenky Ramiro de Jesus from Timor-Leste accepts his award from Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yong Hoseong (Frenky Ramiro de Jesus)

What were your most memorable moments from this Korea trip?
I got to meet other leading Honorary Reporters, K-influencers and Talk Talk Korea winners. We visited famous places in Seoul and Danyang-gun County, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, and the autumn leaves in shades of yellow and orange were stunning. The highlight was visiting the Korea.net office for a behind-the-scenes look at how articles are uploaded by the managers. 

Frenky Ramiro de Jesus wears Hanbok (traditional costume) while visiting the historical site of Gyeongbukgung Palace in Seoul (Frenky Ramiro de Jesus)

Any tips to share with aspiring Honorary Reporters?
I have three tips. Try to read many articles by Honorary Reporters on Korea.net. It helps you learn how they write, choose topics, and share the content and messages. 

Try to write often as possible.The more you practice, the better you'll get. Don't get discouraged as this skill improves with time.

Lastly, stay motivated and keep growing. Keep pushing forward and opportunity may come your way.

Salma Knani from Tunisia

How did it feel to be dubbed the year's top K-influencer?
I felt incredibly proud and grateful. At that moment, memories of all the hard work flooded my mind, the late nights, the challenges I faced and times I pushed through without giving up. 

Receiving this award brought a deep sense of fulfillment and inspired me to keep going and share my journey.

K-Influencer Salma Knani from Tunisia poses with her award. (Salma Knani)

Share memorable highlights of your visit to Korea.
One of the best was visiting popular places that I previously only created content about like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Lotte World Tower and Bukchon Hanok Village. Another highlight was trying a variety of traditional dishes. 

And meeting the Korea.net managers who organized our tour was a pleasure. They were incredibly welcoming and went above and beyond to make our experience enjoyable. And I'll always remember the friendships I made with fellow K-influencers, Honorary Reporters and Talk Talk Korea participants.

Photos of Salma Knani's visit to Korea (Salma Knani)

What would you like to say to aspiring K-influencers?
Stay authentic and passionate about the content you create. Consistency and dedication are key. Don't be afraid to try new things and engage with your audience, as their feedback can be invaluable. Above all, enjoy the journey and let your passion shine through every post. 

Andrei Renzo Castro Lagtu from Philippines

Describe your feeling after learning that you won Talk Talk Korea.
It felt like a dream come true when I won the Motion Graphics category. Animation and Korea are two of my passions. It didn't feel like I was creating an entry for a contest but more like a passion project because I enjoy creating Korean-related content. And the awards ceremony at the K-wave Festival was surreal.

Andrei Renzo Castro Lagtu poses with his award at the K-Wave Festival. (Andrei Renzo Castro Lagtu)

Describe your design roots and why you entered the contest.
My passion for design and animation started as a child, and I eventually studied animation in college. I wanted to showcase Korea's rich culture through my animation. So I spent a month on my entry, which depicted me entering Korea through a magical portal in a painting. It was unbelievable when it came true.

I've been a huge fan of Talk Talk Korea since its launch in 2014, and I've won several prizes including a laptop, tablet and K-pop albums. 

What part of your trip to Korea was most memorable?

It was the friendships I made. My friends and I from all over the world shared our cultures and words from our native languages. Each evening after returning to our hotel, we'd go for long walks, visit parks, buy snacks and soak in daily life in Korea. It was so sad when our journey ended.

Photos of Andrei Renzo Castro Lagtu from the Philippines with other creators of Korean content (Andrei Renzo Castro Lagtu)

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*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.