Young Capitol Employee Gets Slot for 6-Month South Korean Fellowship Program

The social media editor of the Provincial Information Office of the Cebu Provincial Government is among the 57 fellows from all over the world set to take part in a six-month fellowship program in South Korea.

24-year-old Lianne Llesol was accepted as one of the fellows for the K2H Fellowship Program organized by the Governors Association of Korea and its partner local government units.

Llesol, a native of Argao town, is set to leave today, April 10, in time for the start of the six-month training program tomorrow in South Korea.

Image source: https://www.facebook.com/DynamicBusan/

The K2H Fellowship Program offers an extensive training program for eligible local public workers, designed to mold new generation of public officials and future decision-makers through a meaningful professional experience in Korea.

The program, which is now on its 20th year, will start with a 10-day pre-intensive training course in Seoul, Korea, wherein the fellows will explore more on the Korean administration, history and culture. The participants will also undergo several trainings, including an intensive language course that will prepare the participants for their six months stay in Korea.

After the pre-program, the participants will proceed to their individual Korean local government unit host where they will stay for the whole six months for the main program. Llesol will be in Busan, South Korea, which has sisterhood ties with the Province of Cebu.

Since the fellowship program started in 1999, around 758 public officials from 30 different countries have participated. After completion of the program, participants have better understanding of Korea, which further contributes to promoting international exchanges between Korean local governments and their foreign counterparts.

Llesol, along with another Filipino participant, will be representing the Philippines, while other fellows are from China, Germany, Russia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, and Panama.

Llesol graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines Cebu with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication. She has been working at the Provincial Government since 2014 and is in-charge of the social media unit of the PIO.

“I feel honored and proud. This is my first time abroad and it’s very special for me to be there as a representative of Cebu and the Philippines. I will make sure to do well and to make Cebu proud,” said Llesol, who is a huge fan of Filipino and Korean culture.

“Amidst the hype for Korean pop culture, I expect to learn more about Korea, their history and culture, governance practices, projects and programs for the people. I hope to gain knowledge and ideas for more partnership programs to foster better linkages and wider promotions benefitting both Busan Metropolitan City and Cebu Province,” she added.

www.cebu.gov.ph