8 March 2024, Seoul – As we celebrate this year’s International Women’s day and the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Korea relations, the Philippine Embassy is proud to introduce its Ambassador for a Day 2024 initiative.

The Ambassador for a Day is a program created to encourage young women to become leaders and advocates for positive change in the Republic of Korea by creating linkages and fostering a deeper understanding of the Philippine Embassy’s core work in the empowerment of women and the multicultural community.

The Philippine Embassy designated Ms. Ji Yoon “Tori” Kim to be the Ambassador for a Day 2024, where she had the opportunity to shadow and observe Philippine Ambassador H.E. Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega for one full day of packed activities. Ms. Kim, currently a Seoul National University student, was chosen based on merit and recommendation by the Asia Society Korea, the Embassy’s partner for the project.

Ms. Kim represents the future of women leaders and changemakers in the Republic of Korea. Aside from being a Seoul National University student, she is also an active member of the Asia Society Korea, participating in their community development programs since her youth. As a talented artist, her work has won numerous awards both in South Korea and abroad. Ms. Kim is also an athlete, being a member of the Seoul National University’s Women’s Skiing Team, and has won numerous medals for the sport.

Ms. Kim met with various members of the Embassy, including officers and staff handling women's rights, public diplomacy, consular, cultural, and assistance-to-national portfolios. Ms. Kim also briefly observed the Embassy’s frontline operations and had a meeting with the Embassy’s GAD section on the importance of women empowerment and the importance of women contributing to policy and development decisions, as well as contributing to fostering a dynamic multicultural community in the Republic of Korea. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also provided Ms. Kim with an overview of Philippines–Republic of Korea cooperation, as well as future projects of the Embassy in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Republic of Korea relations.

As the Philippines’ Ambassador for a Day, Ms. Kim also attended an international women’s month forum where one of the sessions was moderated by Ambassador Dizon-De Vega. Aside from learning new perspectives on South Korean women in the workplace and the challenges faced by migrant women in the Republic of Korea, Ms. Kim was also where able to meet notable women in diplomacy, governance, business, and other related fields and learn about the international community’s work to promote gender equality in the Republic of Korea.

At the end of the program, Ms. Kim conveyed appreciation for being given the opportunity to understand the work of the Philippine Embassy in Korea and the different perspectives on leadership, the increasingly multicultural future of the Korean community, the multi-faceted relations between the Philippines and Korea, and women empowerment through her activities as Ambassador for a Day.

The Philippine Embassy hopes that as a next-generation leader of Korean society, Ms. Kim will remember her experience as Ambassador for A Day of the Philippines and continue to foster mutual understanding between different cultures and work towards the inclusive development of all women in the community.

The Embassy looks forward to continuing the Ambassador for a Day program in the coming years. END