1. Briefly introduce yourself
Hello. My name is Somin Jun, and I am a 2020 MDP student at KDI School.

2. What did you do before coming to KDI School?
Before KDI School, I was on a journey of self-discovery. I entered university to major in civil engineering according to my grades, and I realized that engineering was not the path I wanted to take during the first semester of my freshmen year. Since then, I started to consider my aptitude, interests, and talents more carefully. Based on the results of my search, I wanted to choose a job that would suit me in the future. I became interested in the international society by participating in activities from both inside and outside the university. Additionally, I was able to think more about diversity through my experience as an exchange student in the US. Through internships in the non-profit organizations, The Korea Society in New York and Korea University Institute of International Development Cooperation (KUIIDC), I was able to broaden the knowledge of sustainable development.

3. What brought you to decide to come to KDI School?
I learned about field of international development cooperation by the visiting World Bank in DC, and I realized that working for the World Bank would allow me to add value to society with my dispersed skills. For this reason, I set a goal to become an expert in infrastructure development by combining my civil engineering knowledge that I gained in my undergraduate years with my international development cooperation knowledge. To achieve my career goal, I thought that KDI School’s solid curriculum, internship opportunities, and excellent faculty could help me.

4. What is your biggest interest?
I am interested in public development assistance projects in the construction sector, like the ones conducted by the Export-Import Bank of Korea and EDCF. Among these projects, the Export-Import Bank of Korea’s most focused projects are related to transportation. They carried out 123 projects in 25 countries in 2019. I am proud of South Korea, a country that went from receiving aid to being a country that supports technology and finance in other countries in order to establish stable and convenient infrastructure. I also want to help the development of the international society as an expert in civil engineering.

5. What do you want to achieve in the KDI School?
I am expecting to expand my knowledge of international development policies, as well as domestic and foreign aid systems. Furthermore, I look forward to taking on every opportunity available to members of KDIS, such as RA and internship programs, so that I can further develop my abilities as an international development specialist.

6. What are your plans after graduation?
For the short term, I hope to work as a development expert in EDCF construction department of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, the only paid-in aid organization in Korea. I hope to be able to professionally manage public development assistance projects. Additionally, working in international financial institutions or overseas offices could be a great opportunity for me. As always, I want to be grateful for every challenge and circumstance I am faced with. Lastly, I would like to establish the ‘Jun Somin Scholarship Foundation’ and conduct a scholarship support project in the future.