Interview • Portraits • La Chambre

France Korea Next Generation Season 2 #2 | Yejin, Fabien & Jihye's journeys between France and Korea

Le 19/07/2022

Discover young French and Korean professionals’ paths with the second season of FKCCI’s video series “France Korea Next Generation”!

The French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pleased to present the second season of its video series "France Korea Next Generation", in partnership with the French Embassy in Korea!

France and Korea are long-time economic partners. In 1886, they first established economic relations through the signature of a treaty of Friendship and Commerce. In the 1960s, these ties reinforced with steadily increasing trade activities and the opening of French companies’ first branches in Seoul. More recently in 2021, bilateral trade exceeded the €10 Bn milestone for the first time.

Made possible by countless French and Koreans before, this special relationship is now in the hands of young professionals ready to take up the torch and work on continuing to bring both countries together.

To celebrate this new generation and encourage the one to come, the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry went to meet young French and Korean professionals, and asked about their path between France and Korea, their bond to their host country, and their advice to those wishing to follow in their footsteps.

Be ready to get inspired!

In the second episode of our series' second season, meet with Yejin, Fabien & Jihye, who share about their journeys and passions in France, Korea and beyond!

Yejin KIM

Kim Yejin’s relation with France started when she was 13, when she started attending the French school after having immigrated to Vietnam. In 2014, she went to France to study at La Sorbonne and EDHEC Business School and obtained a Master in Management/MSc Finance, before getting her first job in PwC’s French office. After having come back to Korea in 2015 and worked at big companies, she is now a Strategy and Investment Manager at the startup Caredoc, that targets the elderly care market in a country where the aging rate is the fastest in the world. In parallel, she takes part in events organized by FKCCI, the French Embassy and French Cultural Center, to act as a bridge between France and Korea.

Fabien YOON

Fabien, 34 years old, has lived in Korea for more 13 years. A former athlete in the French taekwondo national team, he first got interested in Korea through the practice of the national martial art, before discovering other cultural aspects and deciding to move permanently to Seoul at the end of his studies. Fluent in Korean and versatile, Fabien has become one of France’s most famous representatives in the Peninsula, through his activities as an entertainer, an actor, a YouTuber, and a lecturer.

Jihye KIM

Jihye, 36 years old, is the External Communication Manager at Bluebell Korea, one of the key players in the distribution of luxury brands in the duty-free market in Korea. Her responsibilities are focused on various activities aimed at strengthening relationships with business partners and enhancing Bluebell Korea’s image by reflecting the company’s vision. Since her first crush on French back in high school, French has always been a part of her journey. Her experience in France for one and a half years for her studies and internship served as an important foundation for developing her career. Until 2019, she worked as an In-house French Interpreter/Translator for Samsung Engineering for more than 6 years after graduating from the Graduate School of interpretation and translation of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. She is currently sharing her story on the Korean writing platform, “Brunch”, about her journey to help and inspire people who are interested in France and the French language. (https://brunch.co.kr/@otoutkim)