By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Emilia Kircheva from Bulgaria

Thanks to Korea.net, in the middle of January I had the great pleasure of visiting Korea for the very first time. Between Jan. 22 and 26, Korea.net Honorary Reporters from around the world gathered in Seoul and I was honored to be among them. As part of the seventh class of Korea.net Honorary Reporters, launched by the Korean Cultural and Information Service (KOCIS), I spent several days in Seoul and visited the host cities of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

This trip was very special not only for me, but for the people around me, too, because I shared my time in Korea with them through pictures, videos, memorabilia and stories. One of the most special places at which I got to share my journey was on Radio Sofia, an independent program that's part of Bulgarian National Radio.

World Radio Day is celebrated on Feb. 13, and most Bulgarian radio stations had a special program in honor of the holiday throughout that whole week. As a student specializing in radio journalism and co-host of Bulgaria`s only online radio program dedicated to the Far East, "Friday Chopsticks," radio is a big part of my life. The PyeongChang Olympic Games are really popular these days. Due to me being familiar with both radio and the Korean Winter Games, I had the privilege of being invited as a guest on the morning broadcast of the show "Radiocafe" on Radio Sofia.

While talking with the host of the program, Lilia Goleminova, I shared my story of how my passion for East Asia, which would later lead me to become a Korea.net Honorary Reporter, began. I explained what my colleagues and I do as Honorary Reporters, and we proceeded to talk about my visit to the Olympic village prior to the start of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The host happened to have also been there a few months before, so we got to exchange impressions of the city and the great hospitality we experienced in Korea. She was also curious as to how I handled the cold weather and we had a laugh at the fact that we both were initially looking skeptical at the use of hot packs, but very soon started to appreciate them.

Interest in all things Korean is constantly gowning, both in Bulgaria and elsewhere globally. At the moment, the PyeongChang Games are boosting this interest immensely, but I believe that even after the Games, it will continue to grow. I'm happy to be able to share my passion for Korea with my friends in Bulgaria and to see more people wanting to get acquainted with it.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* 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.