By Honorary Reporter Tri Iva Fitriani from Indonesia
Illustrations = Tri Iva Fitriani

     I had a very interesting time in my first year as an Honorary Reporter for Korea.net. (Tri Iva Fitriani)

I have since grown more interested in Korea and its culture since discovering K-pop in 2009. Over the past 11 years, K-pop has had a major positive impact on my life.

Making new friends
K-pop has helped me make new friends in real life and on social media over the years. In high school, I spoke about K-pop daily with my friends.

Improving my English skill
Most K-pop and Korea-related videos are subtitled in English. This has motivated me to learn English, which is not my first language. Every time I watch a video on K-pop or Korean culture, I learn new words and enrich my vocabulary.

Increasing my creativity and productivity
I have entered Korea-related contests in Indonesia over the past six years. Producing fan art and participating in such competitions have raised my creativity and productivity. The other benefit is the prize I get for winning a contest. For example, I won something in Talk Talk Korea last year for my illustration used in Korea.net's "Overcome Together" campaign against COVID-19.

Receiving a free trip to Korea
In 2015, I won a free trip to Korea. I traveled around Seoul, experienced Korean culture, went to a K-pop concert, and watched the production of a K-drama and a Korean TV show. This incredible experience was my dream come true.

Joining Honorary Reporters
I joined the Honorary Reporter family last year to share my love for Korea through my art and writing. Since joining, I've learned more about Korean culture, enhanced my photography skills and formed multicultural friendships with fellow Honorary Reporters from around the world. I have also received honoraria for my articles. In my first year, three of the six articles I wrote were posted on the Honorary Reporters section of Korea.net. Korean food is my favorite topic to write about. I also add photos or illustrations to my articles.

In my first year, three of the six articles I wrote were posted on Korea.net's Honorary Reporters section. (Tri Iva Fitriani)

enny0611@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.