By Honorary Reporter Nicolle Ferreira from Brazil

Photos = Honorary Reporters from Brazil

Surging global interest in Korea drove the number of applications for Korea.net's Honorary Reporter program this year to a record high. The following is a short interview with 15 Brazilians accepted into the program this year. 

Anderson Lobao da Silva
Age: 19 
Home: Fortaleza, Ceara
Instagram ID: @_andyywalker (personal)/ @ohmyandy_ofc (professional)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
I practically spent my teenage years (from 2016) consuming Korean culture. I started with K-pop and then moved on to K-dramas. When the pandemic hit, I decided to study Korean. I've always wanted to produce content for the internet but felt no inspiration to do so. When I learned of the Honorary Reporters program, I realized I could work with what I like and do what I so badly wanted to. 

Did you think you'd get chosen?
I first thought I wouldn't get selected as I'd never done something this before; I still don't feel brave about it. But I realized that though I lacked self-confidence, Korea.net allowed me to make it work.

What do you expect from this role?
As an Honorary Reporter, I want to do everything that I'd planned for a long time in content production. I want to be someone whom lovers of Hallyu remember as showing them this and that on his YouTube channel.

What will you write about?
I want to write about subjects popular among the younger generation -- my age group -- and the public. I want to show and learn from them about topics convenient for us.

Caroline Kaori Shimizu
Age: 26 
Home: Sao Paulo but now living in Korea (Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province)
Instagram ID: @kaori.kbr

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
This program encourages those interested in Korean culture to delve into topics related to the country to promote tourism. Because of little information on Korea from reliable sources in languages other than Korean or English, I felt the need to write about Korea and daily life here as a resident of the country.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

What do you expect from this role? 
I hope to improve my expressive abilities through writing and show how Korea is more than K-pop and dramas. More importantly, I want to help expats and students who intend to live in Korea.

What will you write about?
I would say traditions in Korea and how they affect how Koreans get along with each other, as well as daily life here and related curiosities. 

Diana da Silva Sanfins
Age: 22 
Home: Rio de Janeiro
Instagram ID: @dianasanfins | dianasfins (HR ID)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
I consider this the perfect opportunity because in addition to spreading Korean culture, I get to meet more people both in Brazil and the world. 

Did you think you'd get chosen?

At first, I thought I wouldn't because it took a long time to get an answer, but I cried with joy when I got the email.

What do you expect from this role?

What will you write about?

Fabricia Neres da Silva
Age: 32 
Home: Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo
Instagram ID: @fabricia.neres

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

Did you think you'd get chosen?
Yes, I set it as a goal for this year.

What do you expect from this role? 
I want to show more content for those interested in audiovisual stuff like me.

What will you write about?
Korean films and dramas.

Jessica Louvain
Home: Rio de Janeiro

Instagram ID: @jessica_louvain_

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I've always enjoyed writing and sharing my tips and ideas with people. Talking about a country that I love -- Korea -- motivated me to join this year's class of Honorary Reporters.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

I wasn't sure, but I was hopeful.

What do you expect from this role? 

I want to gain new knowledge in this area and share and learn from other Honorary Reporters. I also want my articles to be useful to people.

What will you write about?
Nothing specific.

Katleen Maisa de Jesus
Age: 31
Home: Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
Instagram ID: @kathy.maisa

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I have a degree in journalism and despite not formally working in this area, my passion for writing never left me. I applied to talk about Korean culture, something I admire so much. I wanted to discuss what I like and share it with more people. This is also a way to learn more about a country that inspires me and exchange experiences with other Honorary Reporters around the world.

Did you think that you get chosen?

As realistic as I am, I felt that I would be chosen. I can't explain why but I just felt I'd get in. 

What do you expect from this role?

I hope to express my admiration and respect for Korean culture to more people and share my experiences with and point of view about this amazing country, which isn't talked about much by my friends and family in Brazil. I want to show people around me how pleasant and even empathetic knowing more about cultures is.

What will you write about?

I want to write about K-dramas and my perspectives on them, the fourth generation of K-pop and the genre's fans, Korean food focusing on vegetarians and Hangeul.

Marcia Caroline de Aguiar Henriques
Age: 24
Home: Manaus, Amazonas 
Instagram ID: @carolineHenriques96 | 16CarolineHenriques (HR ID)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
Besides the personal affinity I have for Korean culture, I also wanted to show Korea to my friends, family and everyone around me through my eyes either in the real or virtual worlds. I also wanted to make new friends from a variety of cultures and styles.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

Honestly, no. I applied with no hope of getting in because I knew people with more experience would apply. But I'm glad the program allowed me to gain experience doing what I love.

What do you expect from this role?

I hope people look at Korea with the same affection and respect that I have. I find Korean culture very rich in knowledge, tourism, gastronomy, entertainment and many other aspects. And this is a great way to make friends with whom I have the same tastes.

What will you write about?

I intend to write about a bit of everything. The advantage of writing about Korean culture is the lack of limits to creativity. I want to write about everything I like that can brighten someone else's life a little.

Maria Clara Brandao
Age: 17
Home: Nova Iguacu, Rio de Janeiro
Instagram ID: @maria.brandaos

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
Last year, I was researching Korean culture and grew interested in it. I wanted to spread it and discovered Honorary Reporters.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

I forgot that I emailed the application form because two months went by with no reply. But I eventually received the email saying I'd been chosen.

What do you expect from this role?

I hope to learn more about Korean culture and customs and show them to my country.

What will you write about?

I want to focus on the perspective of Brazilians who live here and in Korea and how Korea can positively influence our country and vice versa.

Maria Luiza Vicente Gesteira
Age: 18
Home: Rio de Janeiro
Instagram ID: @malugesteira/ @reporterhonorariobrasil

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
I wanted to get more involved in Korean culture, and considered it a good opportunity to show commitment and admiration for Korea in my scholarship application.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

I didn't at first because I was never active on social media, so I thought I was at a disadvantage.

What do you expect from this role?

I want to present Korea well in my country, get people interested in Korea and improve my writing skills.

What will you write about?

I have no fixed ideas, but Korea has a lot to offer and I can research and write about it.

Milla Francis Beltramini Pinheiro
Age: 29
Home: Piracicaba, Sao Paulo
Instagram ID: @millafrancis | Milla Francis (HR ID)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?
I've always been passionate about Asian culture and in recent years, I grew more interested in Korean culture mainly because of Hallyu. I also saw an opportunity to gain knowledge and meet new people.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

I didn't think so as I wasn't confident about doing such work in another language.

What do you expect from this role?

I hope to meet people, share Korean culture from various points of view, exchange knowledge and learn more.

What will you write about?

I will mainly write about the influence of BTS in spreading Korean culture, historical places, dance, music and costumes.

Nicolle Ferreira
Age: 22
Home: Taubate, Sao Paulo
Instagram ID: @nick_ferreira | nick_ferreira (HR ID)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I learned about the program through the Instagram account of a YouTuber I like and when I read more about Korea, I got interested and signed up.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

I didn't know if I would get chosen but I wanted to give it a try. When I received the email confirming my selection, I had mixed feelings, I was happy, nervous and anxious but pleased with the opportunity that Korea.net gave me.

What do you expect from this role?

I hope to spread my love of Korea to my friends and family and make this amazing culture more recognizable.

What will you write about?

I will write about culture in general, curiosities, K-pop, K-dramas, the influence of Korea in Brazil and any other topic I know well.

Thalia Cardoso
Age: 23
Home: Sao Paulo
Instagram ID: @idthali.a

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I've been following Korean culture for 12 years, and since 2016, I've worked to spread Hallyu through events and entertainment programs in Brazil. Over the years, I grew closer and more interested in the culture, and that's why I wanted to join the program.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

I had high hopes. Because Korean culture has always been part of my daily life, I thought I could offer good support to the program and other members.

What do you expect from this role?

I hope I can help spread Korean culture to the world in a creative, fun and informative way and attract more looks and people interested in this rich and inspiring culture. I also want to develop my skills in ​​journalism and media content.

What will you write about? 

I intend to create content on my favored themes of traditional culture, fashion and tourism.

Tamires Oliveira
Age: 23
Home: Salvador, Bahia
Instagram ID: @thamy_doit

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I considered this a great opportunity to bring information to readers and lovers of Korean culture, as well as to inform Koreans and foreigners interested in Brazilian culture.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

No, I had no expectations. I know that it's a very popular program, so I was happy to be chosen.

What do you expect from this role?

I will do my best in this position, and maybe later earn a trip to Seoul.

What will you write about?

I would say Korea of ​​the past, present, and future (technology and architecture), traditional tales and folklore, and historical tourist sites.

Thayna Fogaca
Age: 27
Home: Bauru, Sao Paulo
Instagram ID: @thayfogs | ThayFogs (HR ID)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I've always liked East Asian culture and my fondness intensified last year after I became a huge fan of BTS. I have a bachelor's in journalism and started to prepare for an exchange in Korea for a postgraduate degree in the field. I heard about this program, I didn't think twice and signed up.

Did you think that you get chosen?

Quite honestly, no. I decided to try to see how the process worked, but when my nomination came, giving up was not an option.

What do you expect from this role? 

What will you write about?

I want to write about a little bit of everything, but my focus is entertainment and tourism. I want people to get to know more about Korea through my articles.

Vitoria Martins Chaves
Age: 23
Home: Brasilia
Instagram ID: @victoriamchaves | vitoriamchaves (HR ID)

What made you want to be an Honorary Reporter?

I started writing a while ago as a hobby. When I got interested in Korea and its culture, I felt the need to share with as many people as possible everything I learned about Hallyu.

Did you think you'd get chosen?

No, though I hoped so. I had low expectations, so I was so grateful and happy to be selected.

What do you expect from this role?

I hope to convey as much information about traditional Korean culture, K-pop, K-dramas and tourism.

kalhong617@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.