There must be HUFSans who have not yet decided what career they want to pursue in the future. If you are one of those students, there is an alumnus who had the same concerns as you. Park Heung-ryul, who graduated from the Department of English Education, experienced various spheres, filtered out those that did not fit himself and finally became a journalist. The Argus met Park and listened to the experiences he has had and the special aspects of his current job.

The Argus: Hello. Please introduce yourself to The Argus readers.
Park Heung-ryul (Park): Nice to meet you. I am Park Heung-ryul, and I graduated from the Department of English Education, beginning my undergraduate studies in 1980. Currently, I am working as a deputy director at Korea Times in Los Angeles (L.A.).

The Argus: What is your role at the Korea Times in L.A.?
Park: As a deputy director and the chief of the Department of Current Issues, I am in charge of the education section. I am also in charge of the Korea Times weekly-issued magazine called “H magazine” and book review section. Not only this, I also work for the Korea Times when it hosts events, such as the College Expo or Hollywood Bowl Korean Music Festival.

The Argus: Before becoming a journalist, what experiences did you have?
Park: When I immigrated to the United States in 1984, I was admitted to the MBA program at Colorado State University. However, I changed my mind and studied electronic engineering instead. Then again, I realized that I did not have an aptitude for that, and I studied applied mathematics instead. With this foundation, I first thought about getting a career related to accounting or computer science. However, I did not want to do something monotonous and instead wanted to have a challenging job. I asked an acquaintance for advice, and at the same time I found that the Korea Times was recruiting reporters. I tried out for the position and on Oct. 16, 1989, I became a cub reporter.
Since I finished college, the various things I experienced have been a part of a process that helped me to find my future. Journalist, my final destination, was a job I decided to pursue based on the following: I have always liked writing, I had worked as a student journalist before, and the job itself suits my character and talents.

The Argus: Could you tell us more about your experiences as a student reporter?
Park: When I was studying at HUFS, I worked at The Argus from my freshman year to my sophomore year. To be honest, I did not go into The Argus with the intent to become a journalist. Instead I just sought to improve my English. However, I learned more than I expected by receiving a hard training course from Son Min-ung, the head editor of The Argus at that time. I experienced not only how to conduct interviews but also how to do on-the-scene reporting as well. Moreover, I found my own style of journalism. Although I had hardships in the process of finding my future, my two years at The Argus were a big help when making a decision about my career.

The Argus: Are you satisfied with your job as a journalist? Why or why not?
Park: I am 90 percent satisfied with what I do now. Of course it cannot be 100 percent. The Korea Times in L.A. does not have a great environment to work in such as the press companies in Korea have. However, no matter what, being a journalist is sure a fascinating job in the sense that I can experience various situations and meet people from all sorts of backgrounds. I have interviewed various people, from homeless people in downtown L.A. to previous Korean presidents. Through these various interviews, I have felt various emotions, ranging from being inspired to being disappointed.
One of the most memorable experiences was when I covered the main characters of “Three Rounds of Shots: Broken Dreams” and “Mrs. Hong Jeong-bok, Mother of Black People,” which are documentaries that each won the grand prize from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) in 1997 and 1999. By covering their lives, I learned what it is like to live like a real human being. That is my most unforgettable coverage experience.

The Argus: We heard that the Korea Times in L.A. is published for Korean residents in America. What is the characteristics of the Korea Times in L.A.?
Park: The Korea Times in L.A. is published for not only the first but also for the second generation of Korean-Americans. For this reason we publish in both an English and a Korean version. Moreover, because of the characteristics of Korean immigrants’ societies, we not only cover Korean entrepreneurs or politicians in American society, but we also cover local community issues such as problems related to elderly Korean people. Of course, every branch has different characteristics, since the Korea Times has 12 branches across the U.S..

The Argus: What is the most important trait for being a good reporter?
Park: Working as a member of the press, you need to have some power to suggest a better vision for society as well as the ability to criticize. If you do not have a strong will to change the society we live in, I do not think that you are qualified to be a reporter. So before you try journalism as a career, you need to ask yourself whether you really have the spirit of a reporter.
As a journalist, I feel it is pitiful that such small numbers of students are interested in journalism. However, anyone who is only interested in money or fame should not become a reporter.

The Argus: Since many accidents have occurred in Korea, the credibility of the Korean press has decreased. What do you think about this?
Park: Problems regarding the press are related to all areas including politics, economics and culture. So, it is hard to say what the problem specifically is. However, one thing that is clear is that journalists lack integrity. There may be some people who say they would lead society in the right way on the surface, but they themselves are not clean inside. In order for the press to exercise leverage again, there must be a big change in the press overall.

The Argus: Are there any words you want to say to junior HUFSans?
Park: When I visited HUFS this time, there were banners written that said, “Come to HUFS, Meet the World” all over the campus. This is the answer. Junior HUFSans should watch alumni who already work overseas and learn from them. Moreover, once you are a HUFSan, you are always a HUFSan. Keep your pride as a HUFSan and widen your vision starting from little things like school and community to bigger things like the world.

When he was concerned about his future, Park Heung-ryul challenged himself by experiencing various things. He even studied areas unrelated to being a journalist, his current position, but even those experiences helped him find his path. There must be times you have considered the question, “Will this really benefit me in the future?” but whatever you do, challenging yourself always helps you in the future.