Azerbaijani multicultural mentor says Korea gave her chance to pursue dreams

SEOUL, May 13 (Yonhap) -- Rahil Amadova, an Azerbaijani national who has lived in South Korea for 16 years, said Korea is a country that allowed her to pursue her dreams and stressed the importance of supporting multicultural children through language and cultural education.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Rahil said multicultural children can naturally become cultural bridges between countries if they are equipped with both linguistic and cultural abilities.

Rahil came to Korea in 2008 on a government scholarship and has since worked as a multicultural lecturer, honorary citizen of Seoul, immigrant mentor for the justice ministry and member of the gender ministry's multicultural family committee.

She emphasized the need for multicultural policies to shift their focus from parents to children and teenagers, while also calling for improved access to information and language support for foreign residents.

"Those who speak Korean well can easily use government services, but those with weaker language skills often miss even essential information," she said, proposing an integrated notification and application system linked to everyday platforms such as KakaoTalk.

Rahil also highlighted the importance of supporting international students' settlement in Korea through workplace culture education, mentoring and internship programs.

Since 2019, she has worked as a foreign-language docent at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, introducing Korea's modern history in four languages.

She also runs Korever Company, a business promoting Korean culture in Türkiye and Azerbaijan and helping Korean companies expand into the Middle East and Caucasus regions.

Rahil said she hopes multicultural children will embrace both cultures as their own and naturally grow into bridges connecting different societies.

"I want to give back what I have received," she said. "Just as Korea did for me, I hope to remain someone who connects Korea and Azerbaijan."

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