Asian Representation Can Remedy Asian Stereotypes

In Jeong Kim is a journalist from South Korea with a concentrated documentary filmmaking career. She was one of the recipients of the AFC Scholarship, which has enabled her to study at the UC Berkley Graduate School of Journalism. Some of her accomplishments were co-directing two documentaries about the Gwangju uprising and the Candlelight movement. She has received awards from both Amnesty International South Korea and the Korean Broadcasters Association. As a journalist currently based in California, In Jeong spoke with Foreign Press U.S.A. about her work covering social justice, her recent projects tackling Asian hate, and shared the impact of telling stories through documentaries.

Documentaries might have driven In Jeong to where she is now in her career path, but it wasn’t her first passion. The journalist was primarily drawn to the idea of empowering marginalized voices through non-fiction books. She remembers reading a biography about a holocaust survivor and how that story impacted her will to become a storyteller. 

“I was inspired to pursue more human narratives…so luckily, I was hired as a tv news reporter 11 years ago at a public broadcasting station in South Korea.”

Her work at Gwangju MBC enabled her to interview people for news stories, but this did not fulfill In Jeong’s desire to bring solutions and closure to the stories she heard. Due to this frustration, she collaborated with a co-worker to produce a documentary on the Candlelight movement in 2016​.

“On our free time, after work and after we finished the news segment, we did not go home. Then, very surprisingly, the impeachment did happen, so our news station was looking for something to air, and there was our story!”

This year, In Jeong had the chance to co-produce two documentaries focused on Asian representation in America. Both of them sought to confront the stereotypes placed on AAPI culture. One was centered on Asian teenagers revolutionizing education, while the other tackled the Asian hate protests happening in Chinatown. Pursuing these two projects was very important for In Jeong, especially under the current social spectrum in the U.S.

“Asians were always underrepresented in the media, so I think it is a really crucial time for them… I really wanted to make their voice bigger, so that’s why I was there.”

 In Jeong Kim was one of the 2020 AFC Scholarship Awardees. With the financial support given by the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents U.S.A., she was able to make a smooth transition into UC Berkeley. 

“Prior to pursuing this degree, I was a little bit hesitant to proceed due to the financial burden abroad and other expenses. Thankfully, the scholarship really alleviated all the doubts that I once had about pursuing a career in journalism… This award has empowered me to continue my purpose of investigating and uplifting these sort of stories.”

Lastly, In Jeong spoke about her experience as a documentary filmmaker. The collaboration aspect of this journalism sector has enabled her to connect with different people and make friendships flourish. Documentaries are also another means of communication for her. 

“I find that my major storytelling skills are my third language in the U.S., and without words, we can deliver so many facts and emotions and help people experience emotional journeys in journalism. If you love documentaries, I encourage you to go and get it.”