Briefly introduce yourself.
I am Hyun Kyung Oh, currently serving as a government officer in Korea. More in detail, I work for a commission’s secretariat under the Prime Minister’s Office for Government Coordination, and the commission is titled the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth. Its secretariat has five bureaus, and I am specifically in charge of the External Relations & Communications bureau.
I studied communication in George Mason University Fairfax campus from 2012 and 2016. I completed my dissertation on political disagreements and their impacts on participation in the case of the 2014 U.S. midterm elections. For dissertation, I could interview U.S. voters with diverse backgrounds as well as collect quantitative data from surveys, and after all, I found a positive role of experiencing disagreeing ideas while communicating politics. I was thus able to share some of these research outcomes in the conference held in Oxford University.
I came back to Korea after graduation due to the visa issue but continued my journey on seeking positive impacts of disagreeing ideas and heterogeneous networks. I worked for Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation as a senior research fellow for media policy and consulted with various organizations both public and private. Based on my teaching experiences in Mason, I also taught courses on communication and media in several universities.
Can you share a memorable experience or highlight from your time at GMU?
Looking back, my Mason life was very eventful and unpredictable, but in a positive way. As soon as I decided to study in Mason, I realized I should teach basic courses on communication (COMM100, COMM101) for undergraduate students every semester during my coursework to get a scholarship. Because I only had a tutoring experience for Korean teenagers, teaching communication for American undergrad students as an international instructor was a huge challenge. However, I began to enjoy teaching and interacting with students, and soon it became one of my biggest sources of energy while completing my doctoral degree in communication. It was possible thanks to my amazing colleagues in the Department of Communication, who are very supportive, engaging and intelligent.
Can you share your career journey and how did your experience at GMU prepare you for your career?
Before joining Mason, I was running a startup business focusing on marketing research as well as translation, but I have been always dreaming of academic profession. As grown up and educated in the culture where political conflicts are one of the major social issues, I was looking forward to studying and training in more diverse, heterogeneous culture and decided to pursue a doctoral degree in the United States that has the longest history of democracy in the world. While doing research and teaching in Mason, I not only faced a series of challenges, but also earned vitality and courage at the same time. I think they mainly come from Mason’s ambience that acknowledges its diversity in the community.
What advice would you give to current Mason Korea students or recent graduates?
Based on what I learned, I would recommend you celebrate every moment of your achievement as much as possible, especially with your colleagues. Thankfully I had amazing colleagues during my PhD journey, I could celebrate each step with them. It fills you with joy and hope, eventually taking you over to the finish line.
What are your future career or personal goals?
I found myself enjoying my public career since I joined the Korean government in 2022. As I am currently in charge of communication for promoting climate policies, I engage with a variety of professions, including journalists, advertisers, activists, scientists, and other policy makers. When I attended a series of meetings and events during London Climate Action Week in late June, I could also engage with climate experts from many different countries and found it priceless. As climate policy is one of the major agenda in the contemporary global society, communication experts are much needed. I also look forward to advancing my role to contribute to this international community further.
July 17, 2025