Liaison Assistant, International Transport Workers’ Federation
Ms. Jihyeon Gina Kim is a daughter of an ex-seafarer who spent forty-three years at sea as a cook, experiencing the impact of changes in international regulations since her birth.
She has a bachelor’s degree in marine biology and pursued her first master’s degree in fisheries biology, doing a research project was to review regulations over catch periods and limitation lengths of file fish stock for sustainable fishing.
Her second master’s was to acquire meaningful language education methodologies for her students while working at a language school. She implemented new assessment methods using positive reinforcement.
Her third master’s degree was in maritime education and training at the World Maritime University, which was an endeavour to understand her life as a seafarer’s daughter and her father’s career. She developed a guidance for referencing IMO instruments in academic writings during an IMO internship, which assisted finalisation of her dissertation on international seafarers’ job security.
When a seafarer’s voice is delivered at the high level international regulatory field, that is a small step for all global seafarers and their families. Jihyeon Gina Kim’s goal is to deliver their voices and ensure they are considered at the IMO and in relevant bodies’ discussions.
Since January 2018, as an IMO liaison assistant to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), she coordinate nearly all IMO annual meetings for affiliated union representatives, participate developing ITF technical policies in line with the ITF’s directions and advocating for those policies in the IMO and relevant forums.