The good Cornellians can do: Seokho Daniel Yoon ’17, MILR ’23

Seokho Daniel Yoon '17, MILR '23 founded the nonprofit Debate Korea in 2014, with the goal of "revitalizing the debate and communication culture in Korea, and Asia overall," he says.

The organization has hosted numerous debate-related events for youth in Korea, including the 41st World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) in July 2021—where they welcomed over 2,000 participants from 90 countries.

Daniel notes that his long-standing involvement with Cornell Speech and Debate, as an active member and then coach, plus the opportunities he's had to travel, inspired the creation of Debate Korea.

"Over the past decade, I had the privilege of traveling to more than 20 countries, immersing myself in various debate cultures around the world," he says. "Through these experiences, I deeply felt the limitations of Korea's traditional, rote-based education. Motivated by a desire to cultivate a more systematic and global debate culture in Korea, I established Debate Korea."

And Daniel isn't done growing the organization. "In 2020, we expanded our activities by establishing Discover Korea, a nonprofit corporation under the Gyeonggi Province—aiming to enhance international exchange opportunities for youth worldwide and elevate Korea's reputation on the global stage," he says. With strong partnerships worldwide, Daniel notes they've been able to actively participate in several international events already, including the G20 Youth Summit, ASEAN+ Youth Summit, and World Knowledge Forum.

"Debate Korea will continue developing creative solutions to social issues through various platforms of discussion and debate," Daniel says. "At the intersection of innovation and logic, I hope to transform the world through the power of communication."

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