Eunchong Cho, Sociologist

Ot​her

I am a PhD candidate in Sociology, where my research ​focuses on social movements, youth, and neoliberalism.


I have also founded a non-profit organization, and my ​professional background spans the media industry as well ​as positions within the United Nations and various other ​non-profit organizations.


Below, you will find more details about my academic and ​professional journey.

Academic ​Journey

I am a Sociology Ph.D. student at the University of California, San Diego, specializing in social ​movements, youth activism, political mobilization, neoliberalism, political sociology, human rights, ​comparative historical sociology, and qualitative methods. In my research, I employ a political, ​cultural, and historical approach to explore how collective actors become politically mobilized, ​investigating their dynamics within the broader context of political, economic, and historical ​structures. My current dissertation project explores the rise of “youth” in political prominence, ​shaping the foundation for political identity and mobilization in the post-2010s era. My overarching ​sociological inquiries revolve around the factors influencing individuals to develop political ​consciousness and engage in social movements or collective activism. Specifically, I am interested ​in understanding the motivations behind the involvement of young people in active political activism. ​I primarily employ historical analysis as my overarching explanatory method. I am honored to have ​been selected as a UCSD Human Rights Fellow from UC Berkeley Human Rights Center.


I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from UC Berkeley and a Master’s degree ​in International Relations from the Institute of Peace Studies at Kyung Hee University in Korea. My ​involvement includes participating in a Bosnian youth ethnic conflict resolution project, studying ​North Korean refugees and refugee laws in South Korea, examining second-generation migrant ​children in South Korea, and exploring disabled online activism in the country. While my initial focus ​was on racial and ethnic conflicts and refugee crises, my current Ph.D. studies involve a more ​comprehensive exploration of human rights issues and active engagement in human rights activism.

Meida Activism

I am the founder of Media Noon, a non-profit media organization based in Seoul, Korea, and have ​engaged in collaborations with various news outlets, including Chosun Ilbo, Newstapa, and ​Ohmynews In South Korea. . In my capacity as a founder and media activist at Media Noon, I have ​created short documentaries and news articles addressing social minorities in South Korea, such as ​North Korean refugees, disabled children, migrant workers, marriage migrants, young people, drop-​out children, and the elderly. Since 2017, I have welcomed over 30 individuals to my team, typically ​with an average of 6 to 8 members per term, and have taken on the responsibility of training and ​organizing the team.

Our documentary, “Spring Creator,” delves into the inspiring journey of the elderly as they embark on ​producing YouTube content with renewed dreams. This project received the top recognition from ​the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea, earning the prestigious Minister’s award. ​Additionally, I founded the Media Activism School, providing training for 80 South Korean youth in ​journalism and media activism. Notably, our initiatives have garnered interest from various Korean ​news media outlets, including SBS, reflecting the broader impact of our work.

In the course of collaborating with other news agencies, I delved into stories about a teenager who ​attempted murder after being bullied at school and subsequently dropped out; the high-school Me ​Too movements; and investigative journalism on long-standing crimes by private high school ​teachers in a women’s high school in Seoul, among many other pressing social issues.


United Nations-​Youth, Civil Society, ​and Media


I have had the privilege of working with three UN organizations as a UN Volunteer and intern—​specifically at UNFPA (UN Population Fund) Mongolia, IOM (UN Migration) Seoul, and UNHQ ​Department of Economic and Social Affairs. My areas of focus included youth and civil society, and ​my contributions encompassed the development of project and communication brandings, as well as ​establishing partnerships.

During my time at UNFPA Mongolia, I actively participated in a youth civil society development ​project. I provided support to the Mongolian Youth Council (MYC), consisting of 30 local youth NGOs, ​and the Center for Citizenship Education (CCE). My involvement extended to the creation of branding ​events such as Crowd-up Mongolia (designing logo), World Population Day (WPD), the “Support ​Teenage Girls” campaign (campaign and event materials), and youth ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) ​sessions (democracy tour and youth discussion sessions). Additionally, I initiated training programs ​like Mongolian Media Schools and journalism workshops, fostering networking events between ​Mongolian and Korean NGO youth activists.

At UNHQ DESA, my role included participation in the 2018 World Youth Forum, where I assisted in ​organizing events and reported on social media. I also conducted analyses on social integration ​policies in Asia, with a specific focus on youth and the elderly. During my time at IOM Seoul, I played a ​role in various communication materials development and contributed to the implementation of ​SSAFE training (Safe and Secure Approaches in Field Environments).