A $35 Evaluation Panel — Why I'm Still Going to Seoul

Introduction

Let me be honest — this choice is a losing deal on paper.

I’m spending a whole day, paying for transportation out of my own pocket, and the compensation is only about $35 (50,000 KRW). Yet, I’m heading to Seoul tomorrow. I wanted to organize my reasons step by step.

The Evaluation Panel Offer and My Decision

One day, while browsing the NIA (National Information Society Agency) website as usual, I discovered the Public Institution Website Citizen Evaluation Panel. Since then, I’ve been grateful to participate in the public web/app citizen evaluation activities for two years straight. The rewards and achievements may seem small, but the process and experience have been building up as personal assets.

If given the opportunity, I’d like to continue participating next year and beyond. I’ll share more about this in a separate post in the future.

As an extension of that, I received an offer to join the AI Agent Scenario Competition’s Citizen Evaluation Panel. Honestly, I thought it was a great opportunity as an external activity.

So I looked at the context first. Whether this activity was just a one-day event, or a pathway that could connect deeply to the future.

And I made my decision.

In the broader context of ‘AI + Accessibility’, this opportunity is worth seizing.

Realistic Calculations, and a Clear Choice

I did the math quickly.

The biggest obstacle was, of course, the location. While NIA is based in Daegu, like many public institutions, such events are often held in Seoul. If I have to go to Seoul, the biggest downsides are transportation costs and travel time! Since I can work on other tasks during the train ride, I decided to focus only on the transportation costs.

I cautiously inquired with NIA about the possibility of transportation expense support, but as expected, they replied that it wasn’t possible. I fully understood this — they probably had budget constraints and couldn’t provide transportation support for citizen evaluators who aren’t official judges.

And I decided.

It’s a great opportunity, right?! Let me just apply!

A few days later, I was confirmed as a panel member and received participation instructions.

So Why Am I Going?

It’s not simply because it “looks like a good activity”.

Through this opportunity, I’m envisioning the following long-term directions:

• 🤖 Connecting AI and agent technology with accessibility — The intersection of these two areas will grow
• 🔗 Securing continuous project connections with public institutions — Trust is built over time
• 📜 Expanding national project opportunities linked to international certifications (CPACC, WAS, etc.) — Certifications alone aren’t enough
• 🎯 Establishing a position where I’m treated as an expert, not just a participant — This is the ultimate goal

Right now, I’m heading there as a citizen evaluator, but I’m confident that these experiences will accumulate, and I’ll be able to look back as a more developed person in the future. Because I have a strong determination to grow that much.

All of this starts from a one-day event. And it’s not just an experience — it becomes a future career asset.

My Role — Not Just Evaluation, But Providing Value

When I participate in the evaluation panel tomorrow, I don’t want to just fill out checklists mechanically. I want to evaluate with sincerity.

And I plan to maximize my strengths:

• ✅ Practical experience in web/app accessibility
• ✅ Problem interpretation from an actual user’s perspective
• ✅ Understanding how AI scenarios affect real users

Based on these perspectives, I want to be seen not as a simple judge, but as an expert who can speak with authority. That’s how I approach things differently from others. And I believe it would be incredibly satisfying if this evaluation could help improve our country’s service quality and benefit real users.

The Company’s Response, and My Thoughts

Since I’m participating in my professional field and listed my company as my affiliation, I processed this as a business trip with the company. I believe that my growth and skill improvement ultimately become assets for the company, so I naturally consider self-development activities like this as extensions of work.

But it seems my thoughts don’t always align with the company’s.

“Does the company share my vision for growth?”

This question naturally arose.

There was a moment when my heart went cold, watching the company’s stance. It left a bitter aftertaste. But precisely because of that, I was able to set my direction more clearly.

But at the same time, I understand.

• Every organization has different resources and standards,
• Many places have conservative expense policies for non-company activities.

Even if the company doesn’t recognize this, I was determined to proceed with this journey anyway.

And most importantly, I’ve decided to own this experience as part of my career, rather than expecting the company to support it.

The Value of Experience — What Can’t Be Measured in Money

I don’t know what results tomorrow will bring. But there’s clear value here:

This is a reference worth more than $35.

Conclusion

So that’s why I’m going tomorrow.

This choice might look like a loss to some, and may be hard to understand at the company.

But if I can be clear about where I’m heading, and if that direction brings me closer to growth, then this choice isn’t a loss — it’s planting a seed.

I don’t know how this path will unfold. But I want to make this day a day worth remembering.

And I hope that someday this record will tell me “where that choice led me.”

Thank you for reading.

This post is a record for myself, and I hope it can be of small help to someone with similar concerns.