Microsoft Office
Kengo OKAMOTO
NHK World Senior Reporter, Senior Manager
Summary
Seasoned journalist with more than 30 years of professional experience. Effective leader in covering issues on the Korean Peninsula with proficiency in Korean, English, and Japanese. Oversaw English news production teams as a chief editor, and made roster for about 100 staffs as a personnel management executive. Hardworking and dependable candidate for positions related to multicultural team management and overseas operations especially in relation to South Korea.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Personnel Management Executive
NHK World-Japan
7 2019 - Current
- Prepared shift work schedule for approximately 90 employees
- Negotiated with labor union members
- Concluded contracts with partnered productions for over 100 staff
- Made recommendations to division head to effectively manage workforce planning and resource allocation.
- developed comprehensive training programs and workshops for new members.
- Advised division head with employee performance management and offered recommendations for approach and process.
News Editor-in-chief
NHK Aomori Station
07.2019 - 06.2021
- Conceptualized, pitched, assigned and monitored stories from origination to broadcast.
- Planned for coverage of large events by assigning reporters, camera crews and video editors.
- Oversaw team of reporters and support staff when creating local prime-time news shows.
- Managed conflict resolution among subordinates, equals and superiors
English News Editor-in-chief
NHK World-Japan
07.2011 - 06.2019
- Supervised 24-hour news program 'NEWSLINE,' and set production and performance goals.
- Conducted extensive news reporting in Japan, South Korea, China, and beyond.
- Planned for coverage of large events by assigning reporters, camera crews and video editors.
- Led special coverage team for the 2018 US-North Korea summit meetings in Singapore and Hanoi, providing timely analysis on Trump-Kim intense negotiations.
- Worked closely with a South Korean production company and directed numerous news operations on Korean Peninsula.
- Sustained and enhanced online publication performance and fostered reliability, transparency and fairness.
- Collaborated closely with native English editors and international researchers to provide enhanced content.
- Supervised Japanese-English translators, adhering to ethical guidelines and standards to promote responsible online publication.
- Managed simultaneous interpretation service for NHK domestic prime-time news programs.
- Made in-depth coverage on issues related to South Korea such as the impeachment of the country's former President Park Geun-hye and the subsequent presidential election.
- Moblized personnel to establish better fact-checking system, which resulted in lowering viewers' complaints to almost zero.
- Generated and maintained style guides through research and discussions with native speakers to encourage consistent quality of content.
- Gave a number of special reports from Beijing during nine-month-mission, including socio-economic impacts of the government's one-child policy and air pollution problems.
- Mentored junior editors and writers, fostering their professional growth and skill development.
Corporate Assignment
NHK
3 2014 - 3 2014
- Studied international news reporting and program continuity at CNN in the US
Senior Editor
NHK Nagasaki Station
07.2008 - 06.2011
- Managed team of writers and junior editors to deliver accurate and engaging content.
- Produced special programs on atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, highlighting the difficulties of passing on the legacies of Hibakusha.
- Initiated six-day special live programs from Iki Island and Shimabara region to improve local viewers' support rate.
Senior Reporter
International News Division, NHK Headquarters
07.2005 - 06.2008
- Made on-site coverage of Six-Party Talks for denuclearization in North Korea, using strong network with South Korean delegates.
- Mentored junior reporters to improve their writing and analytical skills on happenings from the Korean Peninsula.
Seoul Correspondent
NHK Seoul Bureau
07.2001 - 06.2005
- Covered a wide range of subjects including South Korean politics, business, culture and two Korea relations, demonstrating versatility as a correspondent.
- Managed numerous simultaneous assignments while maintaining a high level of organization and attention to detail.
- Worked closely with local researchers to write news scripts under tight deadlines and make special features for TV broadcasts.
- Cultivated a strong professional network with the Japanese Embassy in Korea, the South Korean Presidential Office and the US military forces to access critical information quickly.
- Coordinated with fellow correspondents stationed in Washington and Beijing to cover stories on the Korean Peninsula from multiple perspectives.
- Established relationships with sources, such as South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification, leading to exclusive interviews.
- Deployed to news events locales to provide live hits such as 2003 subway arson attack in Daegu and Air China plane crash near Busan
Reporter
International News Division, NHK Headquaters
07.1997 - 06.2001
- Deployed to cover the general election in East Timor in 1999.
- Made exclusive coverage on the mercury contamination in the mines of Mindanao, the Philippines.
Corporate Assignment
NHK
06.1998 - 05.1999
- Attended Yonsei University Language Institute in South Korea, achieving advanced-level proficiency in Korean language and deepening cultural understandings.
Education
Level 5 - Korean Language
KLI, Yonsei University
Seoul, South Korea 04.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - International Law
Kyoto University
Kyoto, Japan 04.2001 -
Skills
International teamwork and collaboration
Skills and qualifications
- Japanese (native), English (business level), Korean (interpreter level), Chinese (conversational)
- Creation and editing of English scripts, news commentary, and presentations in English
- Leading reporting on South Korean and North Korean issues
- Writing and editing Japanese scripts
- Managing multicultural teams and developing talent
- Proposing, structuring, and managing international projects, HR management, including foreign staff
- Creating and adjusting shift schedules for approximately 100 employees
- Proficient in Excel (complex shift management using formulas)
- Proficient in Word (creating documents with data and graphics),
- Proficient in PowerPoint (creating internal and external documents, proposals, and presentations)
- Programming skills (Python)
Software
Python
Languages
Japanese
Native language
Korean
Proficient
C2
English
Advanced
C1
Chinese (Mandarin)
Elementary
A2
Certification
TOPIK Level 6
Interests
Aikido
Cooking
Fitness training
Timeline
TOPIK Level 6
08-2023
News Editor-in-chief
NHK Aomori Station
07.2019 - 06.2021
English News Editor-in-chief
NHK World-Japan
07.2011 - 06.2019
Senior Editor
NHK Nagasaki Station
07.2008 - 06.2011
Senior Reporter
International News Division, NHK Headquarters
07.2005 - 06.2008
Seoul Correspondent
NHK Seoul Bureau
07.2001 - 06.2005
Level 5 - Korean Language
KLI, Yonsei University
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - International Law
Kyoto University
04.2001 -
Corporate Assignment
NHK
06.1998 - 05.1999
Reporter
International News Division, NHK Headquaters
07.1997 - 06.2001
Personnel Management Executive
NHK World-Japan
7 2019 - Current
Corporate Assignment
NHK
3 2014 - 3 2014
Similar Profiles
Saya MiyakeSaya Miyake
Intern at American Japan SocietyIntern at American Japan Society
Aya TamuraAya Tamura
Sales Executive at World Fuel Services (Japan)Sales Executive at World Fuel Services (Japan)
Mohammad Shahanul KabirMohammad Shahanul Kabir
Inventory Supervisor at World Face Japan INC.Inventory Supervisor at World Face Japan INC.