Friends of Korea President Jon Keeton spoke about the ties that bond the two governments and their people. "From the heart, I feel such happiness, such appreciation for what Koreans have accomplished; they deserve it because they worked so hard for it. So it's emotional the progress Korea has gone through. They've succeeded, we saw it back in 1973 and now they have made it," he said. Friends of Korea is an organization that renews the people-to-people links between Koreans and former U.S. Peace Corps volunteers who served during the nation's most difficult modern period. Stephens added that the Peace Corps volunteers, during their visit, witnessed the "blossoming of everything they saw in Korea, for the first time, 40 years ago: Korea's talent, the creativity, energy of the Korean people." While the photo exhibition has ended in Korea, it will find new life in the United States. Already, Keeton and Chang have agreed to bring the exhibition to the major U.S. cities where Koreans live, the first stop being in Washington.
The United States Embassy welcomed 220 Peace Corps volunteers who served in Korea from 1966 to 1982
Peace Corps' seeds spawned KOICA
2010-10-17 18:58
Caption: U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens discusses one of the Peace Corps volunteers with KOICA Vice President Chang Hyun-sik. (Yoav Cerralbo/The Korea Herald)
One of John F. Kennedy's dreams was realized in 1991 when KOICA opened its doors and hearts to help developing countries learn and grow.
"Let us hope that other nations will mobilize the spirit and energies and skill of their people in some form of a Peace Corps ― making our own effort only one step in a major international effort to increase the welfare of all men and improve understanding among nations," said Kennedy to Congress.
Last week, the United States Embassy welcomed 220 Peace Corps volunteers who served in Korea from 1966 to 1982.
At the same time, the embassy closed a 10-month art exhibition that toured 13 cities showing the spirit of the Peace Corps volunteers during their days in South Korea, as well as KOICA volunteers helping those in need in such countries as Afghanistan and Indonesia.
"This experience for the KOICA volunteers means a lot because they bring back knowledge of other countries to Korea just like the American volunteers brought back knowledge from Korea to the United States, and that's one of the most important parts of the experience," said U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens to The Korea Herald.
Stephens, a former Peace Corps volunteer, served in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province from 1975-1977; it was then that she was given her Korean name Shim Eungyeong.
U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens discusses one of the Peace Corps volunteers with KOICA Vice President Chang Hyun-sik. (Yoav Cerralbo/The Korea Herald)
The Peace Corps is a U.S. volunteer program run by the United States government.
Its mission is to provide technical assistance, help people outside the United States understand U.S. culture, and help Americans understand the cultures of other countries.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency's philosophy is much of the same thing.
There is no better example of the link and special relationship both countries share than the life story of KOICA's vice president.
Chang Hyun-sik told his story to The Korea Herald: "A Peace Corps volunteer taught me English when I was a freshman in junior high school. Because of her, I got an excellent mark on my first English test. That gave me the confidence to keep learning English and eventually I graduated from Penn State with a PhD. Now I work in Korea for a development agency."
Chang credits where he is today to a volunteer named Judy. He tried to find her but sadly, Chan found out that she had passed away before he had a chance to thank her for helping him become the man he is today.
Korea is the only country to have graduated out of the Peace Corps and stayed out. Botswana was another country to have graduated but AIDS and HIV crippled the nation and the Peace Corps volunteers went back to help a country in desperate need.
Friends of Korea President Jon Keeton spoke about the ties that bond the two governments and their people.
"From the heart, I feel such happiness, such appreciation for what Koreans have accomplished; they deserve it because they worked so hard for it. So it's emotional the progress Korea has gone through. They've succeeded, we saw it back in 1973 and now they have made it," he said.
Friends of Korea is an organization that renews the people-to-people links between Koreans and former U.S. Peace Corps volunteers who served during the nation's most difficult modern period.
Stephens added that the Peace Corps volunteers, during their visit, witnessed the "blossoming of everything they saw in Korea, for the first time, 40 years ago: Korea's talent, the creativity, energy of the Korean people."
While the photo exhibition has ended in Korea, it will find new life in the United States. Already, Keeton and Chang have agreed to bring the exhibition to the major U.S. cities where Koreans live, the first stop being in Washington.
"With the help of the U.S. and many other countries, Korea has now joined the ranks of advanced countries," said Chang.
At present, KOICA has dispatched 1,700 volunteers to 46 developing nations under the name of "World Friends Korea."
Stephens said, "On top of all the great successes we see in Korea, they fulfilled President Kennedy's vision from 1961 by forming their own form of Peace Corps."
By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldm.com)
