#108 WEST (Work, English Study and Travel)

[스티븐스 대사]

Netizens, one of the parts of my job that I like most is hearing from people who have had life-changing experiences in the United States.  I especially like hearing from people who participated in one of the many U.S. government-affiliated exchange programs that are available to students, researchers and government officials. 

These programs are the lifeblood of our public diplomacy.  No matter how many speeches I give, no matter how many people I meet in Korea and talk to about the U.S., it cannot compare to the experience that a Korean has when they spend time in America and get to know our people, our society and our values firsthand.  It’s the best way I can think of to build the people-to-people ties that keep the US-ROK partnership strong.

That’s why the U.S. government puts so much effort into creating top quality exchange programs for our friends in Korea and around the world.  One of the most exciting and original exchange programs is still a relatively new one.  It was created by Presidents George W. Bush and Lee Myung Bak, and announced on August 6, 2008.  It’s called WEST - which stands for Work, English Study and Travel. 

Under the WEST program, university-age students can go to the U.S. and study English for up to five months, then participate in an internship in the US for as long as 12 months before returning to Korea. 

The first group of 182 WEST participants (we call them “Westies”) went to the U.S. in March 2009. (Link to my first blog on WEST in March 2009: http://cafe.daum.net/usembassy/I2bb/27)  Since then, almost 900 Koreans have taken part in the WEST program, and when the next “round” leaves for the U.S. this summer, the total number will have exceeded 1,000.

WEST has made a tremendous difference in the lives of its participants, and I’m proud that our Embassy and the U.S. Department of State is a partner to this program.  I love getting emails from participants who want to share their experiences. For example, I recently heard from a Westie named Kim Woo-ram, who is doing an internship in Chicago, Illinois.  Woo-ram told me that he chose to go to Chicago because he admires President Obama.

Shortly after arriving he heard that Rahm Emanuel, the President’s former Chief of Staff and a close advisor, had decided to run for mayor.  Woo-ram nervously volunteered to help – never expecting to be accepted since he wasn’t an American citizen – and after his first day of volunteering, was asked to be an intern on this nationally prominent campaign.  To help Mr. Emanuel get elected, Woo-ram canvassed in the snow and made hundreds of phone calls.  He even got to meet the new mayor on election night and congratulate him on his victory! 

Kim Woo-ram and Rahm Emanuel.  After Emanuel won the election, it was party time at campaign headquarters.

Westies Geum Gyo-hyeok, Jang Jong-won and Jeong Dan-il told me about another great WEST experience.  Geum Gyo-Hyoek had been assigned an internship at Ellis Island.  Right next to the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Ellis Island was the first place many new immigrants to America ever went.

While working there, Gyo-hyoek discovered that Korean independence activist An Chang-ho – also known as Dosan – had arrived in America during the Japanese colonial period.  The three Westies wanted to make more people aware of Dosan’s important contribution to Korean history.  They decided to inscribe his name on Ellis Island’s Wall of Honor.  

But they needed $5,000.  So, they started fundraising in Central Park and other neighborhoods in New York.  They appealed to Korean-American organizations for support.  Finally, they raised the necessary funds, and, as a result, Dosan’s legacy lives on in New York.  Stephen A. Briganti, President & CEO of the Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation commended them for making a meaningful contribution to Korean and American history. 

From left to right: Kim Moon-jo, a grandson of independence activist Lee Tak; Jang Cheol-woo, the U.S. Committee Chairman of the Young Korean Academy; Jang Jong-won, WEST participant; Kim Gyeong-rak, the Chairman of the Young Korean Academy, New York Chapter; Stephen A. Briganti, President & CEO of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation; Jeong Dan-il and Geum Gyo-hyeok, both WEST interns. 

But these are just some of the most visible examples of great WEST program experiences.  All of the participants in this program have a chance to learn about our culture and society firsthand, and we hope that in the following years, as they get jobs, build families and become leaders in Korea, they remember what they experienced in the U.S.  I hope they remember the friends they made and what our society is like – both the good and the bad.  The better we know each other, the better our friendship will be. This is at the heart of what public diplomacy is all about, and it’s why I am pleased to be a part of so many excellent exchange programs, including WEST.

Oh and by the way, if you are a university-age student – or know a university-age student – who would like to participate in the WEST program, please see the following link: http://west.mest.go.kr