Korean-American Exchange

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Korean and American delegation during their first week in D.C.

As a Programs Intern with Meridian International Center, I have had the privilege over the past month of working on the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program. This program will send ten American students to Seoul and ten Korean students to the United States. During their time in their host countries the students will learn about Korean-American relations and about how the two governments compare and differ. The program officially began last Thursday July 7 when all of the participants flew into Washington, DC for a week long orientation and team bonding. Their experience will culminate...

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The ‘Wonders’ of North Korea or 15 Things You Did Not Know About the Hermit Kingdom

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Downtown Pyongyang

For the past year or so whenever the subject of North Korea comes up (and it does quite a bit especially when you work on a great program like the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program), folks always ask me what was it like going there, how did I get to go there in the first place and why, and is it that weird as the media portrays it. Aside from the Korean experts I had the privilege of getting to know over the years, most younger folks get their news about North Korea from...

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Jesse Clark’s Final Thoughts on His Experience in the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange

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Jesse Clark in front of a sign noting the distance between Pyeongyang and Seoul at the DMZ

Hey Everyone! It was a very exciting final week of the 2015 U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program, and I have more stories than I could possibly put in a single blog post. I am in Chicago right now for a quick layover; so far I’ve taken a two-hour flight from Seoul to Tokyo, had a three-hour layover, and then hopped on a 12-hour flight from Tokyo to Chicago. I still have a two-hour flight back to Bangor, and then a two-hour drive back to the glorious town of Calais, Maine.  For those keeping score at...

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Jesse Clark Posts from the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program

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Jesse Clark with Gab Cheol Ji and Senator Angus King

The following blog entry was posted on the University of Maine Political Science Department’s website by Jesse Clark (University of Maine ‘16). You can find the original post here. Hey Black Bears! I apologize for the delay in my update, I found out the hard way that I can’t plug my laptop charger into the electric outlets in Seoul (who knew?). But first, I’m the guy on the left; the other two gentlemen are Gab Cheol Ji, and Senator Angus King. But, more on that in a bit. So how did I end up in a hotel room in Seoul, South...

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U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program – Reflections

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Korean and American delgations at Meridian International Center.

On July 25, 2014 20 young leaders descended upon Washington DC to partake in the 2014 U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program. This unique program, funded by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and jointly sponsored by the U.S. Congress and Korean National Assembly, is designed to broaden the perspectives of Korean and American young people on: the legislative process; the history of U.S. – Korean relations; and current economic, political, and security aspects of the bilateral relationship. The program also provides the U.S. and Korean participants with first hand experience of...

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