How an Exchange Program Shaped the Career Path of a Program Alumni

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The American participants in the 2015 U.S. Congress - Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program pictured here in downtown Seoul. Jessica is the third person from the left.

Jessica Reppert is an alumni of the 2015 U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program. Now in its 21st year of implementation by Meridian International Center, the program is jointly funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Unification of the Korean National Assembly. To mark the 20th Anniversary of implementing the program, Meridian conducted a longitudinal study, surveying both American and South Korean participants from the 2007-2017 programs to assess how this exchange has impacted the alumni. A representative from Meridian...

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Experiences with the U.S. Congress-Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program

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Participants in the program meeting with staff from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Over the course of two days, I had the opportunity to accompany the delegation from the 2017 U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program as they made stops around Washington, DC. One of the delegates’ engagements that impressed me the most was their meeting with Dr. Victor Cha, a senior advisor and holder of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Of course, much of the discussion at the meeting revolved around relations with North Korea, but Dr. Cha did have time to share an anecdote from his time as an undergraduate...

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Alumni TIES: Cultivating a Network of Opportunities

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Leorah McGinnis and a fellow Alumni at the

Leorah McGinnis is a 2014 alumni of the U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program, a unique program designed to bring together young professionals from both the U.S. and Korea for a memorable and educational opportunity. Since its inception over 30 years ago, the Exchange has allowed nearly 500 participants to build lasting cross-border relationships and better understand the legislative process, the history of U.S. – Korean relations, and current economic, political, and security aspects of the bilateral relationship. Meridian International Center has had the privilege of implementing this program for nearly 20 years, and has worked to...

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Remembering the “Forgotten War”: U.S. Congress – Republic of Korea National Assembly Exchange Program

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US Korea Blog Photo

On June 25, 1950, the Korean War commenced. On September 15, United States led the 21 nation-Allied Forces in valiant efforts to help South Koreans repel the Chinese-based communist troops allied with the North Korean troops invading from the North. Nearly 38,000 U.N. troops, most of them from the U.S., died during the conflict. The war resulted in a truce, yet the peninsula remains divided to this day. For South Koreans and Americans, we have familiarized ourselves with this version of the Korean War. However, many of us fail to recognize the most crucial part of the story. Thus,...

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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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