2008 JAMES A. VAN FLEET AWARD

PEACE CORPS KOREA VOLUNTEERS

CITATION

Many Americans have dedicated themselves to the cause of U.S.–Korea friendship over the years. Few Americans have done more for this cause than the approximately 2,500 men and women who served as Peace Corps volunteers in Korea from 1966 to 1981. Answering their country’s call, these Americans gave two years of their lives to work in Korea during an era when the idea of Korea as a modern democracy and a world-class economy was only a dream in the minds of visionaries.

The Peace Corps Korea volunteers shared with Koreans from all walks of life their skills and their spirit of sacrifice. Traveling to a foreign land, they were determined to contribute to its development and did so in a way that is still remembered and appreciated on both sides of the Pacific. The volunteers shared their talents and knowledge with newfound friends in Korea, and in doing so they developed a deep appreciation for Korea’s culture and language as well as a strong affection for the Korean people.

Today, many Koreans speak of the profound educational and personal impact the Peace Corps volunteers had on them. And today, those volunteers continue to distinguish themselves in government, academia, and business, carrying with them and spreading to others the deep feelings for Korea that have helped make fast the bonds that link our two peoples.

The Korea Society is pleased to honor the selfless dedication these Americans showed in support of U.S.–Korea relations by bestowing a 2008 James A. Van Fleet Award on the veterans of the Peace Corps Korea program. It is a special honor to have The Honorable Kevin O’Donnell, the first country director of the Peace Corps Korea program, accept the award on behalf of all those who served America–and Korea–so well as Peace Corps Korea volunteers.

2006 VAN FLEET AWARD

LEE KUN-HEE

Samsung Chairman

CITATION

As the guiding light of Samsung, Chairman Lee Kun-Hee is responsible for an extraordinary economic conglomerate that has contributed enormously to the economic rise of South Korea. Samsung is the strongest economic symbol of today's Korea, as is demonstrated by its ranking number 20 in the latest Business Week / Interbrand survey of the 100 "top brands" worldwide. This extraordinary ranking is supported by the stunning surge in the value of the Samsung product line over the past five years. Over this period, Samsung posted the biggest gain in value of any of the top 100 brands, with an explosive rise of 186-percent in value. Today its total assets amount to more than $230 billion, with close to a quarter of a million employees working in over 65 countries. Samsung currently has more than 25 offices in the United States alone.

Chairman Lee has played a direct, hands-on role in shaping Samsung's approach to its people and its products. He has long supported innovation in management, creating a more dynamic corporate culture under the slogan "Change Myself First," based on his conviction that all progress begins with the individual. Today, Samsung's corporate philosophy reflects Chairman Lee's belief that economic success comes from a stress on quality, not quantity.

Educated in Korea, Japan and the United States, Chairman Lee remains active in many areas, as a vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, a vice chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Committee, a member of the International Olympic Committee, a director of the Korean Youth Association and a philanthropist of high standing. Under his guidance, Samsung made a $3.2 million contribution to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund last year and has contributed more than $30 million to American charities over the years. Truly, Samsung is an outstanding global citizen.

When General James Van Fleet, for whom this award is named, came up with the idea of establishing The Korea Society, Korea itself still lay largely prostrate in the wreckage of war. Samsung has played an enduring and significant role in Korea's recovery and rise to global prominence. It is for his key role in that magnificent recovery that we honor Chairman Lee.

2005 VAN FLEET AWARD

GEORGE H.W. BUSH

41^st President of the United States of America

 presented by

ROH MOO-HYUN

President of the Republic of Korea

CITATION

The presidency of George Bush, from 1989 to 1993, remains the high point of the U.S.-Korea alliance that dates from the Korean War.

From the early months of his term in office, President Bush worked creatively to support South Korea's policy of "Nordpolitic," which was designed to pave the way toward better relations between North and South Korea by establishing diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, China, and the countries of Eastern Europe.

In 1990, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the previous year, President Bush arranged a meeting between South Korean President Roh Tae Woo and Mikhail Gorbachev in San Francisco that paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Seoul the following year.

Using his vast Chinese experience, President Bush encouraged China to recognize South Korea, which it did in 1992. President Bush also urged the Chinese to drop their long-standing opposition to membership in the United Nations for South Korea. Today, both North and South Korea are United Nations members of long standing.

In military matters, President Bush was equally adroit in supporting "Nordpolitic." Strategic weapons deployments, and annual, large-scale training exercises were modified in close coordination with Seoul's outreach to Pyongyang. The result was the signing of two North-South agreements at the end of 1991 that remain as a blueprint for a stable Korean Peninsula in the post-nuclear age.

Today, as the U.S.-Korea alliance continues to grow and prosper in a new century, President Bush is still remembered with great respect and affection by the Korean people for all that he contributed to this key relationship during his presidency.