VANK has recently promoted the achievements of foreign independence activist Dr. Homer B. Hulbert (1863–1949) to Korean school teachers across the United States.
VANK’s Director Park Ki-tae delivered a special lecture on the topic, “We Are the Hallyu Ambassadors,” at the 2023 National Association for Korean Schools (NAKS) Annual Conference and General Meeting, held on July 22, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco.
Founded in 1981, NAKS is an organization consisting of 14 regional chapters, with approximately 8,000 teachers educating around 80,000 students on the Korean language and culture.
During his lecture, Director Park introduced Dr. Hulbert’s life to the educators attending the event from across the United States. He emphasized, “By appointing Dr. Homer Hulbert as an honorary ambassador for promoting Korea, we can further enhance Korea-U.S. relations. Particularly, if Korean school teachers and Korean-American youth across the U.S. lead an initiative to erect a statue of Dr. Hulbert in his hometown in the United States to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance, it would significantly strengthen the ties between our nations.”
Director Park also highlighted the growing interest in Korean culture in the United States, driven by the ongoing Hallyu wave. With the increasing number of young Americans interested in Korea, introducing Dr. Hulbert—an American youth from a century ago who dedicated his life to promoting Korean history and culture and supporting Korea’s independence—will surely resonate with Americans.
Vice Principal Lim Min-soo of the Silicon Valley Korean School, which has approximately 1,000 Korean-American students, remarked, “After hearing Director Park’s lecture, I was deeply moved by Dr. Hulbert’s story. I will introduce Dr. Hulbert to our students in future lessons. Additionally, I will actively participate in VANK’s global petition campaign to appoint him as a Korean ambassador and erect a statue of him in the U.S. alongside Korean-American youth, and help raise awareness in the U.S.”
Kim Young-sook, Principal of Silicon Valley Korean School, also expressed, “We will use the various materials provided by VANK to teach our students about Dr. Hulbert and Korea’s history and culture.”
Through this campaign, VANK is rallying support from Korean-American youth and educators to honor Dr. Hulbert’s contributions to Korea’s independence and promote greater recognition of his efforts in the United States.