To our friendship!

By Bernard Rowan

The United States and South Korea uphold a strategic alliance that has many benefits for both nations, Asia and the world.

These include military security, heightened international trade, exchange of expertise and two advanced global cultures. The U.S.-South Korea alliance gets much attention, but it's not my topic today. The root of our Korean-American alliance is a history of international friendship. Arguably, it began with the Korean War, but it continues to grow. The proper basis for our alliance is friendship. Both arise from interest and from the common ideal of international humanity.

According to the International Business Times (June 11, 2013), 1.2 million South Koreans visited the United States in 2012. That's roughly 2 percent of the entire population. The New York Times (Jan. 6, 2015) reports there will be 609,000 visits by Americans to South Korea this year. Sure there are more popular destinations for travelers, but the trans-Pacific trek to either country is no small effort, in time or cost, these days. Most Koreans and Americans don't travel so far on a whim. These numbers suggest significant interest by the people of both nations.

For 23 years, South Korea has welcomed many American graduates each year to teach in her elementary and high schools through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship program. Dozens of Korea's top students study in the United States through the Fulbright Scholars program. The Korea Foundation hosts students from around the world, including the United States. In 2002, a Foundation scholarship gave me the chance to discover more about South Korea and her people. Like growing numbers of Americans, it inspired my scholarship and living!

South Korea has long encouraged the study of the English language. For some time, your universities have offered courses and programs of study in English. ESL and TESOL programs abound. More Koreans speak English. Diplomat Today (June 29, 2014) points out Koreans spend billions a year on English education with hundreds of schools or hagwons. Half of all South Koreans speak some English, and 10 percent claim fluency.

The Asia Matters for America website states that 1.7 million Koreans live in America. As the number of Koreans in the United States has increased, and as the spread of Korean culture has developed, there is greater American interest in learning about your country, people, traditions and history. Over the last 20 years, there has been a clear upsurge in Americans' learning about your wonderful culture, and not just for the softer subjects of food, folks and fun. American interest in Korean goods and services, innovation and scientific expertise, and other forms of exchange reminds me of the way Americans used to look to Japan. Code Switch (April 3, 2015) reports a 45 percent increase in Americans' studying the Korean language between 2009 and 2013, up to more than 12,000 students each year.

Many more Americans should learn about Korea, study the Korean language, and not only visit but also study abroad and seek degrees at your excellent colleges and universities. There are many Korean-American and America-Korean friendship institutes and associations. They provide a wealth of opportunities for citizens of both countries to enjoy learning in friendship.

I don't wish to be romantic about our friendship. It's clearly affected by dominance that needs overcoming. I'd like to see programs of study in the U.S. conducted solely in the Korean language for example. We can't pretend the American interest, or the Korean interest for that matter, in security terms isn't a reason our two governments also promote our friendship. Prejudices and discriminations occur in both our societies toward foreign nationals. There are inequalities in the friendship.

But I strongly believe that greater knowledge and understanding through friendship contributes to lessening these problems and works against the power and biases it introduces systematically.

We should praise the first Koreans and Americans who visited one another to learn. Many of America's first visitors to Korea were missionaries. This marks a problem of dominance or hegemony. However, few would say the growth of Korean Protestantism or Yonsei University is a tool of American power. The millions of Koreans, nearly a fifth of the population, who are Presbyterians today, frame a shining accomplishment of our friendship.

Syngman Rhee's life and leadership typify the political histories and association of our countries. The same goes for Korean and American friendship. Rhee's experience in the U.S. prepared his efforts for Korean independence and growth as a modern nation. They encouraged Americans to do the same.

When we examine seriously the friendship of our peoples, we can see so many more facets, examples and relations that continue to flourish. Korea enjoys friendship with many other countries throughout the region and world. A marker of both cultures our international humanitarianism. Here's wishing that 2015 and each year bring continued renewal and growth of our friendship!

Bernard Rowan is assistant provost for curriculum and assessment, professor of political science and faculty athletics representative at Chicago State University, where he has served for 22 years. Write him at browan10@yahoo.com.