Minister-Counselor for Public AffairsBrent Byers

Brent Byers

Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs

:: U.S. Embassy Seoul

It is an honor and great pleasure to serve as Chairman of the

Board for the Korean-American Educational Commission, which implements the Fulbright Program in the Republic of Korea. This is especially true this year as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Program, which has become a fundamental component of Fulbright Korea’s efforts to build cultural bridges between the U.S. and Korea over more than six decades. It is through success stories such as this that we are reminded that the U.S.-Korea partnership is based on much more than security and economic ties; it is a relationship nurtured by educational and cultural exchanges and our two countries’ shared commitment to furthering these interactions.

Renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow, who served as the first director of the United States Information Service, the precursor to the Department of State’s Bureau of Public Diplomacy, once stated that, “The real crucial link in international exchange is the last three feet, which is bridged by personal contact, one person talking to another.” Participants in Fulbright’s ETA Program certainly exemplify this notion. Throughout Korea, ETAs enjoy the benefits of cultural exchange by not only engaging with students at the primary and secondary school levels where they teach, but also through their immersion in Korean family life through homestays in rural communities. It is here, as de facto family members, where ETAs gain their deepest understanding of Korean culture and, fittingly, impart upon their family and friends a bit of their own American culture.

The U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Korea is proud to be a part of the administration of the Fulbright Program in Korea, and we look forward to seeing it continue to provide Koreans and Americans with future opportunities for cross-cultural exchange. Doing so puts all of us within that last three feet and brings us that much closer to achieving Senator J. William Fulbright’s vision of a deeper understanding among people and a friendship among nations.