Airmen share culture with South Koreans

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Juanika Glover
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) --  Airmen here got to see what it is like on the “other side of the fence” recently when they spent the night learning and sharing experiences with more than 20 South Korean families from nearby Jeonju City.

Airmen from several base squadrons volunteered for the Korean Red Cross Cultural Awareness Program to learn about Korean culture and to help South Koreans learn about American customs.

“I always wanted to see the world, meet new people and have a good time doing it,” said Senior Airman Jennifer Babb, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron information manager. “I wanted to get the chance to spend time with a (South) Korean family and learn the local customs.”

Although some people may be apprehensive about spending the night with strangers, Airman Babb said she was excited about the experience. She said when her schedule permits, she plans to volunteer for even more programs and get out seeing as much of South Korea as she can.

Kim Soojin, a program volunteer, teaches at the elementary school where many of the children who were paired with the Americans attend. She said the children were thrilled about their upcoming experience.

“The children were excited about learning the American culture,” Ms. Kim said. “Korean children begin learning English in the third grade, and many of them were eager to practice speaking English with the (Airmen).

“The program is a good way for the children to learn some things they haven’t been taught in school,” she said. “English is a very powerful language.”

This program gives the children a head start on improving their language skills.

Song Jimmy, the program chairman, came up with the idea for the cultural awareness program more than a year ago when he wanted to give the children of Jeonju the same experience the children in Kunsan were getting.

“We’ve already had a similar program like this for three years in Kunsan, but not 45 minutes up the road in Jeonju,” he said. “I wanted as many children as possible to benefit from the American military being here.”

“I knew the children and their families in Jeonju would benefit from this experience,” Mr. Song said. “So far, I’ve already found a boy who likes soccer and was able to pair him with an American who likes soccer a lot as well. Now the boy will be able to learn things about soccer he may not have known.

“This opportunity gives children an understanding of the world outside the Korean peninsula,” he said. “They learn that the people outside of Korea are just like them in as many ways as they are different.

“This program is all about understanding, and I hope if it’s possible, we can continue this learning from each other for many years to come,” he said.