ID :
189055
Thu, 06/16/2011 - 14:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/189055
The shortlink copeid
U.S. Ambassador Stephens appears on S. Korean television
SEOUL (Yonhap) - Kathleen Stephens, U.S. Ambassador to Seoul, was featured on a South Korean television program Thursday, riding her bicycle through the country and experiencing local culture.
The program on SBS, titled "Miso Korea," followed Stephens on her recent 10-day bicycle tour along the west coast. "Miso" translates into "smile" in Korean.
Over the course of the trip stretching nearly 1,000 kilometers, Stephens and her team of embassy staffers stopped by beaches, Buddhist temples and the west coast tidal flats called Saemangeum, eating traditional Korean dishes at countryside eateries along the way. The team made its final stop on Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province.
"I travel around Korea quite a bit, and the purpose of this trip is to develop a deeper understanding of the country," Stephens said in Korean. A former Peace Corps volunteer here in the 1970s, Stephens mostly spoke in Korean in the program. She even has a Korean name, Shim Eun-kyung.
The show captured the envoy in some of her down-to-earth moments. She was seen chatting in Korean with local residents, mingling with kindergartners who were visiting the same Buddhist temple as her team, and trying to learn Korean proverbs and words to old Korean pop songs.
In the latter part of the ride, Stephens was joined by members of the South Korean national road bicycling team.
"I enjoy riding the bicycle because I get to see many landscapes over a short period of time," Stephens said. "I think I've learned more over this journey than I'd expected."
After the journey, Stephens invited her fellow riders to the ambassador's residence for a music concert, featuring a cappella and traditional Korean "pansori" performances.
She also went on a bike tour across South Korea last summer, accompanied by embassy staffers and local university students through battle sites of the 1950-53 Korean War.
The program on SBS, titled "Miso Korea," followed Stephens on her recent 10-day bicycle tour along the west coast. "Miso" translates into "smile" in Korean.
Over the course of the trip stretching nearly 1,000 kilometers, Stephens and her team of embassy staffers stopped by beaches, Buddhist temples and the west coast tidal flats called Saemangeum, eating traditional Korean dishes at countryside eateries along the way. The team made its final stop on Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province.
"I travel around Korea quite a bit, and the purpose of this trip is to develop a deeper understanding of the country," Stephens said in Korean. A former Peace Corps volunteer here in the 1970s, Stephens mostly spoke in Korean in the program. She even has a Korean name, Shim Eun-kyung.
The show captured the envoy in some of her down-to-earth moments. She was seen chatting in Korean with local residents, mingling with kindergartners who were visiting the same Buddhist temple as her team, and trying to learn Korean proverbs and words to old Korean pop songs.
In the latter part of the ride, Stephens was joined by members of the South Korean national road bicycling team.
"I enjoy riding the bicycle because I get to see many landscapes over a short period of time," Stephens said. "I think I've learned more over this journey than I'd expected."
After the journey, Stephens invited her fellow riders to the ambassador's residence for a music concert, featuring a cappella and traditional Korean "pansori" performances.
She also went on a bike tour across South Korea last summer, accompanied by embassy staffers and local university students through battle sites of the 1950-53 Korean War.
