[Opinion] Next Global Leaders

In November 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy visited the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and gave an inspiring speech to college students who were seeking for a new spirit of the times. He urged them to contribute to world peace by devoting two years of one’s life to volunteer work in developing countries. This gave birth to the Peace Corps, which gave a chance for 187,000 members up till now to visit 139 nations and to experience life and culture in foreign nations. Their experience became a valuable asset for the United States in leading the global community.

The Peace Corps produced many global leaders. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, former U.S. State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher, and Congressman Michael Honda, who led efforts to pass the comfort women resolution, are among them. Kathleen Stephens, U.S. ambassador–designate to Seoul, taught English in Korea as a member of the Peace Corps. Still many elite university students do volunteer work for their career records instead of working for Goldman Sachs or JPMorgan that offers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

The world has been integrating into a single market as trade barriers are being lowered thanks to technological and economic advancements, since the beginning of the 21st century. Political systems and cultural conflicts in the global community now have a huge impact on individual countries’ national security. The status of Korea in the world depends on its young generations who will communicate with the global village. Prime Minister Han Seung-soo signed a pact with the nation’s major business circles to foster some 100,000 global leaders for the next five years.

Anyone who wants to be a global leader should have a deep understanding of foreign languages and cultures as well as a strong will to share the pain of poverty, disease and terror with those suffering. This pact is expected to alleviate the unemployment of young people as it aims to send 80,000 out of 100,000 to foreign nations for a job or internship. However, we need to take a cautious attitude before exempting those volunteers from their military duties or reducing their military terms, as going abroad alone provides a privilege of self-development for them.

Editorial Writer Chung Seong-hee (shchung@donga.com)