Secretary Clinton to Get Korean Name
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
On the occasion of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Korea, the Republic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. Alliance Friendship Society announced Wednesday that it would confer the Korean name of “Han Hisook” on the former first lady and senator of the United States.
The society will send a plaque containing a description of the name to Secretary Clinton in time for her return to Washington from the Asian tour.
“It is our sincere hope that the conferment of the Korean name ‘Han Hi-sook’ to Secretary Clinton will not only promote bilateral friendship but also solidify the blood-shared alliance forged by our countries during the Korean War,” said Suh Jin-sup, who heads the society, in a statement.
The surname “Han,” meaning Korea, is derived from the Korean pronunciation of the letter “H” in the name “Hillary.” With the conferment of the surname, Clinton will become the founder of the “Sejong Han” family. Secretary Clinton is the first “Han” from “Sejong-ro” or Sejong Street, the main street in central Seoul where the U.S. Embassy is located.
The name “Hi-sook” is a combination of two separate Chinese characters. “Hi” stands for “Shining,” while “Sook” is for “Clear.” “We believe that these are the attributes that have led to the appointment of Hillary Clinton as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State. Her clear vision and politicalinsight will make important contributions in setting the stage for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” added Suh.
In the past, some U.S. officials serving their country from Korea have accepted Korean names conferred on them in a gesture of friendship and goodwill.
General Walter L. Sharp, whose Korean name is Song Han-pil, is the current Commander of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces. Some Koreans know former U.S. Ambassador Alexander R. Vershbow as Park Bo-woo and Mark C. Minton, former minister-counselor at the U.S. Embassy, as Ma Min-don. General Walton H. Walker, who died on the frontline during the Korean War, was given the name Gu Woong-soo for his honorable service.
Born in 1947 in Chicago, Clinton studied political science at Wellesley College and subsequently went to Yale Law School where she met her husband Bill Clinton, former governor of Arkansas and the 42nd President of the United States.
After eight years in the White House, she was elected Senator of New York in 2001 and remained in office until the beginning of this year. On Feb. 12, U.S. President Barack Obama appointed her his secretary of state, making her the first-ever First Lady to serve in a U.S. President’s Cabinet.
It is widely perceived that Clinton’s continued service to her country in various capacities makes her the right person to represent the United States to the world. Also, she is a living symbol of the infinite potential of women, which makes her relevant not just to Americans but aspiring young women everywhere.
Clinton is in Korea for two days as part of her first overseas tour as President Obama’s top diplomat. After meeting with President Lee Myung-bak and Foreign Minister Yoo Myung-hwan and accepting an honorary degree from the Ewha Women’s University, she will depart for Beijing.
