WASHINGTON -- Three Korean-Americans were awarded here Thursday for their contributions to bridging the countries of their origin and citizenship on the occasion of Korean-American Day.
They are Suh Nam-pyo, president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; Park Yoon-shik, professor of international finance at George Washington University; and Suh Jeannie, assistant professor of law at Harvard Law School.
Speaking at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel during the ceremony, which was sponsored by the Korea Economic Institute, South Korean ambassador Han Duck-soo lauded the awardees and millions of other Korean-Americans for their contributions to enhancing ties between the two countries.
Since the first group of thousands of Koreans arrived in Hawaii in 1903 as workers on sugarcane farms, the Korean-American community has grown into "one of the most prosperous ethnic groups in the United States," Han said. "They have thrived on strong ethnic ties and robust community support. Korean Americans played a crucial role in maintaining the strong partnership between the Republic of Korea and the United States."
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in March last year to recognize the contributions Korean-Americans have made to the United States.
The bill "urges all people in the United States to recognize the invaluable contributions Korean-Americans have made to this nation."
"More than a million Korean-Americans, like thousands of immigrants to the United States before them, have built strong families and contributed to dynamic communities ... significantly to the development of the arts, sciences, engineering, medicine, government, military, education and the economy in the United States," it said.
Three Korean-Americans were awarded at a ceremony at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13. From left are Korea Economic Institute President Jack Pritchard, Suh Nam-pyo, Park Yoon-shik and Suh Jeannie. (Yonhap)