GC prepares for Gunpo delegation

Grant County is preparing to receive a delegation of students from Gunpo City in Korea. They will stay in the county 10 days. Some of the families of students who visited Gunpo earlier this year (photo) will host the Asian youth in their trip to America

by Sebastian Moraga<br>Herald Staff Writer
| August 11, 2004 9:00 PM

This Friday, 15 students from Korea will arrive to area as part of exchange

The streets of Grant County towns will have that special Korean imprint for the next two weeks.

A delegation of 14 students and two chaperones from the city of Gunpo in that Asian nation will visit the area as part of an international sister-city relationship between the county and Gunpo.

Their arrival to Seattle is set for Thursday around noon. The delegation will travel to Moses Lake, where they will meet their host families at the Police Building on Balsam around 5 p.m., that afternoon.

Cindy Good is one of the people whose families will be hosting Korean students. Good and her husband Dale have two adopted children from Korea.

"We have a very special feeling toward that country," Good said.

The reasons for Good's family to host the Korean students go beyond that connection. They have traveled to Korea before, and their son Ty was part of the Grant County delegation that went there last month.

"We took a trip two years ago, and we were impressed with the feeling we had while we were there," she said. "When this opportunity for an exchange came along, we thought it was an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the students."

As far as Ty's feelings regarding his trip to Korea, it was not long enough, Good said, adding that her son had been completely enamored with Korean culture and is looking forward to hosting Korean students.

"He has been cramming ever since he got home," Good said. "We were concerned about the language because when we went, many people spoke English."

The linguistic efforts are not limited to Ty, Good said, as they are trying to learn a few words, as well, in order to make the stay a bit more comfortable for all parties involved.

When not attempting to communicate with Americans, the Korean students and chaperones will be trying to catch their breath, as a busy schedule awaits them once they arrive in Grant County.

Activities will include attending the Moses Lake Summer Concert this Friday evening, a swim social at the city's aquatic center on Sunday, meeting with authorities from Moses Lake, Ephrata and the county next Monday.

Their week will continue with plane rides on Wednesday, a trip to the county fair that same day, a tour of Grand Coulee Dam on Thursday, and on their last day in the area, a public picnic at Connelly Park, where the public will have a chance to meet their newest, if temporary fellow residents.

The experience is expected to be as positive as the trip of county residents to Korea was, councilman Lee Blackwell said.

"All the students returned with good thoughts of Korea," he said, adding that some of the students had expressed his desire to return, an idea which he supports.

Blackwell said it is important kids get to know their counterparts from other nations and learn "how small the world really is."

The success of both trips, to Korea and to Grant County is important not only at a social level but at a more serious level, he said, as it will become more obvious that the travels of students is an important factor in the development of relations with that nation.

"The mayor of Gunpo sees it as a major (plus) to the relations," Blackwell said.