Gunpo students begin touring Grant County

GRANT COUNTY - Eun-hye Lee said Grant County has less towering buildings compared with her hometown of Gunpo, Korea.

Eun-hye arrived in Grant County Thursday from the county's sister city, visiting through the Grant County Economic and Cultural Exchange program. The students are staying with Grant County students who recently returned from a trip to Gunpo.

Their first stop was the Grant County Courthouse Friday morning to meet county commissioners. Afterward, students toured Grant County Jail and planned to visit Ephrata city offices, Ephrata High School and Splashzone, the city swimming pool.

"It's beautiful environment and it's clean, actually," said 15-year-old Hong Heon.

Heon has visited New Zealand, Japan and China, but it is his first visit to the United States.

"In Korea, (there are a) lot of apartments," said 14-year-old Mi-yuen Yuen.

Mi-yuen is staying with Royal High School student Kally Carter.

Carter said she planned to take Mi-yuen on a tractor, fishing, and possibly for a plane ride over Grant County. She also planned to treat Mi-yuen to s'mores for the first time.

Royal High School student Sarah DaSilva, who is hosting Eun-hye, said she wants to show her how life is different in America.

DaSilva noticed during her trip to Gunpo how youth seem more independent, finding entertainment outside the home.

"We can find things to do at home," she said.

DaSilva's favorite part about her visit was learning about the culture and food.

Carter said she enjoyed participating in a mud festival in Korea, their first activity as a group.

"It was a great bonding experience for both the groups," she said.

She also found a visit to the demilitarized zone memorable, as the students saw North Koreans as they were concurrently holding tours.

"There was so many guards, you were actually afraid to make any mistakes," she said.

Moses Lake High School students Spencer Plate, Kevin McMains, Cody Hansen, Tawni Semanko, Iesha Ford, Marshall Goodrich, and Jocelynne Armstrong, and Royal High School students Sarah DaSilva and Kally Carter are hosting the Korean students, who return home Aug. 19.

Stops include Columbia Basin Herald, Dry Falls, Grant County Historical Museum, Domino's Pizza, Boys & Girls Club, Wal-Mart, Lake Bowl, Quincy city offices, Yahoo! data center, ConAgra Foods-Lamb Weston, National Frozen Foods Corp., Warden hutterites, Grant County Fair, Mattawa farmers' market, Leavenworth and Wanapum interpretive centers.