What I did not know about Korea Overseas Volunteer Program

Yesterday's year-end party for returned Korea Overseas Volunteers (KOV) delivered me two notable facts.

One impressive line from the speech (not exact wording but main idea from my memory) was, "Out of all the countries that Peace Corps volunteered for, Korea is the only country implementing volunteer service for developing countries." The speaker was an old Peace Corps volunteer who had stayed in Korea long ago. Their spirits and goal came true only in Korea. At the same time, it may make sense that volunteering goal can hardly be met.

Another session new to me from this year's year-end ceremony was to pay a silent tribute to who died in the middle of volunteering in respective countries dispatched for service. That means that there were KOVs, after my batch, who realized their spirits at the expense of death.

For your reference, the cumulative number of KOVs dispatched up to my batch was below one thousand in 1999. Around 4,500 KOVs (cumulative) completed volunteering in 40 countries so far since the first dispatch of KOVs in 1990. As of today, another 1,500 KOVs are stationed over the world.