Luncheon held with students at the Humanities Hall cafeteria on 27th
Free flow conversation mixing humor and wit
Students say, 'Down-to-earth and genuine attitude was impressive'
[Jul 27, 2016]
Mark W. Lippert (44), US Ambassador to Korea, visited YU at around 11:15 a.m. on July 27. As he stepped in to the university president's reception hall located on the 2nd floor of the university head office, Ambassador Lippert said in fluent Korean, "Hello, it is a great honor to visit YU" as he greeted YU president Noh Seok-kyun.
YU President Noh responded, "Welcome to our city, the city of summer," and added, "I think we should make our area known by taking advantage of the summer here, which is even called 'Dae-frica'." Ambassador Lippert answered, "I grew up in a hot area so I'm okay with the heat," and added, "I hope that more visitors will come to the Daegu and Gyeongbuk area, which is known for the summer and chicken and beer festival."
Ambassador Lippert said that the purpose of his visit to YU was because he "wanted our embassy to play a role to allow talented people in the area to have more opportunities to study in American universities and companies." He also added, "While traveling across the nation, I learned that regions outside of Seoul were also full of talented people and resources. I want our embassy to help relive their concerns when going to the US to study or work. I was born and raised in the east, and it was really unnerving when I first enrolled at Stanford University. I didn't know who I needed to reach out to for help or how to ask for help. I think one of the jobs of our embassy is to act as a guide for those that are in the same situation that I once was in." Ambassador Lippert also mentioned that he wanted more active interaction and cooperation projects with YU, and stated, "That is why I visited YU with our workers. Our staff will continuously provide cooperation for exchange programs with American universities and in internship programs with American companies."
After a brief tea time with YU President Noh Seok-kyun, Ambassador Lippert went to the school cafeteria and had a fun conversation with 29 YU students over lunch.
He greeted the students in Korean saying, "It smells very good. Eat a lot." He took his seat at the table and enjoyed lunch with YU students going 30 minutes pass the scheduled time. The students did not even bother with the food and continuously asked him questions, and Ambassador Lippert never lost his sense of humor and wit and answered each of the questions he was asked.
When asked about the meaning of his son's name 'Sae-joon' and why he was given a Korean name, Ambassador Lippert answered, "I thought it was only natural to give him a Korean name since he was born in Korea." He explained, "A friend went to a fortune teller who brought back three names, and so I chose Sae-joon. The reason for this was because it means a great person who brightens the world and lives an honest life." In addition, Ambassador Lippert, who is a self-proclaimed baseball fanatic, said, as if he took notice that he was in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, "I'm a fan of Doosan, but Sae-joon's team is Samsung." The students responded by chanting, "Sae-joon! Sae-joon!"
Doh Hye-hyun (20, International Commerce, sophomore), who said that she was a big fan and follower of Ambassador's SNS account, asked why he met particularly a lot of Korean college students, and Ambassador Lippert answered, "I think it is very important to communicate with young people because they are the ones who will lead the future. Furthermore, it's fun meeting with young people because I can gain creative ideas from them. On the other hand, I also want to hear for myself how our embassy can help youths who face realistic difficulties." When asked about his role model, he answered, "I received a lot of influence especially from President Obama. He is very academic, curios, passionate, and knows how to look far into the future with confidence and vision. Of course he is not a perfect person, but there is still a lot to learn from him.
Lastly, Ambassador Lippert was asked to give a word of advice for Korean college students. He answered, "Everyone at your age will have uncertainties and fear about the future. I know you guys are going through tough times. But youth is a very unique period in life. There are a lot of choices, and there are also many opportunities to make choices. So don't be too worried about failing. Whatever it is, you should select and work on that one thing that you want at the time. Even if you fail, you will earn something, and there is still a lot of time for youths, and so you can take a different path later. A failed choice is in no way wasted time."
Nam Gwan-woo (21, International Commerce, junior), who attended the meeting said, "He had a gentle impression when I saw him on television, and when I met with him, I felt quite comfortable speaking with him." He added, "His down-to-earth demeanor and ability to speak with students comfortably was quite impressive. He seemed very genuine when he talked about his experience in college life and when talking about his children born in Korea."
After the luncheon, he accepted the selfie requests by students and also gave his autograph. At around 1:40 p.m. he left YU amidst cheers from students and went on to his next destination. During his visit to YU, Ambassador Lippert was accompanied by his US embassy staff including his advisor, public diplomacy officer, public information officer, as well as Kim Na-yeon (22, business administration, junior) who is doing an internship at the US embassy until the end of July. In the evening, he participated in the Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival for the second straight year.
