Below is an email I got today and I figure someone here can either do it or pass it along to people who can find people willing to do it....

the email ----

I need your help- I'm a professor at Chung Ang University (canadian white male)- and I received a lot of unfounded criticism about the US army in Korea- I would glady pay an representative of the US army in korea $100 to come and speak to me students (for 1.5 hours) about the good volunteer work the soldiers are doing and to inform them about all the positive things the army is currently doing in Korea- please call me 019-9577-0714- I need an answer for Thursday afternoon (the 27th of October) ----

You should e-mail him and have him sign-up here. I would also love to have some young Korean students sign-up here. I would do it, but it sounds like he wants Army and I am Air Force.

I do have a ton of pictures of me and a bunch of Air Force/Army folks at a Korean orphanage a few weeks ago.

Mike

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I'll email him about signing up here and what you wrote.

I think he would like contacts by anybody in USFK and not particular about which branch.

this is that guy- basically I would appreciate anyone who could come to Chung Ang University (in heuksuk-dong, dongjak-gu, southern Seoul) and do a short presentation about all the positive community projects that the USFK is doing currently- as you are aware, many of the university students are very biased and have unfounded views about the USFK- I would like someone to answer their questions and educate them about the USFK good works- but I need someone for Thursday (oct. 27th) at 13:00hrs and at 15:00hrs- from any division- be it officer, soldier, staff, etc.

Welcome Colin!

I will check with my work tomorrow to see if I can do it. It shouldn't be a problem. If I can't do it, I will send your request to public affairs. I will give you a call when I get home in about an hour.

Mike

I have signed up to do this. I will be clearing this through PA first, but everything looks good.

Mike

Super, Mike! You may like to call PA at Yongsan, also. Maybe y'all can open some eyes as to what we really are like...

This is a great example of one of the big benefits a site like this can offer.

All thanks to Mike for setting it up --- and thanks to everybody showing up and participating....

I blog and I read several of the Korea related blogs everyday and I put a lot of work in the www.usinkorea.org site....

but none of these are communities.

Even a comments section that gets a lot of traffic like at the Marmot's Hole are limited in what they offer as far as bringing a community together.

This forum can offer more of that....

And this is one example of how......

I hope we see more like it from time to time......

I'm not an optimist about how many minds will be turned in the class, but the effort is worth it, and I'm very glad to see this forum could help toward setting something up...

Colin,

I think Mike's idea of asking your students who are interested to sign up for this forum or joining into comment discussions at Marmot's Hole (the most popular expat Korea related blog where a good number of fellow bloggers and others get into interesting debates) is a good idea.

A good number of people who check these two sites out are long time expats in Korea or like myself --- people who spent years in Korea and years learning about Korea. These are people who have witnessed a lot of the events that are still talked about and have different experienced perspecitives on what goes on.

The debates just among them is often rather lively --- though far from a degenerate free for all like what the Korea Herald forum evolved into.

Your students would be free to put out their thoughts and they would be challenged and challenged with more than just knee-jerk nationalistic or jingoistic retorts, and I think their offering to enter into a debate outside their native language would be openly appreciated and understood.

At Marmot's there are a few Koreans with high level English skills who comment frequently, but I've also seen weaker language skilled Koreans comment and if they seem to be in danger of becoming discouraged by having their opinions challenged, sometimes vigorously, some of the expats have encouraged them by giving them credit for speaking out in a difficult language and showing a willingness to engage in such a debate.

Anyway, think about asking them if they are interested.

This and the Korea related blogs are a place available 365 days a year around the clock.......and they can take time to digest the English and spend time working on their own response........

Well said-congrats to all who can help keep this going in a positive direction. Presenting proven facts backed up with action has to help show students that the overall military presence here is a good thing.