KEI Spotlight

Academy of Korea Policy Outreach (AKPO) is an educational outreach organization affiliated with the Korea Economic Institute of America, established to strengthen the U.S.-Korea relationship through the sponsorship of research projects, academic programs, and other projects that promote closer people-to-people engagement. The AKPO board recently decided that the organization might best serve its goal by disbursing its remaining USD 70,000 in assets among like-minded organizations dedicated to the common mission. 

The board identified four organizations that might best carry out AKPO’s vision. 

• Concordia Language Villages: An internationally recognized language and cultural immersion program, Concordia Language Village was founded in 1961 to inspire courageous global citizens. Korean is one of the most popular languages at the program with 120 youths enrolling for the immersive experience every summer. To meet the growing demand for Korean language training, AKPO will support the expansion of the Korean Language Village to provide enrollment during both the summer and the academic year. 
• Council of Korean Americans: The Council’s Network of Korean-American Leaders (NetKal) program leads a 5-month educational forum for 1.5 and second generation Korean-American leaders that expands their understanding of the social, economic, and political challenges facing Asian Americans and the Pacific Rim. This program prepares this group of emerging leaders for global transformation by enhancing their leadership skills through professionally-facilitated workshops, intensive peer discussions, community projects, and mentorship from trailblazers in the Korean-American community. Funding from AKPO will support this flagship program in the summer of 2022. 
• George Washington Institute of Korean Studies: Founded in the year 2016, GWIKS is devoted to the development of Korean Studies and serves as a hub for scholars, students, and the broader academic community in the nation’s capital. Funding from AKPO will go towards funding a scholarship for a graduate student pursuing a M.A. degree at the George Washington University who is concentrating on Korean Studies. 
• Korean American Sharing Movement: Focused on preparing North Korea-born college students in South Korea for global leadership, the Washington Leadership Program helps familiarize them with U.S. policy towards the Korean Peninsula. AKPO resources will go towards supporting a program in July 2022 that will take students to Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York to visit institutions of national significance and engage with influential figures in the policymaking community. 

As AKPO closes its doors, its board is confident that the organization has contributed to the overall advance in bilateral relations and looks forward to further advances made by above mentioned organizations through its sponsorship.