KOREAN AMERICAN TRADE ASSOCIATION
(KOTRA CENTER)
Ji-Hye Park

A student from Kyungpook National University in Daegu, South Korea, Ji-Hye Park majored in English language and literature as well as business administration. With a grade point average of 4.5 (on a scale of 4.3), Ji-Hye worked in Korea as a student assistant at KNU’s Office of International Affairs and in the Philippines at the university’s overseas volunteer program. Ji-Hye was a reporter for the KNU Times and an assistant English teacher at a private language institute. She speaks Korean, English, and Chinese. Ji-Hye applied in early July for a year-long internship lasting from September 2005 through August 2006, during which time she completed three placements: the first at the Korean American Trade Association (KOTRA Center), the second at the Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies where Ji-Hye did so well that APAICS requested more Korean interns from KNU in the future, and the third at a public-relations firm called Devillier Communications. Ji-Hye’s description of her internships – complete with photographs – is represented below.

“America is not Disneyland!” said Lorne Hwang, associate dean for international programs at my university, when speaking to participants in the Washington Internship Program at the orientation before we left South Korea. When I thought about the United States, I pictured beautiful beaches with palm trees and Hollywood movie-stars. In my imagination, that dreamland predominated, but Ms. Hwang’s words woke me. I had to realize that I would be living and working in America, not coming as a tourist. On September 14, 2005 I finally arrived in the U.S. capital. Culturally, Washington, D.C. is totally different from Korea. Initially I thought: “What have I done like a fool rushing in where angels fear to tread?”

“On my second day in Washington, I started working at KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) located near Farragut Square. KOTRA is a government-based trade agency that helps small and medium-sized Korean companies to export goods on the U.S. market. I was thrilled to be at a Korean organization in America.”

“My first mission there was to check KOTRA’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. I leaned to access this database daily and add or modify client information. Mr. Lim, my supervisor, explained: “Customer satisfaction is our first priority.” I had learned this principle in business-administration classes, but at KOTRA I had the chance to apply it. I was responsible for arranging meetings between American buyers and Korean sellers at the Export Plaza held in Korea in October. Six buyer teams from U.S. were chosen to attend so they could meet Korean manufacturers, sample their products, and sign import contracts. This event was a great opportunity for Korean companies that were eager to export goods. Over a hundred Korean companies applied for the Export Plaza, but only thirty would be selected. To pick the best entries, I searched for their website, brochures, and catalogues and gathered information about commodities ranging from hair ornaments, wigs, bulbs, and nail clippers to LCD, DVR, and Bluetooth products. In the past I learned about big conglomerate like Samsung and LG, but this experience introduced me to smaller establishments. I treasured this opportunity to take part in trade because the international market has great potential as industry globalizes.”

“My next research project involved North Korea because Six-Part Talks were taking place at that time. Politics and economics are like two sides of the same coin. They are inseparable. I read many articles and obtained materials from NGOs in U.S. When I was in the middle of my research, one of my foreign friends remarked that living in my country must be very dangerous because the Korean peninsula is split, and DPRK in the north always threatens South Korea. This comment was a big shock for me. I’d never thought that I lived in a dangerous place. Perhaps Americans are influenced by propaganda that exaggerates the situation in North Korea. In discussions of North and South Korea that took place in my college classes, I was the person who expressed concern, but now in D.C. I gained perspective and could think about North Korea in a more detached, objective way.”

“I also worked on an industry information study about the market for surveillance equipment (SE) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. My analysis included micro-economics and a review of customer/competition trends as well as a marketing strategy based on 4P (product, price, place, and promotion). I also researched export requirements and business practices for Korean manufacturers in this field who wished to approach the U.S. market. For this report, I gathered statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and databases produced by the International Trade Center; I also read articles from the Economist magazine and the Wall Street Journal. This work was very difficult.”

“I still remember my supervisor saying on my first day of work KOTRA: ‘There is not a big difference between your work as an intern and mine as a manager. Both are very important for this organization. I’m just a little more accustomed to this work because I’ve spent more time here. Don’t underestimate what you do, and be proud of your achievements.’ He asked me to think of my efforts as valuable rather than trivial.”

ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR
CONGRESSIONAL STUDIES

“After finishing three months at KOTRA, I started an internship at the Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies. On my first day at APAICS, I was a little scared because I was working for the first time at a foreign organization. However, the staff members were really kind and treated me like a daughter. They always gave me detailed explanations of my duties and good advice regarding life in the United States.”

“The Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that helps educate Asian- Pacific Americans. It offers internships and fellowships for Asian-Pacific Americans to work in the U.S. Congress and federal agencies like the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Justice. First I assisted with office work like clipping newspaper articles, copying, and sending out faxes and E-mails  on behalf of APAICS. I was also responsible for computer work.”

“My work at APAICS was particularly meaningful because I was able to help minorities in the United States. The U.S. tries to accept everyone in the spirit of a democratic system that is free of racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination, but in reality life is not always fair for all Americans. Even though Asian-Pacific Americans are a minority here, I saw that many are quite successful. Thanks to the consideration of my supervisor, I was able to participate in some events sponsored by the Korean-American Coalition. One Korean American, Wan J. Kim, was appointed by the Bush Administration as an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department. I heard this person speak about racial and financial difficulties he encountered as a result of his heritage.”

“In January and February, I worked on the summer internship and fellowship programs that APAICS holds every year. About a hundred Asian-Pacific American students applied for these programs, and I organized all materials for the selection committee.”

“The most impressive work I did was for the 2006 12th Annual Gala Dinner – APAICS’ biggest event. This year the dinner was held at the JW Marriot Hotel. Starting in March, our staff concentrated on preparing for it. I added names to our rolodex list and database of people to be invited; I sent out about 1,500 invitations; and I wrote to U.S. senators, representatives, and secretaries. In drafting more than a hundred formal letters, I learned much about formal correspondence.”

“On May 16, 2006, APAICS Gala Dinner was held. I assisted with the VIP reception, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, which was attended by many celebrities. I heard speeches by Labor Secretary Elain Chao and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, both of whom are Asian Americans. In Korea I never participated in any event where I could meet government secretaries. This experience was amazing! U.S. Representative Mike Honda, Robert Scott, and Grace Napolitano along with Senators Daniel Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye took part. That evening was the most precious experience I had in the United States. There were so many Asian-Pacific Americans doing their best in finance and politics. On my last day at APAICS, the office manager told me to return to Washington, D.C. next May to attend the 13th Gala Dinner. I was glad to become the first person invited to the 2007 dinner.”

“APAICS is a great place to be an intern. The staff members always helped me with difficulties. One day, the president and CEO said to me: ‘I hope you are getting good experience here, and exploring Washington, D.C. is also very important.’ I was often given compliments on my work, especially for computer-related assignments in connection with which I received much praise. I was put in charge of all computers and electronic equipment in the office because they trusted my ability in this area. I will never forget my great experience and their warm hearts.”

DEVILLIER  COMMUNICATIONS

“I worked at APAICS three days a week, and the Washington Internship Program arranged another placement for me on the other two days. On Mondays and Thursdays beginning in January, I had a third internship at Devillier Communications, which is a marketing and public-relations firm. Before starting there, I was interviewed by the vice president and human-resource manager. After passing that test, I was so glad to hear that I had been selected as a receptionist.”

“It was not easy to get many calls and transfer them to the proper staff members. At the reception desk, I worked a complicated computer-based telephone. Because I’d never used such a system before, I found it confusing at first. I controlled all incoming calls, received several calls at once, found extensions and availability through my screen, transferred calls, paged the staff, sent messages to voicemail, and retrieved calls. I was also put in charge of mail, guests, and packages from Federal Express or United Parcel Service. All the work at Devillier was new and hard for me, but as time passed I became accustomed to my duties and formed deep relationships with colleagues and supervisors.”

“After I excelled at being a receptionist, I was given more projects. For example, I conducted research for Amvets – one of the firm’s clients. Every day I read articles about American veterans through the Lexis Nexis system, which provides access to articles from all around the world. In the course of this work, I learned a great deal about American veterans: their place in U.S. society, and the problems they face after military service. As the number of veterans increases, they have growing health-care needs like the difficulties associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Through this internship I learned once again about the importance of customer satisfaction.”

KOREA INTERNATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATION

“I finished three internships: in government, the nonprofit sphere, and the private sector. I also did volunteer work at the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), in connection with which I attended a conference and heard a speech by Tae-Sik Lee, the Korean ambassador to the United States. Most of all, I gained confidence through my internships and life within the U.S. It isn’t easy to live in a foreign country with different languages, foods, and cultures. I learned to understand and appreciate people despite their differences. All my experience in America will become precious assets for my future.”

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