Seoul, Washington renew youth exchange program for 5 more years

South Korea and the United States agreed Tuesday to extend their youth internship exchange program for another five years, but with a reduction in the program’s quota due to weaker-than-expected interest.

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se signed the agreement with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim to extend the Work, English, Study and Travel (WEST) program, according to the Seoul ministry.

The WEST program was first signed in 2008 for a five-year run as part of the two allies’ friendly gestures to help both countries’ college students land travel and internship opportunities in each other’s nations.

The South Korean program to American students is called the WHP, or the working holiday program.

Under the WEST and the WHP, South Korean students spend 18 months studying English, interning at American firms and traveling the country and vice versa for American students.

The countries, however, decided to reduce the programs’ quota to 2,000 students from the previous 5,000, in line with milder-than-expected interest from young people.

Only 15 U.S. students have joined the WHP program since 2009 while a total of 1,840 South Korean young people went through the WEST over the past five years, according to the ministry.

The close U.S.-South Korea relationship will be even more tightened through the WEST, and those participating will expected to become goodwill ambassadors for the U.S., Ambassador Kim was quoted as saying in the ceremony marking the extension. (Yonhap News)