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"Let's have honest and frank discussions with Korean Internet users." On Monday, the U.S. Embassy opened "Cafe USA," an online community with Daum Cafe, in order to hold frank discussions with the Internet users of Korea, the nation with the world's highest Internet user ratio.
One can access the site either through the U.S. Embassy homepage (http://seoul.usembassy.gov) or directly at: http://cafe.daum.net/usembassy.
In his greeting address, Christopher R. Hill explained the background behind the opening of the site, saying, "Coming back to Korea after 16 years is a bit like coming home again. But what a different home I have returned to! I have been so impressed by how technology is so prevalent and incorporated into daily life... I want to ensure that the U.S. Embassy has not only a website but also a voice on the Internet."
He added, "Cafe USA is the beginning of our two-way dialogue with the Korean people to listen and understand your feelings on key issues... I promise a spirit of openness, and that together we will build our relationship and take it to the next level."
Hill raised five issues he would like both sides to keep in mind, namely กใ the bilateral security alliance; กใ bilateral economic ties, and how to strengthen them; กใ expanding the bilateral strategic dialogue to major global issues; กใ commonly held democratic values; and กใ reinforcing the deep personal bonds between the Korean and American peoples.
The U.S. Embassy said it could not respond to each and every post left on its online community, but Ambassador Hill planned to write something every week, and when necessary, other embassy officials would respond to questions and posts left on the cafe.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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