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"This is an environmental issue that goes beyond Taean County and Korea. We must help." On a rock cliff near Padori beach in Taean County on Monday, more than two dozen foreign English teachers in protective uniforms were struggling to scrub oil off of rocks. They are members of the Foreign Language Education Association (FLEA) in Chungcheong Province. As they worked their noses and cheeks turned red due to the harsh winter wind from the ocean.
The leader of the group was Canadian Rick Wakeman, 61, who has been teaching English at Soonchunhyang University for the last seven years. He first visited Taean County two years ago while teaching at an English camp. "I saw Padori beach covered in oil on TV. It was terribly terrible," Wakeman said.
Wakeman spread the news of the disaster to other foreign teachers and convinced them to lend a hand in the cleanup efforts. Fifteen English teachers from Asan, Gangneung, Gwangju and Daejeon in Choongcheong Province volunteered to help.
Wakeman says he loves Padori beach and he wants to live in Taean County after he retires. "Padori beach is a paradise. From the moment I saw the beach, I fell in love with it. I hope the beach recovers the beauty it had before the oil spill as soon as possible," he said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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