Julia Stanley, a consul general at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said, "I'd like to stress that this is really a unique program. Never before has the U.S. been involved in a program that combines language study, professional internships and the possibility of travel. And everyone that I know that is working on this is deeply committed on making it extremely successful."

Students on the WEST program are expected to take a language course for five months, work in a professional internship for twelve, and travel across the U.S. for a month.

Korean students who have finished half their coursework at four or two-year colleges and have a GPA of over 3.0 may apply to join this program. Graduates can also try out as long as it is within a year of graduating. Students must have a TOEIC test score of over 600, and a recommendation letter from their university. After reviewing the documents, students will be subject to an interview by the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. Twenty percent of those selected to go to the U.S. in March will come from low-income families.

In an effort to further support low-income students the government plans to provide up to 75 percent of their total expenses when participating in the program. Also, 60 percent of students will be selected from universities outside Seoul.

The ministry has been holding negotiations with Washington on the details of this program and will begin the student selection process on Wednesday. The number of students sent in the summer of next year will be increased to 1,000, gradually pushing that number to reach 5,000 in the coming years.

Arirang News