Living in Itaewon, I sometimes feel like I’m in another world. Not entirely Korean, and yet not really foreign. I guess it’s roughly equivalent to being in Korea town in LA or China town in New York. This “foreign friendly” neighborhood, this America Town has been infused with the energy of the US Army presence since the 1950’s and they’ve grown up together.
Something that many people in Korea don’t realize is that the USFK has been actively reaching out to its hosts to help those in need, to develop personal relationships, to nurture young leaders and to cultivate mutual understanding across cultures and borders. That program is now called the Good Neighbor Program (GNP) and I had the good fortune to sit and chat with Former Lt. Colonel Steve Tharp (Chief of Community Relations and the Good Neighbor Program and a 28 year US Army veteran who has some amazing stories about his experiences here).
Steve, tell us about your history with Korea and the USFK.
I came to Korea in 1979 as an infantryman and ran regular combat patrols on the DMZ. After language and cultural training as an Army foreign area officer, I served with the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission meeting with the North Koreans at Panmunjom, then the Military Armistice Commission as the Assistant Secretary and with the Combined Forces Command Policy Directorate before retiring from the Army and beginning my current position as a Department of the Army civilian.
When and how did the GNP start?
Although the US military has been conducting Good Neighbor activities in Korea for many decades, it was institutionalized in 2003 following a series of high-emotion events, which called for a programmed, command-level medium for fostering positive relations between USFK and Korean communities – the Good Neighbor Program.
What are the aims and goals of the GNP?
We hope to enhance understanding and support of the USFK, while increasing the USFK Service members understanding of their host country to convey respect and in general to establish and foster harmonious relations with the Republic of Korea.
What kinds of activities make up the program?
The GNP’s four major “pillars” are community relations, military-to-military operations, Korean cultural awareness programs, and student-to-student programs.
The community relations activities include Musical Exchanges which transcend linguistic or cultural barriers, Group Tours showing Korean friends what Service members do on a daily basis, Adopting Schools and Orphanages to provide assistance and resources to the less privileged, Educational Outreach to Korean Communities, Commander’s Advisory Groups, and the Good Neighbor Awards Program. Over the years, ROK and US military units have formed close bonds of cooperation through ROK Military Partnership Programs with field training, sporting events and other cultural exchanges.
Cultural Awareness programs teach Korean Korean language and customs, with the Head Start Program, the Home Visitation Programs, Environmental Protection Measures, and other Cultural Outreach Programs such as Kimchi festivals or local marathons to experience Korea’s rich culture. As well as student-to-student interaction between dependents and local Korean students, such as Korean-American soccer games and art exhibitions for youth groups.
Where can we see the programs in action? Are they limited to Yongsan?
The GNP is not a single event but a myriad of activities taking place throughout Korea. Every Commander is responsible for having their own program in their area.
What is the relationship between Yongsan Army base and the Itaewon area?
As next-door neighbor’s Itaewon and Yongsan Garrison need to work closely as “good neighbors,” so we work with officials in Itaewon to make the relationship more harmonious.
How can we all be better neighbors?
Most friction between neighbors comes from a lack of understanding. The more things we can do to increase that understanding, such as culture awareness and shared activities the better we’ll get along.
What are your suggestions for those in the local community? How can the rest of us help?
The GNP’s website www.goodneighbor.or.kr has our latest events and stories. The Army volunteer website www.myarmylifetoo.com has numerous volunteer opportunities available for all and to share your ideas or participate in the Good Neighbor Program, please contact us – we look forward to hearing from you!
As visitors to a foreign country our every action reflects on our country as a whole, and hosts too bear a similar responsibility. Guest or host, we are all ambassadors and every interaction is an opportunity, not just to get along, but to learn from those that we meet, to make lifelong friends, and to become Good neighbors. So I ask you readers, (and forgive the Mr. Rogers reference) “Won’t you be my (Good) Neighbor?”