The founding director of the Korean Studies Center, Dr. Young Chan Ro, was awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Magnolia Medal (목련장), by the South Korean government in recognition of his distinguished contributions to intellectual exchange between the United States and South Korea. At the award ceremony, held at the Korean Embassy in Washington, DC, Ambassador Kang Kyung-hwa noted that Dr. Ro’s scholarly work and public engagement exemplify the foundations laid by an earlier generation of scholars for the advancement of Korean culture (K-culture).
