The Korea Society to Honor General Colin L. Powell and General Paik Sun Yup

NEW YORK -- The Korea Society will honor General Colin L. Powell, former Secretary of State, and General Paik Sun Yup, who commanded ground forces during the Korean War, at the Society's Annual Dinner at New York City's Plaza Hotel on June 2. Generals Powell and Paik will receive the Society's Van Fleet Award in honor of all Korean War veterans. The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to the promotion of U.S.-Korea relations. Colin Powell served the U.S. military for 34 years, including in Korea, before his appointment as 65th Secretary of State. Paik Sun Yup is Korea's most decorated officer and author of From Pusan to Panmunjom: Wartime Memoirs of the Republic of Korea's First Four-Star General. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and representatives from lead corporate sponsors Samsung and Boeing will attend this special evening of remembrance.

"The War was a devastating event for the Korean Peninsula, and the cause of incalculable human suffering, but it was also the dawn of the strong strategic alliance and close partnership between the United States and the Republic of Korea," says Ambassador Thomas Hubbard, chairman of The Korea Society. "The sacrifice made by so many American, Korean, and Allied troops during the Korean War laid the basis for the transformation of a war-ravaged South Korea to the economic and cultural dynamo of today."

Limited press passes are available upon request. The Korea Society is dedicated to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. Please visit www.koreasociety.org for more information about The Korea Society's many programs.