1. ROK and US Government officials met on December 9 and 10 to finalize the Operational Guidelines of the 
Work, English Study and Travel (WEST) Program. Under these guidelines, the program will launch in March 
2009 with an initial 300 participants. An additional 1,000 participants are anticipated for summer 2009. The 
number of participants is expected to gradually expand up to 5,000 per year.

2. This meeting follows an August 6 summit in Seoul where President Lee Myung-bak and President 
George W. Bush agreed to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the people of our two 
countries by launching the WEST Program.  A Memorandum of Understanding on the WEST Program and on 
the expansion of other reciprocal exchange opportunities was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan of the Republic of Korea on September 22, 2008.

3. The WEST Program reflects the future-oriented nature of the U.S. – Korea alliance by providing an 
opportunity for Korean university students to study English and work in professional-level internships, 
thereby enriching their knowledge and experience in the United States and giving them international 
professional experience and a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. work place

4. WEST will allow qualifying university students and recent university graduates to enter the United States 
for a period of up to 18 months on J-1 exchange visitor visas that will allow them to study English, participate 
in professional-level internships, and travel independently.

5. Participants will devote at least 450 classroom hours to structured English language training and 
coursework focusing on American business practices and business procedures, U.S. corporate culture, and 
general office management issues. Following their course of English language study, U.S. sponsor 
organizations will place program participants in professional-level internships suited to the students’ 
interests, fields of study and abilities.

6. The Government of the Republic of Korea has created the Global Internship Support Task Force (GISTF). 
This task force, working through Korean universities and the Korean Council of University Education, will be 
responsible for the screening and selection of all Korean participants. The ROKG will provide student loan 
guarantees to all Korean participants who require financial assistance. Furthermore, certain WEST 
participants from low-income families may be eligible for ROKG grants.

7. Under the auspices of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, 
the program will initially be coordinated through three Department of State approved sponsoring 
organizations: the Association for International Practical Training (AIPT), the Council on International 
Educational Exchange (CIEE), and the Intrax Cultural Exchange. The number of sponsoring organizations 
may expand to reflect the growth of the program.

8. Additional information about the WEST program is available at http://www.mofat.go.kr or 
http://cafe.naver.com/westwhp.



                                                   Spokesperson of MOFAT

* unofficial translation