SEOUL, South Korea (April 29, 2014) -- During the Korean War, a young South Korean boy walked a mile to school every day inside the last defensive perimeter between enemy forces and United Nations Command troops.
During his walk home one afternoon, American Soldiers offered the boy a ride in their jeep and gave him a candy bar.
More six decades later, that young boy, Ha Yeon-soon, is one of the preeminent Confucian scholars in South Korea and he repays this act of kindness by donating cars to Morale, Welfare and Recreation to allow MWR to hold a drawing for the benefit of American troops.
Scholar Ha is the chairman of the Kumgok Academico-Cultural Foundation and sponsors one of the premier community events for American troops in Korea, the annual Korean Cultural Night.
The winners of the drawing for the cars will be announced during the annual cultural event.
This year, the foundation's signature event will be held on May 2, at the Sheraton Walker Hill in Seoul.
Col. Michael Masley, the commander of U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, said Scholar Ha is a model community leader.
"Scholar Ha is a true servant leader and model for both the [Republic of Korea] and U.S. communities to follow," said Masley, a native of Oley, Pa.
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