Korean Ambassador visits Roanoke College

His Excellency Hyundong Cho, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, visited Roanoke College on Friday, Nov. 1, along with Kijoung Cho, minister and consul general of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. This marks the first official visit by a sitting ambassador in more than 100 years, and it is especially significant due to Roanoke College’s unique connection with Korea. 

The Korean diplomats learned more about the historic connections between Korea and Roanoke College. Kim Kyusik, who graduated from Roanoke College in 1903, was instrumental in the formation of the Provisional Korean Government and was an advocate for Korean independence. Kim was one of several Korean students to attend Roanoke College at that time.  

"I am thrilled to be here," Cho said. "This is the place where one of our prominent leaders graduated and spent three years here. I think it was the highlight of his life and then he played a key role in Korea's independence movement. He was a foreign minister with the provisional government and then promoted to vice president, so he was very respected. He is one of the great sons of Korea and I'm so happy to be here to commemorate the historic footsteps of Mr. Kim Kyusik."

The Korean delegation was joined by Roanoke College President Frank Shushok, Jr., along with his wife, Kelly Shushok; Renee Turk '77, mayor of Salem; and Sherman Lea, mayor of Roanoke;  Roanoke College Trustee Ken Belton '81 and Dr. Stella Xu, the John R. Turbyfill Professor of History. Xu has hosted several delegations of Korean diplomats and Kim family descendants in recent years. Ambassador Cho and his colleagues toured the Roanoke College campus, met several Roanoke College students, visited the Virginia Historic Marker for Kim Kyusik, which was installed in 2022, and visited the College Archives in Fintel Library to see items from Kim Kyusik’s time at Roanoke College and other memorabilia from his life.  

Read more about Kim’s background here.