SEOUL — Eighty U.S., South Korean and United Nations Command servicemembers will be honored this week with visits to Korean landmarks, meals with political leaders and a chance to win a $2,500 college scholarship during the USO’s 34th annual Six Star Salute.
The celebration rewards servicemembers pay grades E-5 and below for their work for the past year, according to USO spokeswoman Rita Ehrman.
The troops are hand-picked by their commanders for the honor, which includes a banquet, a tour of the South Korean president’s home and lunch with Seoul’s mayor.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Lee Hong-koo, a former South Korean prime minister and former ambassador to both the United States and the United Kingdom, according to Ehrman. He will speak Thursday night during a dinner at the Hyatt in Seoul.
“This is unusual to have a Korean as our guest speaker,” she said Monday, noting last year’s speaker was former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. “But we looked at our previous speakers and noticed we haven’t had a Korean in a long time.”
Of the 80 troops selected, 46 are U.S., 32 South Korean and two are members of the United Nations Command, one from Thailand and the other from the Philippines.
Four $2,500 scholarships will be awarded during the festivities, which run Thursday and Friday.
