Korean Peace Corps Memories

Korean Peace Corps Memories

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50 Peace Corps reunion

This is a shout-out to all the Americans who answered the call to serve in the Peace Corps.  As some of you know I served in Gapyeong, Korea from 1979 to 1981 working as a tuberculous control worker in a rural health center.  Serving in the Peace Corps changed my life in so many ways.  It led to a life-long fascination with South Korea, including becoming reasonably fluent in the language, meeting and marrying my wife whom I met after my service ended, and a MA degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington in 1986.  It also led me to join the Foreign Service and serve in the Embassy from 1991 to 1993 and serving on the Korea desk from 1994 to 1996.

Before joining the State Department I taught ESL for the US Army, for the Korean Consolidated Administration school, and later at Kyunghee University for three years and Government and Asian Studies for the University of Maryland in Korea.

Title: The Last Volunteer: Dispatches from the Disbanded Peace Corps

Tone: Satirical, reflective, dystopian
Style: Blog-style narrative with historical and personal interjections

Structure:

Title: The Last Volunteer: Dispatches from the Disbanded Peace Corps

Genre: Satire / Dystopian Memoir
Tags: PeaceCorps, satire, dystopia, politics, memoir, Korea, Trump, resistance, history

Chapter 1: The Announcement

In 1980, I served in the Peace Corps working in a public health center as a tuberculous control worker in Gapyeong, a small town in the mountains two hours from Seoul. I shared kimchi recipes with elders, learned the art of bowing without bruising my pride, and discovered that diplomacy often begins with a shared meal.

We were told we were ambassadors of peace.

Now, apparently, we were just wasting taxpayer money.

Chapter 2: The Decree

It came on a Tuesday. Trump stood at a golden podium flanked by ICE agents and a bald eagle wearing aviators.

“The Peace Corps is hereby disbanded,” he declared. “We don’t need volunteers spreading peace. We need patriots sealing borders.”

The budget was rescinded. Volunteers were ordered home. The Peace Corps website redirected to a recruitment page for ICE.

Chapter 3: The Fallout

Returned volunteers were stripped of their federal hiring preference. One was reportedly escorted out of a USDA interview for wearing a tie-dye shirt and quoting Mandela.

Peace Corps offices were converted into detention intake centers. The slogan “Life is calling” was replaced with “Compliance is mandatory.”

My old training center in Korea? Rumor has it it’s now a drone calibration site.

Chapter 4: The Broader Purge

The Presidential Management Fellows program was canceled next. “We don’t need managers,” Trump said. “We need enforcers.”

The State Department announced it would no longer publish annual human rights reports. “We prefer vibes-based diplomacy,” said the new Undersecretary for Global Branding.

The U.S. withdrew from the International Labour Organization. All ILO conventions were declared null and void. Labor rights, it seems, were too socialist.

Chapter 5: Toronto Rising

Late-night comics were fired. Journalists silenced. And somewhere in the chaos, Toronto became the new capital of dissent.

Former Peace Corps volunteers, comedians, and exiled diplomats now broadcast nightly from a converted Tim Hortons.

Their motto: Still serving—just not sanctioned.

Chapter 6: The Last Volunteer

I served in Korea from 1979 to 1981. We believed in bridges, not walls. We believed that service could change the world.

I still do.

Even if the bridge now leads north to Toronto.

Author’s Note:

This piece is satire. But the memories are real. And so is the fear that idealism is being erased, one program at a time.

If you served, if you dreamed, if you still believe—keep writing. Keep resisting.

Peace isn’t dead. It’s just been defunded.

Along the way, Korea changed so much and is not the country I first learned to love back in 1979.  Here are a few of my poetic reflections, followed by additional information on the Peace Corps and my letters to my Congressmen and Senators and the Peace Corps director expressing my frustration over the possibility that the Peace Corps could soon join USAID on the chopping block. I will post any responses I might receive.

Korean Poems

author at a Korean temple 1980?

Korea travels

I first came to Korea in 1979

in the Peace Corps

Stayed in the rural countryside

in the town of Gapeyong

where I worked

in a rural health care center

Where I was one of four non-Koreans

Had to speak Korean to survive

Stayed on in a variety of jobs

Including diplomatic service

I last lived there in 1993.

Non-Korean food was hard to get

Outside of the GI ghettos

English speakers were few

And the country was not foreign-friendly

There were few foreign residents

Most American service members

Some missionary types

Diplomatic corps

A few English teachers

A few ex-pat business people

Most women quit after marriage

As it was a male-dominated society

In the rural countryside

No one knew a woman’s name

They were referred

to as so and so “mom”

Or so and so wife,

Or the generic aunt,

or grandmother

Public transit was just getting going

But traffic was not too bad

Few people could afford cars

Back then the old Korea was still there

And it was a very different place and time

Going through the transition

to the country, it has become

Today’s Korea is a very different place

The rural countryside is deserted

Wilderness areas are coming back

Even wildlife is coming back

In the mountain outback regions

50 percent of the public

Live in the Seoul metro area

Including Kyeongi province

And Incheon city where I reside.

Public transit is among the best

In the world.

Internet fast and cheap

Everywhere connected

Highways are decent but overcrowded

The KTX train is fast and convenient

The Incheon airport one of the best

The choices for food are much better

Used to be it was almost impossible

To find non-Korean food

Outside the GI ghetto towns.

Now it is everywhere

Even saw a Mexican restaurant

In a suburban Busan neighborhood.

In the end

Koreans should be proud

Of all that they have accomplished.

I remain optimistic

That someday the two Koreans

Will become one again

And that they will continue

To advance and grow

But the essence of Korea will remain

Waiting for Korean Springtime

The world peace forest

Stretches five miles

Through a delightful forest

Including a nice lotus pound

A winter watering hole for birds

And a small mountain

I welcome the advent of spring

The cherry trees snowing

The Tulips and roses blooming

After a cold sometimes hard winter

Especially during the COVID pandemic

Which kept so many people

Trapped indoors

As I walk the path

With the love of my life

By my side

Enjoying another springtime

Filled with love and affection

That is why I love Korean springtime.

19 lines

Pastoral free verse

Life in a Korean village

I am living in a Korean village as an exchange student.  One day my host family asks me to go to the local health center to tell them to change the father’s medicine, and give me a note, the old medicine, and instructions.  I am a little apprehensive, but they told me that was fine since the dragon who controlled the village had approved the request already.  I smiled I had met the dragon who seemed to like me which made things in the village go much better.  The daughter is cute.

First Trip to Korea

When I first went to Korea

Almost 45 years ago

It was a very alien place.

An overwhelming experience,

I entered a hot, humid, sauna.

The smells were intense

The food was spicy

filled with passionate heat.

chaotic

cacophonous

discordant sounds

filled the air.

the language sounded

like everyone was screaming.

Taxis honking, cars barking.

People screeching

Loudspeakers blaring

Sirens blasted the air.

Millions of strange people

Military police everywhere

With guns watching everyone.

I felt I was a stranger in a strange land

Everyone speaking

A weird language

I did not understand anything.

Over time I got used to it

The smells became normal

The food was now delicious.

The sounds are less chaotic

Less cacophonous

Less discordant

I even eventually learned

How to speak the weird language.

I fell in love with this strange place

Which became my second home

And now I live there half the time

And half the time in the United States

Neither here nor there

Am I here

But I remain a true stranger

In a still strange land.

For the rest of the posting see https://wp.me/p7NAzO-2sA

Buddha Prayer Stones

In Korea mountains

There is a custom

Of putting rocks

On top of other rocks

Building little towers

Of rocks

along the mountain path

An ancient shaman tradition

Taken over the Buddhist temples

The rocks piles were dedicated

To the Sanshin mountain spirits

And would grant wishes

To those who added

Rock to the cosmic tribute

Sanshin would honor

Those prayers and wishes

Korean Winter roses

Red, black and yellow

In a field of late snow

Early March

End of winter

Beneath the early blooming

cherry trees

their petals joining the snow

along the world peace forest.

Visit to Jade Garden

Visiting Jade Garden

Nar Chungcheong, South Korea

On a beautiful spring day

The cherry trees were in full flower

Pink and white petals

The scent of cherry trees in the air

Other trees just starting to bloom

Red, yellow and white tulips

Beginning to bloom

The sounds of spring all around

Birds singing

People walking about.

Talking to one another

As they wander the pathway

Taking in the springtime splendor.

The sun warming up

The pathway winding

.Through the Forrest.

Meeting the Girl of My Dreams in Korea

The Peace Corps changed my life
Not in the obvious ways
That it did

I learned a new language
A new culture
Met many different people
Did some constructive development work

And contributed to friendship
Between Koreans and the US

All the usual things that Peace Corps
Is supposed to accomplish

But the Peace Corps changed me
And I became the man I am now

Because of those two years
I spend in the countryside
Of South Korea

I went to graduate school
I became a diplomat

But most importantly
If I had not gone to the Korean peace corps program
I never would have met the girl of my dreams
The women I was fated to meet

I first met Angela in 1974
When I was in high school

And fell asleep in a class
And had the dream that haunted me
To this day

In the dream
I met a beautiful Asian women
Who was speaking to me
In a weird language

And then she disappeared
Like in Star Trek

And I fell on the floor

“Screaming
You are you?”

I continued to have these visions
Every month for seven years

I eventually learned

that she was in Korea
And so I joined the Peace Corps

to go to Korea
To find her

After I finished Peace Corps
I stuck around for another year

Thinking I would find her
But never did

Just when I was

due to return to the US
To go to Graduate school
I had the final dream

In this dream
She said in Korean

“Don’t worry

you will meet me soon.”

That night getting off the bus
In front of me
Was the girl in the dream

I looked at her
And I knew she was it

And she looked at me
And knew I was it

We met up for coffee
And we dated

I proposed to her

three days after I met her

And then we married
Two months later

Despite her family’s attempts
To keep us apart

And we have been

married 43 years
And I fall in love with her
Over and over again

And I still have the dream
When I am alone
Or when I am stressed out

I see her standing by the bed
Smiling at me

Saying
Everything will be alright
And it is

and so thinking back on my life
My life changed forever

When I left the US
To join the Peace Corps

Long Live the Peace Corps

this is a true story of the love of my life.  I met her in 1982 when I was teaching in Korea after having finished my Peace Corps service in 1981.  We got married two months after we met and have been married 33 years.  I still recall the dreams of how I would met her from time to time.

I always thought this would make a great love story movie., perhaps a K Drama?

Spring Time Sketch in Youngchando, Korea

In the early morning dawn
I like to go for a walk
Down among the cherry trees
And flowering plants

Just to welcome
Another fine spring day
As the sun comes up
Dispelling my dismal mood

And filling me
With love
Hope and peace
As I walk the in
the world peace forest

Through the forest
and over the mountain
breathing the springtime air
alive filled with life

and I think to myself
this moment
is the moment
that I am meant to experience

life itself
and nothing more
nothing less
Just breath in life

based on a photo of cherry trees along the world peace forest near my house in Youngchangdo, Korea, and based on the April 21 writers digest poetry prompt to write a poetic sketch © 3 years ago, john Cosmos Aller

Hiking In Korea

Korea is a land
filled with mountain paths
everywhere you go

there are paths
leading deep
into the mountains

one of my favorite paths
is the world peace forrest
which meanders around
my town

linking a lake, a lotus pound
and a nice mountain peak
and on the top
on a clear day

you can see North Korean
in the distance
and the Incheon airport
near by

Korean Pottery of Love

In Korea
there are many pottery kilns

ancient art form
in the land of the morning calm

I have a few pieces
I bought years ago

and enjoy looking
at my vase

filled with love
for my wife

Korean Springtime

Korean Springtime
I walk the path with my love
Still Under her spell

this is the 42 springtime

I have enjoyed with the love of my life by my side © a year ago, john Cosmos Aller

American Coffee Takes Over Korea

About 30 years ago,
American-style coffee chains
Discovered Korea.
After the 88 Olympics,
Koreans discovered the joy
Of real brewed coffee,
Hot, Sweet, Neat
The rest is history.

I love coffee and was so glad that you could finally get a decent coffee in Korea, prior to the Olympics coffee shops were called tabangs which were where men mostly would hang out drinking instant coffee or Korean tea, and flirting with the cute waitresses.
© a year ago, john Cosmos Aller

hot humid weather in Korea,

hot humid weather in Korea,
outside like walking in a sauna.

Most people don’t use air conditioning
due to both expenses,
fear of air conditioning disease
(Which is a real thing).

hanging out at a coffee shop or mall
discouraged as COVID continues to spread.
Only two people can dine out at night

over 2, 00 cases a day now
only 20 percent are fully vaccinated.

temperatures will hit 40 degrees (100 + f)
later this week
as the monsoon season ends
and the August heat begins.

Koreans are learning
new words to describe this

heat dome
tropical nights
Polar vortex
Monster typhoons
Killing floods
Killing heat waves
are now common.

used to be that July and August
were hot and humid
but rarely about 100 dF.
Now that is becoming the norm,
as global climate change
begins hitting Korea hard.

the winters are colder
but much shorter.
Late January to early February
Polar Vortex swept through

the summer is longer
starting in May
and lasting until mid-September.

Autumn is lasting
from Mid-September
to Mid-December.
Spring just late April to early June

So far no killer wildfires.
As the monsoon season
Came on time
Monson flooding
Just before the killer heatwaves

the prompt was to write about the local weather Korea is experiencing a heat dome highs in the 90’s (40 C) real feel close to 100 F, with tropical nights in the 80s F.  No relief in sight until late august, the second hottest summer in Korea so far but it will probably break the record heat

Korean Summer Haiku

Korean summers

hot, humid, tropical

24/7 Sauna

Walking Along the Winter Korean Beach

Walking along the winter
Korean beach,
With the love of my life
By my side,

She looks at me
With red hot love
Flames shooting
From her black eyes

Seoul 1979 and 2015

2013 Seoul 1979
April 7

When I arrived in Seoul
Back in the day in 1979

Seoul was a grim city
Big, polluted, overwhelming
Filled with Koreans
And nothing much to do

Other than eat Korean food
And drink Korean booze

Tourist sites were none existent
And foreigners were few and far between

The GI’s stayed in Itaewon
And there were few other foreigners around

And there were very few places in town
To eat non-Korean food

Just the fancy hotels
The base and Itaewon

But Seoul had it’s charms
It grew on me over the years

And gradually became less grim
Less forbidding
And less foreigner unfriendly

When I left Seoul in 1984 it was changing
Before my very eyes

And when I came back in 1988 it was different city
And those were the days
Of the Olympics and Seoul’s emergence
As a modern city

2014 Seoul 2015
April 8

Seoul is so different now days
Very little of the old Seoul remains

The Kangwha moon area downtown
Still exists as warren of alley ways

Between big buildings
Filled with restaurants and shops

But the old tabangs (tea shops)
With the tabang girls
Are long gone

The karaoke bars and girl bars
Are still there going strong

But coffee shops and fancier restaurants
Are everywhere

And foreigners are everywhere
Seoul is no longer a city just for Koreans
It has truly become a world city
Must to the dismay of the traditionalists

Parts of the old Seoul remain
and the mountains and parks
have become very popular indeed

there has been a resurgence in Korean Buddhism
and in traditional arts and crafts
and traditional foods as well

no where more than in Insa dong
the Mecca of traditional Korean culture
these days

and Itaweon has become
the heart of the expatriate part of Seoul
with people from around the world
gathered together

along with the young and hip
Koreans

And there is even a gay quarter now
unimaginable in the old days

Seoul has changed
For the most part for the better

But I still miss the Seoul of my past
And will mourn its passing
As I get older

Along with the city
That I have adopted
As my second home town

thoughts of life in Seoul in 1979 and 2015 © 7 years ago, john Cosmos Aller      

Melting away my heart
Driving out the cold
of the winter beach.

Korean beaches are romantic in the winter and I am living in a beach resort island near the Incheon airport, © 8 months ago, john Cosmos Aller

Love in Korean

When Sam Adams
first met her
The lady of his dreams

There was as the Koreans
Would say

Spark from heart to heart
이심촌심
isimchonsim

truly love at first sight
첫눈에 반하다
cheosnun-e banhada

they both knew
that it is just fate

운명
unyoung

that they had met
that date.

Two months later
They were married
It all happened
40 years ago

48 years after
She first came
To him in his dreams.

the prompt was to incorporate foreign words into a poem I chose Korean which is my best foreign language as I have been struggling to learn it for 43 years

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🗳️ Congressional Representative for Medford, Oregon

Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-2)

• District Office:

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Medford, OR 97501

Phone: (541) 776-4646

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Phone: (202) 225-6730

• Website

🏛️ U.S. Senators from Oregon

Sen. Jeff Merkley

• Medford Office:

10 South Bartlett Street, Suite 201

Medford, OR 97501

Phone: (541) 608-9102

• Washington, D.C. Office:

531 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3753

• Website

Sen. Ron Wyden

• Medford Office:

310 West 6th St., Room 118

Medford, OR 97501

Phone: (541) 858-5122

• Washington, D.C. Office:

221 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-5244

• Website

🌐 Director of the Peace Corps

Carol Spahn

• Peace Corps Headquarters:

1275 First Street NE

Washington, DC 20526

Phone: (855) 855-1961

• Director’s Bio
• Peace Corps Contact Page

Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-2)

• District Office:

14 N Central Ave., Suite 112

Medford, OR 97501

Phone: (541) 776-4646

• Washington, D.C. Office:

409 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: (202) 225-6730

• Website

🏛️ U.S. Senators from Oregon

Sen. Jeff Merkley

• Medford Office:

10 South Bartlett Street, Suite 201

Medford, OR 97501

Phone: (541) 608-9102

• Washington, D.C. Office:

531 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3753

• Website

Sen. Ron Wyden

• Medford Office:

310 West 6th St., Room 118

Medford, OR 97501

Phone: (541) 858-5122

• Washington, D.C. Office:

221 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-5244

• Website

🌐 Director of the Peace Corps

Carol Spahn

• Peace Corps Headquarters:

1275 First Street NE

Washington, DC 20526

Phone: (855) 855-1961

Dear  Cliff Bentz

Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-2)

• District Office:

14 N Central Ave., Suite 112

Medford, OR 97501

I am writing as a proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Gapyeong, South Korea from 1979 to 1981, working in a rural health center as a tuberculosis control worker. My time in the Peace Corps shaped not only my worldview but also the trajectory of my life. It led me to pursue a Master’s degree in Korean Studies and ultimately serve 27 years in the U.S. Foreign Service before retiring in 2016.

Today, I spend part of the year in South Korea, maintaining the personal and professional ties that were forged through public service and people-to-people diplomacy. I can attest firsthand to the long-lasting goodwill, cultural understanding, and strategic partnerships that Peace Corps volunteers generate. The Peace Corps is not simply a volunteer program—it is a cornerstone of American soft power and one of the most effective tools of diplomacy we’ve ever known.

I urge you, in the strongest terms, to oppose any efforts to dismantle, defund, or diminish the Peace Corps. As geopolitical tensions rise, especially in Asia, it is more crucial than ever to maintain programs that build bridges, not walls.

Please support robust funding for the Peace Corps, protect its independence, and preserve its legacy. The future of diplomacy begins in villages, classrooms, and clinics—not just embassies.

Sincerely,

Jake Aller

Peace Corps Korea K-49 Group

(1979–1981)
U.S. Foreign Service Officer (Ret.)

What a beautiful journey!: Celebrating the 50th … – Peace Corps

The Korean government has acknowledged these strong ties by hosting several reunions over the years. Last month, about 80 returned Volunteers and family members traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps arrival in the country. We were there to attend the opening of an exhibit on the Peace Corps at the …

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https://duckduckgo.com/?q=peace+corps+Korea&atb=v314-1&iax=images&ia=images

Peace Corps Announces Collaboration with the Republic of Korea on Volunteer …

Peace Corps opened its program in Korea in 1966, and more than 2,000 Peace Corps volunteers served there before operations closed in 1981. Since 2008, the Republic of Korea has recognized the service of Peace Corps/Korea volunteers by hosting return trips for many former volunteers so they can again visit the country. Peace Corps and KOICA …

https://www.peacecorps.gov › news › library › peace-corps-volunteers-honored-by-the-korea-society

Peace Corps Volunteers Honored by The Korea Society

Peace Corps/Korea brought over 2,000 Americans to serve in Korea’s classrooms, farms, and industry. From 1966-1981, the assistance provided by these Volunteers, at a critical period in Korean history, helped to cement U.S.Korea ties. Kevin O’Donnell, the first country director of Peace Corps/Korea, and fourth director of the Peace Corps will …

https://www.peacecorps.gov › countries

Countries – Peace Corps

Peace Corps Volunteers serve in over 60 countries. Find your place in the world. … South Korea 1966-1981 2,060 Volunteers Served Caribbean. The Dominican Republic. 1962-present 13 Volunteers …

https://www.peacecorps.gov › stories › korea-in-the-side-view-mirror-reflections-of-a-former-peace-corps-volunteer

Korea in the side-view mirror: Reflections of a former Volunteer

It was, as the Peace Corps ad says, “The toughest job you will ever love.” When I left Korea in the mid-70s I was certain I would never see it again. As the years passed, the recollections of my life in Korea crystallized into increasingly romanticized memories. They became nearer and dearer to me in my life’s side-view mirror.

https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org › companies › friends-of-Korea

National Peace Corps Association | Friends of Korea – NPCA

About Friends of Korea. Friends of Korea was founded in 2002 by former Peace Corps volunteers who served in the Republic of Korea between 1966 and 1981. Since Peace Corps ended its program in Korea in 1981, the challenge for Friends of Korea has been to find a mission. Over the past several years we have been engaged in a series of …

https://peacecorpsworldwide.org › memories-of-serving-as-last-peace-corps-Korea-director

Memories of serving as the last Peace Corps/Korea Director

Oct 21, 2020Oct 21 2020. 1. by James Mayer (Korea 1978-81) The Korea Times. Friends of Korea. Peace Corps volunteers and others hold a walk-a-thon to raise funds for heart surgery in 1981. / Courtesy of Nancy Kelly. No one likes to be last. But I had that distinction as the Peace Corps Korea country director, and I am forever grateful that it happened.

https://www.peacecorps.gov

Peace Corps – Connect With the Peace Corps

Connect With the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps. We are inspired by hands-on, grassroots-driven, and lasting impact. Learn more about our mission. In a changing world, building a better future together. New Opportunities Now Available. Dozens of new Volunteering openings are live on our site.

https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org › articles › peace-corps-volunteers-and-the-making-of-korean-studies-in-the-united-states

Some 2,000 Peace Corps Volunteers Served in Korea. They Have Also …

Peace Corps Volunteers and the Making of Korean Studies in the United States. Edited by Seung-Kyung Kim and Michael Robinson. Center for Korea Studies, University of Washington. Reviewed by Steven Boyd Saum . The Peace Corps sent more than 2,000 Volunteers to South Korea 1966-81, to teach English and advise on healthcare.

https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org › events › peace-corps-korea-all-group-volunteers-staff-and-friends-reunion-2018

National Peace Corps Association | Peace Corps Korea All-Group … – NPCA

Mention you’re with the Korea Peace Corps Reunion. Dan Strickland (K-18; danstrickland2001@yahoo.com) is our reunion point person and is available to answer questions or make suggestions. Let us know you’re coming by sending Dan an email with your name(s), your Korean name, K-group #, and check-in/out dates.

Here’s the latest on the future of the Peace Corps as of mid-2025, including perspectives from across the political spectrum and a list of countries where volunteers are currently serving.

🌍 Current Status of the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps is facing significant restructuring and budget cuts under the Trump administration. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recommended deep staff reductions—up to 80% at headquarters and 25% globally—which could shutter some country programs. While the agency insists it will remain operational, many volunteers and applicants are anxious about its viability.

🗞️ Left-Leaning Analysis

• The Hill: Reports that the cuts could “cripple” the Peace Corps and undermine decades of goodwill and soft diplomacy. Critics argue this is part of a broader dismantling of America’s international development efforts.
• Peace Corps Connect: The National Peace Corps Association warns that reduced staffing and federal hiring freezes threaten volunteer support and training. They’re urging Congress to restore funding and protect the agency’s mission.
• Peace Corps Worldwide: Advocates propose transforming the Peace Corps into an NGO or merging it with AmeriCorps to preserve its legacy and adapt to modern global challenges.

📰 Right-Leaning or Neutral Analysis

• EconoTimes: Highlights Trump’s plan to expand and modernize the Peace Corps with a $2 billion budget, focusing on strategic regions like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. The goal is to align volunteer efforts with U.S. foreign policy interests.
• Next Gen Business: Notes that while some see the cuts as fiscally responsible, others worry they will weaken U.S. influence abroad. The restructuring is framed as part of a broader government streamlining effort.
• The Independent: Covers the DOGE-led downsizing and staff buyouts, noting that some posts may close and that the agency’s soft power role is at risk.

📍 Countries Where Peace Corps Volunteers Are Currently Serving

According to the Peace Corps official site, volunteers are actively serving in over 60 countries. Here are some with open opportunities:

• Africa: Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Togo, Zambia
• Asia: Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Timor-Leste
• Europe: Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Ukraine
• Pacific Islands: Palau, Tonga, Vanuatu
• Latin America & Caribbean: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica

Some programs have been paused or closed recently, including those in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Kyrgyz Republic, and South Africa.

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Korean Peace Corps Memories

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THe End

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