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Press Release

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

OPIC Presents Partnership Award to Dr. Hong Beom Rhee for Supporting Outreach to U.S. Businesses in Asia & Pacific Region

LOS ANGELES, California – Dr. Hong Beom Rhee, a leader in the Asian-American community in California, was presented with the OPIC Partnership Award today for supporting OPIC outreach to U.S. businesses in the Asia and Pacific region.

The OPIC Partnership Award recognizes organizations for cooperating with OPIC to encourage American investment in emerging markets, by disseminating information about OPIC products and services to their constituencies. Dr. Rhee was presented with the award at a forum hosted by the Global Campaign for Freedom.

“Dr. Hong Beom Rhee has been a leading voice of outreach to American businesses looking to expand into Asian and Pacific region markets, recognizing the great economic potential that exists in Asian-American cooperation,” said OPIC Acting Vice President of External Affairs Dr. Lawrence Spinelli. “In that process, Dr. Rhee has been invaluable in informing both U.S. and Asian businesses about OPIC products and how they can enable American companies to expand into those markets. We deeply appreciate his support.”

In particular, Dr. Rhee hosted an OPIC outreach forum in Los Angeles in April, 2009, and accompanied OPIC on a trade and investment mission to South Korea in November 2009.

Dr. Rhee is president of the Global Campaign for Freedom (GCF), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit corporation which promotes Asian-American economic, technological and educational cooperation in order to expand freedom and democracy. GCF works actively to encourage American investment in emerging markets overseas, in part by distributing information about OPIC products and services to its members.

Dr. Rhee has also served as President of Huntington Career College in Los Angeles since 1991. He earned a Ph.D. in history, as well as a Masters degree in international relations, from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Asian Millenarianism in the Global Context (New York: Cambria Press, 2007), an exploration of Asian spiritual, philosophical, political ideals and activities in a global context.

Dr. Rhee has been recognized by the City of Los Angeles for his community service, and in 2005 received special recognition from the United States Congress for promoting peace and freedom.
 
 


OPIC is the U.S. Government’s development finance institution.  It mobilizes private capital to help solve critical development challenges and in doing so, advances U.S. foreign policy.  Because OPIC works with the U.S. private sector, it helps U.S. businesses gain footholds in emerging markets catalyzing revenues, jobs and growth opportunities both at home and abroad.  OPIC achieves its mission by providing investors with financing, guarantees, political risk insurance, and support for private equity investment funds.

 

Established as an agency of the U.S. Government in 1971, OPIC operates on a self-sustaining basis at no net cost to American taxpayers. OPIC services are available for new and expanding business enterprises in more than 150 countries worldwide. To date, OPIC has supported nearly $200 billion of investment in over 4,000 projects, generated $74 billion in U.S. exports and supported more than 275,000 American jobs.