Korean golf icon Pak Se-ri honored with Van Fleet Award for U.S.-Korea relations

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Korean golf icon Pak Se-ri honored with Van Fleet Award for U.S.-Korea relations

Published: 02 Oct. 2024, 11:40

Former Korean golfer Pak Se-ri poses after receiving the Van Fleet Award from the Korea Society during a ceremony in New York on Tuesday. [BAZ INTERNATIONAL]

Korean golf icon Pak Se-ri has received the Van Fleet Award for her contributions to strengthening relations between her country and the United States.

Pak, a World Golf Hall of Famer and currently head of the Seri Pak Hope Foundation, was honored at the annual ceremony hosted by the Korea Society, a nonprofit U.S. body dedicated to promoting Korea-U.S. ties, in New York on Tuesday (local time).

Pak was the co-honoree this year alongside Yoon Yoon-soo, chairman of the board for FILA Holdings and Acushnet Holdings.

Named after Gen. James A. Van Fleet, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army at the height of the Korean War in 1951, the highly acclaimed award has annually been given to those who have made notable contributions to the bilateral relationship.

The list of Korean honorees includes former President Kim Dae-jung and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Pak is the first Korean woman to be honored.

Pak made her LPGA debut in 1998 and captured two major titles as a rookie, inspiring a new generation of Korean golfers that came to be collectively known as "Se-ri's Kids." Pak's rise to stardom is also credited with giving Korean people hope at a time when the country was mired in a financial crisis in the late 1990s.

In her post-playing career, Pak, also co-CEO of Baz International, has been hosting junior golf tournaments through her namesake foundation. Earlier this year, Pak became the first Korean to host an LPGA Tour event bearing her name.

"I'd like to believe that I've received this award because I have so much more to do in the future than what I have done so far," Pak said. "I will try to stay active in both the United States and in Korea to help the countries engage in cooperation beyond sports."

Yonhap