November 04, 2013

Greg Caldwell named Honorary Consul of Korea

Greg Caldwell, former director of international students and scholars at Lewis & Clark, will represent Korea’s interest in northern Oregon.

The Consulate General for the Republic of Korea in Seattle has named a new honorary consul general.  

Greg Caldwell, former director of international students and scholars at Lewis & Clark, will represent Korea’s interest in northern Oregon, including Portland. Caldwell’s five-year term of appointment, which required approval from both Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State, begins immediately.

Caldwell, who retired from Lewis & Clark in 2011 after 35 years in international education, has extensive ties to Korea. He served there as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1970’s and later taught at Kangweon National University on a Fulbright scholarship. He serves on the board of the Portland/Ulsan Sister City Association and is an honorary member of the board of the Oregon Korea Foundation. Caldwell will maintain a “virtual” honorary consular office on the Lewis & Clark campus.

Caldwell will assist the estimated 35,000 Korean citizens living in Oregon. His primary responsibility is to strengthen ties between Northern Oregon and South Korea in the areas of business and commerce, trade, science, education and culture.

Caldwell will become part of the Oregon Consular Corps whose members represent governments of foreign nations in the State. Approximately 30 foreign nations maintain Consul Generals or an Honorary Consuls in Oregon.

He succeeds Dr. John Bates, former chairman of the board of trustees at Lewis & Clark, who served as honorary consul general for the past five years.