U.S. ambassador Alexander Vershbow, whom you’ll recall the North Koreans designated “the most bitchy and malignant ambassador in history,” might not be able use his preferred Korean spelling of his name, but who needs to Hangeulize “Vershbow” when you’ve got a perfectly good Korean name to call your own? The Korea-U.S. Alliance Friendship Society, fresh off giving departing 8th Army commander Lieutenant General Charles C. Campbell a Korean name, bestowed upon Our Man in Seoul the name “Park Bo-woo,” the Chinese characters of which mean “treasure” and “friend.” Said the chairman of the group:
“Just like a true friend, we need to keep the precious Korea-U.S. alliance forever,” Su said in a congratulatory speech. “That’s why I gave the ambassador this name.”
I’m not sure if the gesture will be enough to save the alliance, but it at least the name will be a whole lot easier for protesters to pronounce next time they ambush the ambassador.
