Evening star., 1960-09-23
Deaf Korean
Al GaIIaudet
ToAid Others
By JOHN ROSSON
star stan Writer

star Stan Writer
Kyong Koun Chough, a senior
at Gallaudet College-the Ma
tion's only college for the deaf
has had many disappoint-
ments in his 20 years, but rank
ing near the top is the time he.
missed seeing Marilyn Monroe.
Kyong, a Korean, has been
deaf since he had spinal menin-
gifts at the age Of 8. He lived
through World War II under
the thumb of the Japanese,
survived the subsequent on
slaught of North Korean
Communists and finally was
befriended by a group of Amer
ican GIS stationed near Seoul.
"One day." he recalls in sign
language. I'VE discovered that
Marilyn Monroe had arrived at
a nearby theater to pay the
troops a visit. We dressed as
fast as we could, but by the
time we got to the theater 1t
was so packed with Servicemen
we couldn't even see."
A Top Student
But Kyong-he & now called
Steve-is typical of young Ko-
reans whose lives were changed
by the wars, and disappoint-
ments were an everyday occur
renee. Like some of the others,
however, Steve Is finding a new
life through an American Adu-
cation, and the answer for him
has been Gallaudet.
Steve has developed into one
Of Gallaudet's top students.
And when I finish," he said,
I'm going back to Korea to
help my people"
His people will know he is
back, Gallaudet officials pre-
dict. Steve will do great things
in fact he's already done
some," one Of them said.
Most Of what Steve can re-
call from his early years con-
Germs the japanese. He and
his family Jared well, and he
was put through school. But
with the outbreak Of the Ko-
rean war the schools were
closed and the family fed
south, away from their Com
munist countrymen.
Joins U. S. Army
Determined to fight commu-
niSm, Steve and four friends,
also deaf. became agents Of the
Republic Of Korea'S counter
intelligence corps. Soon, how
ever, the Communists took
Seoul, and Steve Joined an en-
gineer combat battalion of the
American Army.
Because he had studied Eng
lish, Steve later was accepted
as an interpreter for the CIC
Of the American Army, the only
deaf person to hold such a job. |
It was during this period
that his American friends told
him about Gallaudet. !
When the war ended, he
began saving his money to
come to the United States, and |
in particular to Gallaudet. The |
mother Of one of his Army
buddies served as his sponsor,
and he made the trip on a
cargo ship.
Today, almost four years
later, Steve is president of his
class and a member of the
Alpha Sigma Pi Fraternity. A
science project during his pre-
paratory year won him the
Kappa Gamma Fraternity Sci
ence Award. On several occa-
sions he has acted as a demon
strator in modern dance classes.
He also has served as manager
Of some Of Gallaudet's sports
teams.
Wants DOctOrate
II hear from my family
often," Steve says. II can hard
ly wait to get back home"
But the determined Korean
has set himself another goal
before he leaves the United
States. Majoring in sociology,
he plans-when he finishes at
Gallaudet next June-to earn
his doctorate at another COL
lege, one where the students
can hear.
I won't be able to hear the
lectures" he explains, but
hope to make arrangements
with some Of my classmates to
let me read their lecture notes."
Once he is back in Korea,
Steve hopes to work extensive
ly with the deaf, probably as
staff member of the Korean
Association for the Deaf. He
also wants to start a standard
lied national sign language and
to lobby for enactment of a
compulsory education statute
for Korea's deaf children.