U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) today proudly announced that his nominee for the 2009 U.S. Congress-Korean National Assembly Youth Exchange Program, Westminster College student and Washington, Mo., resident Mike Butera has been selected as one of 10 interns nationwide to participate in the prestigious program.

Butera, who speaks three languages and will graduate from Westminster in 2011, will participate in the program created in 1981 to broaden perspectives of Korean and American young people on the legislative process; the history of U.S.-Korean relations; and current economic, political, and security aspects of the bilateral relationship. The exchange program, which will take place between July 12 and August 5, is also designed to acquaint both groups with first-hand experience of the host country’s people and culture, and to provide opportunities for participants to form personal contacts.

Butera, along with the nine other interns, will be joined in Washington, D.C., for a week of meetings and cultural exchange by ten Korean counterparts from the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly.  Afterwards the American delegation will depart to Seoul, Korea for a two-week professional visit while the Korean delegation will continue their journey throughout the United States. As part of their program in Washington, D.C., the American participants will host their Korean counterparts for a one-day internship in their sponsoring congressional office.

“I am extremely proud of Mike because he is an extremely intelligent and hard-working person who obviously deserves this prestigious internship,” Luetkemeyer said. “Mike has done himself proud and is a sterling example of the kind of talent we have in the 9^th District. I am sure he will excel in the exchange program.”