BUSAN, South Korea (Sept. 12, 2024) – After 48 eight years of dedicated service, Ms. Yi, Ok Yop retired from her role as Commander, Naval Forces Korea’s (CNFK) budget officer during a formal ceremony filled with family, friends, and admiring previous coworkers at the Navy Club at Busan Naval Base, Busan, South Korea Sept. 12.
“She was the budget officer, but her project description was essentially the regional comptroller for the Navy in all of Korea, and she was the first person to fill that position,” said Lt. Uri Georgi, deputy comptroller, who helped to organize the event. “This is a lot bigger than any of us pictured, when it comes to formalities, and that’s good; she deserves it. I’m hoping that she feels appreciated, because we really do appreciate her.”
Ms. Yi is one of many civilians who serve the U.S. military, helping to forge a deeper alliance between the U.S. and host countries.
“We have Korean national civilians that dedicated their entire lives to the U.S. Forces, and they make a huge difference in the Republic of Korea-U.S. alliance,” said Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, Commander, Naval Forces Korea. “Ms. Yi contributed 48 years to the U.S. government, and over 37 years to the U.S. Navy. I think that such time and dedication speaks volumes to how strong her commitment to our alliance is, and through that, civilians like her make us that much stronger.”
Ms. Yi started her career as a typing clerk at 4th Missile Command, Camp Page, Chun Chon in 1976. She worked her way up to secretary in 1979, and budget assistant in 1985, before she was responsible for financial management for the U.S. Navy in the entirety of the Korean area of operations in 2001. Her long and varied career is a testament to her service.
“I loved working with the U.S. military, that’s why I worked with them my whole life, and I’m proud of my service,” said Ms. Yi.
Commander, Naval Forces Korea (CNFK), located on Busan naval Base, is the U.S. Navy's representative in South Korea, providing leadership and expertise in naval matters to improve institutional and operational effectiveness between the two navies and to strengthen collective interoperability in Korea and the region.