Rotary Foundation Chair Jennifer Jones visits South Korea

Jennifer Jones, chair of The Rotary Foundation, is on an official visit to South Korea from Monday through Sunday — a six-night, seven-day trip. Jones made history as the first female chair in Rotary International's 117-year history and currently oversees the organization's global humanitarian fund.

The visit aims to advance global fundraising for The Rotary Foundation, which leads international efforts to support marginalized communities, eradicate disease and build peace. Jones also plans to express gratitude to South Korea's major donors and personally inspect key global grant project sites across the country.

Rotary International is a global civilian humanitarian service organization with more than 1.2 million members worldwide. It seeks to provide long-term, practical solutions to the most persistent challenges facing humanity.

During her visit, Jones is touring major cities and regions — Seoul, Hwaseong, Suwon, Gwangju, Jeju and Incheon — with a schedule that includes meetings with global corporate CEOs and current and former senior government officials, a recognition dinner for Arch Klumph Society (AKS) members — donors of $250,000 or more — and major contributors from Rotary International Districts 3640 and 3650, keynote addresses at Rotary Foundation seminars in Region 13 (Suwon SINTEX) and Region 12 (Gwangju GIST), and on-site inspections of global grant service projects in Anyang and Gwangju.

Jones spoke highly of South Korea's achievements and standing within the global Rotary community. Among more than 200 countries, Rotary Korea consistently ranks among the top three contributors to the foundation, trailing only the United States and a handful of others. Beyond financial support, South Korea has demonstrated pivotal leadership in delivering practical solutions to conflict-affected regions and countries with weak health and education infrastructure worldwide.

"The spirit of 'Service Above Self' and the culture of dedicated giving that Korean Rotarians embody are a powerful source of inspiration for our 1.4 million members worldwide," Jones said. "Rotary Korea, with its innovation and drive, is our most trusted core partner in tackling the great challenges facing humanity — from climate change and polio eradication to improving literacy." She also urged South Korea to lead the way in setting global standards for connecting with younger generations and building sustainable service models grounded in digital communication.

Jones will conclude her official schedule with a dinner for key AKS members in Incheon on Saturday before departing for the United States on Sunday morning.