Popular Midlands-area School Resource Officer attends international police conference in Seoul
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
I love Korean people: Korean-Americans or Korean nationals, it doesn’t matter. I love and respect them for their deep, rich history and culture (food and art included), and for the very nature of who they are. Korean people are a unique mix of humility, resiliency, toughness, and a universal kindness that is to me unmatched by any other group of people.
I KNOW: I spent quite a bit of time in the Republic of Korea (ROK) many years ago training with the ROK Marines and my own U.S. Marines in-and-around the Marine Corps Expeditionary Camp Muchuk near the port city of Pohang. That and there are the many friends, neighbors, and acquaintances I’ve come to know within the Korean-American communities here in South Carolina since. But enough about me.
Still, I thought about all of the above as I considered Master Deputy Rachel Kim Hodge, a School Resource Officer (SRO) with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department who serves at Ballentine Elementary School. Hodge is herself unique: A former U.S. Army officer, a wife, a mom, an artist, an arts instructor, a summer camp leader, a friend to all, a literal giver-of-herself and her time (in an increasing world of takers) and one of the top competitive rifle and pistol shooters in the Palmetto State, quite possibly the nation.
Even my 91-year-old Mom remarked [after Hodge painted flags for both my late stepfather and me]: “Is there anything this young woman, Rachel, can’t do?”
Recently, Hodge traveled to South Korea – on the invitation of the ROK government – where she attended an international conference at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) in Seoul. There at the KNPA, Rachel met with KNPA officials and law enforcement officers from around the world including INTERPOL which has its Korean headquarters located at the Academy. The conference, held in November 2025, lasted for one week and included lectures and workshops, opportunities to interact with other agencies and to learn the finer points of ROK police traffic and security systems: The conference also included in-depth discussions and information-sharing as regards regional and global human trafficking and drug enforcement.
How did the opportunity come about for Master Deputy Hodge? The Atlanta, GA-based South Korean Consulate General’s office sought her out. They reached out to Hodge, invited her to attend, and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott approved the trip.
The first-ever law enforcement officer from South Carolina to attend the annual conference, Hodge was also one of only four female law-enforcement officers invited to attend: Only two females attended from the United States and two from Canada. Law enforcement officers from the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Australia also attended. In addition to S.C., law enforcement officers representing the U.S. included attendees from New York, California, and Washington, D.C.
All food, travel, and accommodations were paid for by the South Korean government.
“It was truly an amazing and enlightening experience for me and others,” said Hodge. “And intelligence gleaned, and lessons learned will be put to good use here at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.”
Hodge added: “I really appreciate the leadership and willingness of Sheriff Lott to allow me this opportunity.”
A native of Seoul and fluent in both English and Korean languages (she’s listed on the RCSD on-call bilingual team), Hodge has been with RCSD since 2018.
– W. Thomas Smith Jr., a special deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, is a formerly deployed U.S. Marine infantry leader, a war correspondent, and a former SWAT team officer in the nuclear industry. He is a S.C. Military Hall of Fame inductee: Class of 2025.
