The Korea Society - Policy

The Culture, Policy and Society programming promotes cross-cultural understanding through public lectures, panel discussions, symposia and workshops that present the rich diversity of Korea and U.S.-Korea relations in historical and contemporary contexts. These programs feature authors, scholars, artists, practitioners from the nonprofit sector, politicians, business leaders and others who are willing to share with the American public their unique expertise on Korea and U.S.-Korea relations.

The focus of this project area is an in-depth exploration of the social, cultural, economic, political, historical and security dimensions of the U.S.-Korea relationship. The objective is to foster a greater awareness, appreciation and understanding of the complexity of these underlying factors, which fuels the power of imagination that is the indispensable wellspring of the capacity for empathy. While divergences of perspectives between Americans and Koreans on many fundamental issues may be inevitable, it is equally inevitable that these divergences must be brought within the realm of imagination to be channeled toward productive engagement based on mutual respect.

New Models for the U.S.-ROK Partnership in the Obama Administration

Korean Leaders' Forum

with

Song Young-Gil

Member of the ROK National Assembly

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The inauguration of President Barack Obama provides an opportunity for the United States and South Korea to develop new solutions for problems that threaten them both, ranging from their flagging auto industries to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. ROK National Assembly member Song Young-Gil will suggest ways in which the two global partners can cooperate both to create more competitive automotive companies and to transform the allied presence in Afghanistan into a successful peacekeeping operation that could include North Korean participation. Drawing on the experiences of South Korea and Taiwan, Song will also offer suggestions for reforming the U.S. healthcare system.

About the Speaker

The U.S. Role in a New Vision for Peace in Northeast Asia:

"Fourth Wave" on the Korean Peninsula

Korean Leaders' Forum

with

Chung Dong-young
Former Minister of Unification of South Korea
2007 Democratic Presidential Candidate of South Korea
Visiting Scholar of Public Policy, Duke University

Thursday, December 11, 2008

South Korea's former minister of unification Chung Dong-young argues that the urgent task in Northeast Asia is to overcome on-going Cold War tensions and to work towards the reunification of the two Koreas. Chung believes that the new U.S. administration will play a decisive role in eliminating nuclear weapons programs on the Korean peninsula and ushering in a "Fourth Wave" of cooperation in the region. In this new phase, the current state of antagonism between the North and the South would be progressively transformed into a partnership for regional peace that would contribute to the improvement of U.S.-Northeast Asia relations.

About the Speaker

Between Depth and Resonance: Melodies of the Kayagum

Performance with Commentary

by

Moon Jae-Sook
Human Cultural Asset

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A master at the pinnacle of her art, Human Cultural Asset Moon Jae Sook, will open a window into traditional Korean music with a performance of works for the kayagŭm that demonstrate the beauty of a time-honored musical form and practice. The kayagŭm, a zither-like instrument with 12 strings, is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument. Join us for this special evening with one of Korea's great masters of this unique instrument and its repertoire.

Co-sponsored by the Donghwa Cultural Foundation
49 Honeck Street, Englewood, NJ 07631

About the Presenter

Crossing the Line

Screening and Discussion

with

Nicholas Bonner
Producer, Crossing the Line

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

In the 1960s, four U.S. soldiers serving in the Korean Demilitarized Zone crossed the most heavily fortified border on earth and defected to Communist North Korea. Trapped in the most secretive country on earth, their life was hidden from the outside world for 40 years. Not even the U.S. government knew their fate. James Joseph Dresnok, one of these four American defectors, is the only one who remains in North Korea today.

The Korea Society has organized an eight-campus screening tour of Crossing the Line, a new documentary film that tells his story, from October 27 through November 12, 2008. The program includes a post-screening discussion led by the documentary's co-producer Nicholas Bonner who will talk about Dresnok, North Korea and the experience of filming a documentary in one of the least media-friendly environments in the world. The filmmakers of Crossing the Line were allowed unprecedented access by the North Korean authorities to the subject of their documentary. They were permitted not only to interview Dresnok extensively but also to follow him through his daily life in Pyongyang. Their film, narrated by actor Christian Slater, presents a story that the New York Daily News has called “fascinating” and “unforgettable.”

Join The Korea Society on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 for a screening of this unique documentary, followed by a conversation with co-producer Nicholas Bonner, or check the schedule below for a screening near you.

About the Speaker