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Culture, Policy & Society

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.



Korean Homecomings: The Poetry of Origin

ImageBook Café

with

Lee Herrick
Poet, This Many Miles from Desire

Jennifer Kwon Dobbs
Poet, Paper Pavilion

Kim Sunée
Author, Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Please join poets Lee Herrick, Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, and author Kim Sunée for a fascinating conversation about Korean adoptee literature and the link between writing and the quest for identity/origin. Herrick and Sunée recently returned from South Korea, where they were conducting a birth-family search. They will share stories from their journey and read from their works with Jennifer Kwon Dobbs.

Supporting Organization Aslo-Known-As  

About the Presenters

Read more...  [Korean Homecomings: The Poetry of Origin]
 
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses UN Global Initiatives

Imageand Contributions from North East Asia

with

H.E. Ban-Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations

Hosted by:

Evans Revere
President, The Korea Society

Richard Wood
President, Japan Society

Thursday, June 26, 2008

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Japan Society and the 50th anniversary of The Korea Society, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will address a joint membership audience. The topics will include the important role Japan and the Republic of Korea can play in fighting climate change, building a more secure world, reaching the Millennium Development Goals and reinvigorating the United Nations itself.

 
Lee Myung-bak's First 100 Days in Office: The Roots of a Summer of Discontent?

Imagewith

Charles K. Armstrong
Director, Center for Korean Research, Columbia University

Scott Snyder
Senior Associate, The Asia Foundation/Pacific Forum CSIS

Youngshik Daniel Bong
Assistant Professor, American University

David Straub
Pantech Fellow, Shorenstein APARC, Stanford University

Scott Snyder
Senior Associate, The Asia Foundation/Pacific Forum CSIS

Monday, June 23, 2008

The largest demonstrations in decades and political turmoil have beset South Korea since President Lee Myung-bak took office just a few months ago. Lee assumed the presidency riding a wave of voter support and with the promise that he would revitalize both the South Korean economy and the U.S.-ROK relationship. The take-charge approach that was the hallmark of his successful tenure as mayor of Seoul and his strong background in business were touted as harbingers of a new era in Korean presidential leadership. Lee also promised to take a fresh approach to dealing with North Korea, holding out the prospect of closer ties while also placing new demands on Pyongyang. Despite the promise of his new presidency, Lee’s approval rating has plummeted dramatically since his inauguration. Lee’s management of the reopening of Korea’s market to U.S. beef has become a lightning rod for opposition to his presidency. But the current discontent in South Korea appears to be about much more than beef imports.

What is the crisis really all about? What are its implications for political stability in the ROK? Is anti-Americanism behind the outburst of Korean popular animosity? What does the current crisis portend for the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement? What does it mean for U.S.-Korea relations? A distinguished panel of experts featuring Charles K. Armstrong, Scott Snyder, David Straub and Youngshik Daniel Bong will convene at The Korea Society to address these questions, and more, as we assess the first months of Lee Myung-bak’s presidency and take a hard look at what has been a remarkable period in Korea’s domestic politics.

About the Speakers

Read more...  [Lee Myung-bak's First 100 Days in Office: The Roots of a Summer of Discontent?]
 
Why Dialogue, Negotiations and Engagement with North Korea Can Be Worth the Effort
zellweger_katharina.jpgwith

Katharina Zellweger
DPRK Country Director, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

While diplomats engage in the protracted back and forth of the Six-Party Talks, Katharina Zellweger has successfully negotiated the terms of cooperative aid and development projects with the DPRK. First as a member of Caritas Hong Kong, and now as country director for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Pyongyang, Zellweger has over 30 years of experience in humanitarian work and over 12 years of experience in the DPRK. In her talk, Zellweger will detail the strategies for successful negotiations with the DPRK that allow SDC to carry on their work in North Korea.

About the Speaker
Read more...  [Why Dialogue, Negotiations and Engagement with North Korea Can Be Worth the Effort]
 


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Visiting Hours
Mondays - Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Korea Society
950 Third Ave, 8th Flr,
New York, NY 10022
(212) 759-7525
Fax: (212) 759-7530
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. (more...)