This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of The Korea Society in 1957, under the leadership of General James A. Van Fleet. As the commander of the U.S. Eighth Army during the final phase of the Korean War, Van Fleet had developed a strong admiration for the history and culture of Korea as well as a deep respect for the Korean people. Realizing how little known and poorly understood Korea was among Americans, Van Fleet welcomed the opportunity to help bridge the chasm of ignorance between Korea and the United States by serving as the first president of The Korea Society.

A survey of the gradual development of U.S.-Korea relations over the last half century would suggest that The Korea Society might be likened to a palimpsest upon which the history of these relations has been recorded. For the most recent decade, from 1997 to the present, the story of these relations emerges in bold strokes that reflect its vital and unique features and serve as a harbinger of a bright future. The Pyongyang Summit in 2000 was the pivotal event of this decade, and the transformational process it set in motion is creating a new foundation for U.S.-Korea relations, just as it already has provided a new focus for the efforts of The Korea Society.

The story of the previous decade, 1987 to 1997, also emerges clearly from just under the surface. This decade began with the triumph of the pro-democracy movement in Korea, signaled by the dramatic acceptance of the demand for democratic reforms by President Noh Tae Woo. The stunning successes of this decade also left strong traces in the activities of The Korea Society as it began a process of renewal and expansion in response to the changed perception of Korea in the United States due to the spectacular execution of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. For The Korea Society, the highpoint was the reorganization carried out in 1993 following the appointment of Ambassador Donald P. Gregg as president and chairman.

The story of the third decade, from 1977 to 1987, is more obscure as very few Americans were paying attention to developments in Korea and The Korea Society also went through a period of ups and downs. Still, this decade marked the beginning of Korean immigration to the U.S. on a large-scale, and the Korean American community gradually became an important stakeholder in the development of The Korea Society.

The second decade, from 1967 to 1977, also left only faint traces due to the dispiriting struggle underway in Korea between an oppressive military regime and an emergent civil society. The hallmark of this period was the chilling affect Yushin had on U.S.-Korea relations. On the other hand, the economic ties between the two countries were enhanced significantly during this decade, and The Korea Society came to play an increasingly significant role as a liaison between Korean and American business leaders.

Not surprisingly, only the barest of traces remain from the first decade of The Korea Society's existence. From 1957 to 1967, Korea was still struggling to recover from the devastation of war and the tragedy of national division. While one of the reasons for the establishment of The Korea Society was to contribute to the reconstruction efforts in Korea, there is no evidence to suggest major contributions were made to these efforts. All the same, it is very striking that a group of very prominent Americans conceived the idea of establishing the first nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the promotion of friendly relations between the people of the United States and Korea "through mutual understanding and appreciation of their respective cultures, aims, ideals, arts, sciences and industries." Improbable as it must have seemed to most Americans at the time, the future of U.S.-Korea relations fully warranted the establishment of this ambitious goal that remains a perfect expression of the mission of The Korea Society today.

The morning session was chaired by Dr. Chungin Moon who is the ambassador for international security and a professor at Yonsei University. The session was open to the public. It got underway with two keynote presentations: The South Korean-United States Alliance: Vagaries of a Future Relationship-A Personal View by David I. Steinberg of Georgetown University; and Vision and Tasks for the Future of the ROK-U.S. Alliance: A Korean View by Sung-han Kim of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. These presentations were followed by a panel discussion between American and Korean experts.

The discussion was continued during an afternoon session that was closed to the public. Other leading experts on ROK-U.S. relations joined with the panelists from the morning session to explore in depth issues such as the DPRK's nuclear weapons program, wartime operational control of ROK armed forces and security in Northeast Asia. The participants offered a number of policy recommendations, including principally a recommendation that a blue-ribbon panel should be established to study in depth the issues confronting the U.S.-ROK relationship. There was a follow up discussion of this recommendation during a subsequent meeting of the members of a blue ribbon panel steering committee.

A summary of the discussion during the conference and the recommendation to establish a blue ribbon panel can be found in the rapporteur's report prepared by Dr. Leon Sigal of the Social Science Research Council.

The Korea Society's 50th anniversary commemoration continued on February 3, 2007 with a gala dinner held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul. The dinner drew approximately 600 guests, including the current U.S. ambassador as well as four of his immediate predecessors, the prime minister, the foreign minister, the unification minister and a couple of other current cabinet-level officials, several prominent members of the ROK National Assembly, many former cabinet-level officials (including PM Kang Young Hoon), former legislators and other public figures. And, of course, the academic and corporate sectors also were well represented by prominent figures past and present.

The 50th anniversary commemoration was chaired by Lee Hee-Beom, chairman and CEO of the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea-U.S. Economic Council. Stanley C. Gale, chairman of Gale International, who served as the chair of the gala dinner committee. Opening remarks were delivered by the co-hosts of the gala dinner, Donald P. Gregg, chairman of The Korea Society, and Alexander Vershbow, the current U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Song Min-soon introduced Prime Minister Han Myeong Sook who delivered a congratulatory message.

Gala Dinner Program