Join us for a rapid reaction analysis of South Korea’s 2025 Presidential election. This snap election was triggered by the impeachment of South Korea’s 13th democratically elected president, Yoon Suk-yeol, after he declared martial law last December. This conversation unpacks the issues, the candidates, the voters, and the results, seeking to understand the domestic political undercurrents and consequences of a 60 day race occurring at a pivotal moment for Korea and U.S.-Korea relations. It features Dr. Aram Hur, the Kim Koo Chair in Korean Studies and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, and Timothy W. Martin, the Korea bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal in Seoul, in conversation with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado and policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre.
The Korea Society thanks our corporate sponsors and individual members and the Korea Foundation for their generous support, which has made this program possible.
Unpacking South Korea’s Snap Presidential Election
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 | 8 AM (EDT)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
About the Speakers:
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Aram Hur is the Kim Koo Chair in Korean Studies and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. Her research focuses on nationalism and democracy, with special attention to issues of identity, integration, and democratic support in East Asia. Professor Hur is the author of Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia (Cornell University Press, 2022), which won the 2023 Robert A. Dahl Award for best book on democracy by an untenured scholar from the American Political Science Association. Her research appears in leading disciplinary journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Politics, and Comparative Political Studies and is widely cited in domestic and international media. She was selected as the 2021 Sherman Emerging Scholar by The Korea Society, a 2018-19 CSIS US-Korea NextGen Scholar, and is the recipient of the 2023 Gold Chalk Award for Teaching from the University of Missouri. She holds a Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University, an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a B.A. with honors from Stanford University. |
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Timothy W. Martin is the Korea bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal in Seoul, overseeing the Journal’s coverage of North and South Korea.He previously wrote about Samsung from Seoul, but in prior stints at the Journal’s New York, Atlanta and Chicago offices, he covered Wall Street’s biggest buyers, painkiller addiction, airlines and food. |
Join us for The Korea Society’s Spring 2025 Happy Hour!
This event will take place at The Korea Society (350 Madison Ave, Fl 24, New York, NY 10017) on Thursday, May 1st at 6:00 PM. Connect with fellow members, along with organization partners and friends, over drinks on our beautiful outdoor terrace!
Event attendees will receive 2 free drink tickets. Our event is fully sponsored by Asian and Korean-owned small businesses (see our full list of supporters below).
This event is open to members-only, with the option for members to purchase tickets for additional guests ($20 per ticket). Please submit the form below to register for the event.
Become a member or renew your membership today to join our community and stay up-to-date with our organization’s activities. Membership begins at the Individual Level ($50/year).
For members who wish to purchase tickets for additional guests, please click the box below.
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
The Korea Society would like to thank everyone for their support for the inaugural “Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition.” The competition is a part of the Society’s corporate series, Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (hereinafter Startup Scene), proudly supported by Hanwha Life exclusively. Startup Scene is dedicated to empower the startup entrepreneurial community that encompasses the US and South Korean economic landscape.
The Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition is designed to encourage innovative thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit among Korean-American and Korean students enrolled in colleges across the United States. This year, the participants were challenged to pitch their startup that addresses expanding education access, or improving disaster relief efforts.
We are excited to announce the winners of the “Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition”:
1st Place: Glowthy (School of Visual Arts)
2nd Place: Square One (Northwestern University)
3rd Place: Comitia (Yale University)
The finalists had the opportunity to share their startup ideas at the 2025 Startup Scene Annual Forum. For more information on the 2025 Startup Scene Annual Forum, please visit the Annual Forum webpage here.
Application Period: Monday, February 17 to Sunday, March 16, 2025 (11:59 PM EDT)
Final 3 teams announcement: Monday, March 24, 2025
Final pitch and Award Ceremony: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
For any questions, please contact us at corporate@koreasociety.org.
[How to Apply]
Please send your startup idea as a short pitch video (max. 3 minutes) and a written summary (max. 2 pages) to corporate@koreasociety.org.
Your pitch should include the followings:
Pitch Video:
• A brief description of your startup ideas in the most creative way possible
• What problem you are solving, for whom, and the solution addressed
• Any innovative solutions that your business idea applies to enhance education access and disaster relief solutions.
* The video pitch will be reviewed strictly by judges internally. Top three finalists are invited to submit their video pitch to upload on the Annual Forum mobile platform for voting by participants of the annual forum.
Executive Summary (850 words)
• A brief overview of your startup ideas
• Problem Statement: What problems are you trying to solve
• Market analysis: Identify your target customers, estimation of market size, and marketing strategy
• Revenue Model: Outline how you plan to make money.
• Unique advantage: How is your idea/solution innovative?
[Eligibility]
• Students from all U.S. schools are eligible to apply.
• Individual or team applications (max.3 students per team) will be accepted.
• In alignment with Startup Scene’s mission, each team must include at least one team member of Korean heritage.
• Only currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students taking classes in U.S. schools during the 2024-25 academic school year (August 2024 – May 2025) are eligible to apply.
• We will only accept applications from student email addresses. No personal email addresses will be accepted.
• Teams do not have to comprise students from the same school; students from different schools may be included in one team.
[Prizes]
1st place: $1000
2nd place: $800
3rd place: $500
Top 3 teams will also receive a travel stipend to attend the Startup Scene Annual Forum in NYC on April 22, 2025, titled as “Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy” at Citi Headquarters. This year’s theme of the Annual Forum is Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy.
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Venue: Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013
[Terms of Participation]
Please note the following terms of participation:
• The idea cannot already have been pursued by another company.
• The idea must be developed independently by the participants and must not infringe the rights of third parties.
• Team name and short description may be published on the website and social media of The Korea Society.
• The competitors must be ready to attend the Startup Scene Annual Forum on April 22nd for their final pitch.
• There is no fee for application or competition.
• The decision of the jury is final, any legal action is precluded.
• The submitted summary and video pitch of any application will be reviewed by the staff and judges preselected by The Korea Society. Finalists must participate in the Startup Scene Annual Forum, where activities and presentations are open to the pre-registered attendees of the forum.
The Korea Society cannot assume any responsibilities or provide any guarantees with respect to confidentiality of contestant team proprietary information. While the judges will be expected to use discretion with respect to proprietary information, they cannot guarantee non-disclosure. All participants must acknowledge the public nature of the competition and assume all risks associated with any disclosure during the competition.
This program is supported by Hanwha Life
Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow
2025 Student Ideation Competition
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue
24th Floor New York, NY 10017
The Korea Society is excited to announce the return of Startup Scene’s keystone annual forum for 2025: “Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy”, supported exclusively by Hanwha Life.
Please join our keynote conversation with Dr. Songyee Yoon, Founder and Managing Partner of Principal Venture Partners, a venture capital firm investing in AI-native companies. A visionary leader who scaled NCSOFT into a global gaming powerhouse, Songyee is keenly interested in the future of AI and emerging technology and their venture points with human life. Songyee takes several leadership roles including being a member of the MIT Corporation and a member of the board of trustees for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Hewlett Packard, Inc.
This year’s forum will celebrate pioneering entrepreneurs who energize the business landscape with their innovative approaches, alongside accelerators and investors who empower their progress.
This program is supported by Hanwha Life
Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow
2025 Annual Forum
“Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy”
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
IN-PERSON
Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013
Registration starts at 11:30 am with networking lunch.
Opening Session
Michael Burke, COO, International Franchise Management, Citi
Thomas Byrne, CEO and President of The Korea Society
Dr. Jinwoo Hwang, Senior Executive VP, Hanwha Life Insurance
A Fireside Keynote
Dr. Songyee Yoon, Managing Partner, Principal Venture Partners
Moderated by Sandor Hau, Managing Director and President, Charlesbank Credit.
Session 1 – Korean Startups on the Global Stage: Insights from the Investors
Murat Aktihanoglu, Managing Partner, ERA
Richard Diamond, Managing Director, Global Head of FinTech and Information Services, Citi Bank
MyeongSeon Kim, Head of NYC office, Korea Venture Investor Corporation
David Lee, Head of NBA Investments and Senior Vice President, National Basketball Association (NBA)
Session 2– Synergy in Innovation: Corporates and Startup in Collaboration
Ran Wei Baker, Sr. Director, Global Head of Marketing, Microsoft
TaeSoo Sean Kim, Partner, IceMiller
Drew Propson, Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services, World Economic Forum
Session 3 – Navigating NYC’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem
Holly Diamond, Co-Founder and CEO of WorkOnWard
David Joo, Co-founder of Neuroaide and former CO-CEO and Co-Founder of Knowre
Kaila Lim, Head of Community and Founder Experience, Antler
Startups in Focus- Meet the Founder Sessions
Jinha Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Spatial
Jae Pil Park, Founder and CEO of Nara Space
Keith Ryu, Co-Founder and Board Member, and Former CEO of Fountain
| 11:30 AM | REGISTRATION/ LUNCH | |
| 12:30 PM | OPENING SESSION | |
| 12:50 PM | A FIRESIDE KEYNOTE | |
| 1:20 PM | SESSION 1 Korean Startups on the Global Stage: Insights from the Investors |
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| 2:00 PM | NETWORKING BREAK | |
| 2:15 PM | STARTUPS IN FOCUS-MEET THE FOUNDER | |
| 2:35 PM | SESSION 2 Synergy in Innovation: Corporates and Startup in Collaboration |
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| 3:15 PM | NETWORKING BREAK | |
| 3:35 PM | STARTUPS IN FOCUS-MEET THE FOUNDER | |
| 3:55 PM | SESSION 3 Navigating NYC’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem |
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| 4:25 PM | NETWORKING BREAK | |
| 4:35 PM | STARTUPS IN FOCUS-MEET THE FOUNDER | |
| 4:55 PM | CLOSING/ SPECIAL SESSION (Student Ideation Competition Winning Team) |
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| 5:10 PM | APERITIF AND HOR D’OEUF | |
Keynote Speaker
Songyee Yoon, Founder and Managing Director of Principal Venture Partners
Songyee is the founder and managing director of Principal Venture Partners, a venture capital firm investing in AI-native companies. She served on South Korea’s Presidential Advisory Council for Science and Technology under two presidents. She is a member of the MIT Corporation and serves on the board of trustees for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and HP, Inc. Songyee’s book, Push Play, explores the significance of play in innovation.
Moderated by
Sandor Hau, Managing Director and President, Charlesbank Credit
Sandor Hau is a Managing Director and President of Charlesbank Credit. He oversees the firm’s opportunistic Credit team and investing strategy. Sandor joined Charlesbank in 2016 from Nomura Securities, where he was a Managing Director and Head of Corporate Credit and Special Situations. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and Head of Credit Investing and Private Equity within the principal strategies group.
He is currently a board member for Learfield, a media and technology services company focused on college sports and Interon Labs, a biotechnology company focused on neuro-immunotherapy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Investment Working Group at Ohio State University.
He is actively involved with the Korean American community as co–chairman of The Korea Finance Society, a member of the Council of Korean Americans and a former board member of the Korean American Family Service Center. He recently received a commendation from the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs for the Republic of Korea for his contribution to Korea-U.S. financial cooperation.
Sandor received a BS in Economics, summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was also a Rotary Scholar at Yonsei University.
Panel Speakers
Murat Aktihanoglu
Murat Aktihanoglu is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Remarkable Ventures, Remarkable Ventures Climate and ERA. A venture capitalist since 2011, Murat has invested in over 350 early-stage tech and climate companies with a combined market cap of $10+ billion. He previously founded Centrl and the nonprofit Entrepreneurs Roundtable, fostering New York’s startup community through monthly investor meetings. Murat co-authored Location-Aware Applications in 2011 and has held engineering roles at Sony and Silicon Graphics. Murat is a sought-after speaker at technology and entrepreneurship conferences worldwide. He serves as a Council Member for the U.S.-Japan Council, a board member for the Belgian American Chamber of Commerce, and an Ambassador for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Additionally, he advises organizations such as the MIT Enterprise Forum and mentors various startup programs globally. He holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Bilkent University.
Ran Wei Baker, Head of Marketing for Microsoft for Startups
Ran Wei Baker is currently the Head of Marketing at Microsoft for Startups, where she works with early-stage founders to build faster, build better, and sell more with Microsoft. Ran leverages her background in Corporate Strategy, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship to launch brands that foster meaningful human connections and deliver impactful business results. Somewhere in between storytelling and consumer understanding, Ran is a wanderlust. She enjoys spontaneous trips, hikes in the mountains, and learning about cultures around the world. Music is her native language, and her favorite brain foods are books.
Holly Diamond, Founder and CEO of WorkOnward
Holly Oh Diamond is a serial entrepreneur and social impact founder passionate about building businesses that drive equity in the workforce. She is the founder of DHD Consulting, a leading recruiting firm specializing in Korean companies, and WorkOnward, an AI-powered hiring platform designed to make job opportunities more accessible for immigrant and women-owned businesses. With a background in social work and over a decade in recruiting, Holly is known for her innovative, people-first approach to solving hiring challenges and supporting economic mobility for underrepresented communities. Her work has been backed by Techstars, Village Capital, and the Robin Hood Foundation. She also owns Mista Oh, a Korean restaurant in Flatiron, NYC, which she opened during the pandemic to support her family.
Richard Diamond – Global Head of Fintech and Information Services, Citi
Richard (Rick) Diamond heads the Global Financial Technology and Information Services investment banking practice and joined Citi in 2017 after 21 years at JPMorgan where he was a senior relationship banker in the Technology Investment Banking Group heading the Global Technology Services effort. Rick’s experience includes mergers and acquisitions, raising public equity through IPOs and secondary offerings, raising private equity for public and private companies, raising high-yield debt, loan and bank syndication and convertible equity financings. Rick received a B.A. in history from Wake Forest University and an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School. Rick lives in Ridgewood, NJ with his wife Jennie and their two children Millie and Richard.
David Joo, Co-founder of neuroaide and former Co-CEO and Co-founder of Knowre
David Joo is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor dedicated to supporting companies and products that drive positive societal impact.
He is currently the co-founder of neuroaide, an AI-powered writing assistant designed specifically for neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluators. Neuropsychologists diagnosis cognitive, mental health, and learning conditions, such as ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, and Anxiety, and produce comprehensive reports necessary to secure accommodations from schools and other institutions. Due to the intensive nature of writing these reports, evaluations often face significant delays, with wait times in many parts of the country averaging six months. neuroaide directly addresses this bottleneck, reducing the time required to produce these reports by half.
Previously, David was a co-founder and co-CEO of Knowre, an education technology company providing personalized math learning to students worldwide. Founded in 2012, Knowre experienced significant growth before being acquired in 2018 by Daekyo, a publicly listed education company based in South Korea.
Before his entrepreneurial ventures, David worked across a variety of investment banking roles, including capital markets, leveraged finance, and M&A. He also engaged in public market investments, focusing on distressed debt and capital structure arbitrage strategies. David currently serves on the board of Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering and advancing the tech startup ecosystem for Korean and Korean-American founders in the United States.
MyeongSeon Kim, Head of NYC office, Korea Venture Investor Corporation
MyeongSeon Kim is the Head of the New York Office at Korea Venture Investment Corp. (KVIC), a sovereign fund committed to strengthening South Korea’s startup ecosystem and expanding its global footprint by backing high-potential venture capital and private equity funds. Prior to his role in New York, he led KVIC’s Silicon Valley Office, where he played a key role in connecting Korean startups with the U.S. innovation ecosystem—building on his earlier position as Global Investment Team Leader, where he oversaw cross-border fund investments and fostered international VC partnerships.
With nearly two decades of experience across venture capital, asset management, and insurance investment, he brings a global perspective and strong financial expertise to KVIC. He holds an Executive MBA from Aalto University and a Bachelor of Laws from Ajou University.
Sean Taesoo Kim, Partner, IceMiller
TaeSoo Sean Kim is a partner in Ice Miller’s Business Group and co-chair of the firm’s Asia-Pacific Practice Group. Sean represents biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and technology companies in commercial transactions, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic business matters.
With a focus in emerging technologies, Sean negotiates complex technology licenses, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts across fields such as drug discovery, small molecules, cell and gene therapies, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptography, lithium batteries, and other innovative technologies. As a registered patent attorney with a focus on business transactions, he provides strategic guidance on intellectual property (IP) development, IP portfolio management, and IP commercialization to both startups and established companies.
In his role as co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Practice Group, Sean serves as a relationship partner to Asia-based clients in cross-border transactions and disputes, including M&A, joint ventures, commercial agreements, and IP matters. He also leads efforts on large-scale economic development projects, such as lithium battery manufacturing and recycling plants, overseeing site selection, incentives, real estate, and regulatory compliance.
Sean is deeply involved in the startup community, having served on the Board of Korean Startups and Entrepreneurs. He currently serves as outside general counsel to startups, guiding them from pre-funding to multiple rounds of venture financing and exit.
David Lee, SVP and Head of NBA Investments
David is SVP and the Head of NBA Investments, the corporate venture arm of the National Basketball Association. David previously co-founded two different startup studios, one as part of SK in the chairman’s office and one with his former boss & Head of Private Equity Group at Bain & Company NY. He also worked at the early stages of Coupang and Nexon, which have since become decacorns. David received his Bachelor’s degree from Yonsei University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Jinha Lee, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Spatial
Jinha is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Spatial, an immersive media platform leveraging gaming and AI to reshape how people engage with online commerce, education, and entertainment. With over 3 million experiences built by a global community of more than 15 million creators, Spatial is trusted and used by over 1,000 leading brands. In addition, Spatial is also pioneering VR gaming for Gen Alpha with its original title, Animal Company, which has become the top earning game on the Meta Quest store within just seven months of launch.
Prior to founding Spatial, Jinha pioneered technologies to physically interact with digital data for the past decade. In 2013, Jinha took the stage at TED to present his invention, SpaceTop, a pioneering AR computer that lets you “reach inside” the screen. Jinha was a Principal Designer at Samsung, where he founded the Interactive Visualization Lab and led the redesign of Smart TVs, turning them into an interactive social hub for the living room. He also co-designed the Red Dot Award-winning Bradley, an innovative tactile wristwatch for the blind, which was one of the most successful projects in Kickstarter’s design category in 2013. Jinha was named one of the “35 Innovators Under 35” by the MIT Technology Review, one of the “32 Greatest Living Designers” by Fast Company, and a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum.
Jinha has a Master’s degree in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT (Media Lab) and completed his undergraduate studies with a bachelor’s in Electronic Engineering from the University of Tokyo.
Kaila Lim, Head of Community and Founder Experience, Antler
Kaila is a public speaker and community leader shaping NYC’s tech scene by curating spaces where hyper obsessed early-stage founders build and connect. As Head of Community at Antler VC, she brings together founders for the signature six-week residency. With a background in competitive public speaking, sales training, and founder communities, she instinctively fosters deep relationships and transformative spaces. Passionate about the founder journey and hospitality experience, she’s dedicated to elevating the founders at Antler and supporting those of the founder ecosystem at large. She writes about her life lessons and takes notes on books on kailajlim.com and has lived in NYC, California, and Seoul and now works in NYC, while visiting Seoul for her grandmother each year.
Jae-Pil Park, Co-founder and CEO of Nara Space
Jae-Pil Park is the CEO and founder of Nara Space Technology, a company revolutionizing the small satellite industry with advanced nanosatellite platforms and space-based solutions. Since establishing the company in 2016, he has led the development of cutting-edge satellite technology, positioning Nara Space as a key player in the growing space economy. With a deep understanding of satellite systems and a vision for more accessible and efficient space solutions, Jae-Pil is driving innovation in Earth observation, communication, and beyond. Prior to founding Nara Space, he played a pivotal role in the CubeSat Technical Demonstration Mission CANYVAL-X (2012–2018), a groundbreaking collaboration with NASA. As Project Manager and System Engineer, he spearheaded the development of CubeSat-based astronomical observation technology, demonstrating precision satellite formation flying. His expertise in satellite engineering, mission design, and space commercialization continues to shape the future of next-generation satellite technology.
Drew Propson, Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum
Drew Propson is the Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum. She leads a portfolio of initiatives focused on advancing innovation while maintaining financial system stability. Current research areas include the deployment of AI and emerging technologies in financial services, technology-driven systemic risks, and fintech market trends. Drew has additionally presented and authored work on financial inclusion, regulatory dynamics, and entrepreneurship.
Drew holds MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School, a PhD in Spanish literature from UC Berkeley, and a BFA in Painting from the University of Washington. Her experience prior to joining the Forum includes private equity research, development finance, and international strategy and operations.
Keith Ryu, Co-founder, Chair, and former CEO of Fountain
Keith Ryu is the former co-founder and CEO of Fountain, an HR platform for hourly workers that has raised $225M from investors including Y Combinator, SoftBank, Peter Thiel, B Capital, and Mirae Asset. He remains on Fountain’s board and actively invests in startups, with a passionate focus on cross-border opportunities that bridge Korean technology and culture to U.S. markets. A builder at heart, Keith spends his free time creating new products and businesses, leveraging the latest AI coding tools. Leveraging his global network across San Francisco, New York, and Seoul, he aims to foster a strong engineering culture within Korea and transition it into a top-tier software and technology exporter.
Opening Speakers
Michael Burke
Michael Burke is the Head of Citi’s International Franchise Management (IFM) team. IFM helps manage Citi’s international franchise by coordinating governance, talent and business connectivity for Citi’s activities in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions around the world. Michael joined Citi in August 1998 in the finance and strategy department of the Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB). Since then he has worked in a variety of Finance, Strategy and Business Risk / Compliance roles. A former US Navy officer, Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Villanova University and Masters’ degrees from New York University and Harvard University.
Thomas Byrne
Thomas J. Byrne joined The Korea Society as President in August 2015. Since June 2023, he had also taken the role of “Honorary Ambassador,” appointed by the minister of MOTIE under the auspices of KOTRA/Invest Korea, to help promote trade and investment ties between Korea and the U.S. Byrne comes to the Society from Moody’s Investor Services, where he was Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, spokesperson, and Director of Analysis for the Sovereign Risk Group in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, based in Singapore. Prior to that, he was the Senior Economist of the Asia Department at the Institute of International Finance in Washington D.C. from 1984 to 1996. Byrne has an MA in International Relations with a concentration in international economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced international Studies and a BS in Biology from State University of New York at Stony Brook. Before his graduate work, he served in South Korea for three years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Byrne teaches as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in New York City and at Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. As president, he has written opinion articles published in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg View, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, The National Interest, and Reuters Breakingviews.
Jinwoo Hwang
Dr. Jinwoo Hwang currently holds the position of Senior Executive Vice President at Hanwha Life Insurance. With over three decades of work experience at Hanwha Group, Dr. Hwang has served in a variety of roles, including Senior Research Fellow, Director of Economic Research, and Director of Economic Analysis. He first joined the Hanwha Economic Research Institute in 1993, then transitioned to Hanwha Securities and Hanwha Life Insurance. Dr. Hwang earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Yale University and his B.A. in Economics from Seoul National University.
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General information on data processing in this app
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The Korea Society
Address: 350 Madison Ave., 24th floor, New York, NY 10017
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The legal basis for data processing for cookies, which are used solely for the functionality of this service, is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR.
Our legitimate interest arises from ensuring a smooth connection setup and convenient use of our service as well as for reasons of evaluating system security and stability. Data processing also takes place in order to enable a statistical evaluation of app usage.
There are two types of cookies. Both are used on this service:
Transient cookies (see a)
Persistent cookies (see b)
a) Transient cookies, which are automatically deleted when you close the browser. These include session cookies in particular. These store a
so-called session ID, with which various requests from your browser can be assigned to the joint session. This allows your computer to be recognized when you return to our service. The session cookies are deleted when you log out or close the browser.
b) Persistent cookies, these are automatically deleted after a specified period, which may vary depending on the cookie.
You have the option at any time to withdraw your consent to data processing by cookies that do not solely serve the functionality of the service. In addition, we only set cookies after you have consented to the setting of cookies when you access the app. In this way, you can prevent data processing via cookies in our service.
You can also delete the cookies in the security settings of your browser at any time. We would like to point out that you may not be able to use all the functions of this service. You can also prevent the setting of cookies at any time by making the appropriate settings in your Internet browser.
Registration in the app
You can register in our app. This requires you to enter personal data in the registration form. The following data is collected as a minimum:
First name
Surname
E-mail address
password
The data you enter in the registration form will be used exclusively for processing and will not be passed on to third parties.
If you enter personal data that belongs to the mandatory input masks, the data processing is based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR. If you also enter personal data in the other (optional) input field masks, the data processing is based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR.
We process your data solely for the purpose of completing your registration and managing your app account with us.
The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which it was collected. This is the case if you close your account with us and no legal or official retention periods prevent deletion.
Both during and after registration, you are free to change, correct or delete your personal data.
Contact us
It is possible to contact us via our service using a contact form or by e-mail. For this purpose, various data is required to answer the request, which is automatically stored for processing. The following data is collected as a minimum (marked as a mandatory field) as part of the contact form:
First name
Last name
E-mail address
The data will not be passed on to third parties.
The legal basis used here is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR.
We process your data exclusively in order to process your contact request.
Your data will be deleted by us as soon as the purpose of the data processing has been fulfilled, usually immediately after the request has been answered. In rare cases, however, we may store your data for a longer period of time. This may result from legal, official or contractual obligations.
You can contact us at any time and object to further processing of your data. In this case, we will unfortunately not be able to continue communicating with you. All personal data processed by us in the course of contacting you will be deleted in this case, unless there are legal obligations to retain your data that prevent deletion.
Tracker and analysis tools – For the evaluation of app usage, technical monitoring
We use the following analysis tools to continuously improve our range of services. You can find out below which data is processed in each case and how you can contact the respective service providers:
We have integrated the services of the provider Tinybird into our app. Tinybird is an event streaming platform that enables us to analyze our event streams. The data processing is carried out by: Tinybird, Calle del Dr. Fourquet, 27, 28012 Madrid
Tinybird uses cookies, which process the following personal data, among others:
IP address
Time, place and frequency of visits to our streams Tinybird uses this data for the evaluation of our events.
Further information on data protection at Tinybird can be found at the following link:
https://www.tinybird.co/privacy
The data processing is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR.
The purpose of data processing is to analyze and evaluate our events. This enables us to constantly improve our services.
The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose of the data processing has been achieved and no legal, contractual or official regulations prevent deletion.
You have the option to withdraw your consent at any time. To do so, please contact us using the contact details above. You can also contact Tinybird directly at the following e-mail address: privacy@tinybird.co
New Relic, a web analysis service, is used on this app. The data processing is carried out by: New Relic Inc, 101 Second Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
This service enables statistical evaluations of the speed at which our app is accessed. Through the plugin, New Relic receives the information that you have accessed the corresponding page of our website. If you are logged in to New Relic as a user, New Relic can assign the visit to your account there. If you are not a member of New Relic, it is still possible for New Relic to find out and store your IP address. You can find more information here: https://newrelic.com/privacy
The legal basis for data processing is your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR.
It is in our interest to monitor and ensure that our app can be accessed quickly.
The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose of the data processing has been achieved and no statutory, contractual or official retention periods prevent deletion.
You have the option to withdraw your consent at any time. If you are a member of New Relic and do not want New Relic to collect data about you on our app in order to link it to your membership data stored with New Relic, you must log out of New Relic before giving your consent to data processing.
Retool is a developer of a collaborative analytics platform that is used to make data- based decisions. The data processing is carried out by: Retool, Inc. 1550 Bryant St. San Francisco, CA 94103.
Additional information on data security at the service provider can be found here: Security). The service provider’s privacy policy can be accessed via the following link: https://docs.retool.com/legal/privacy-policy
The data processing is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR.
The service is used to evaluate user behavior and thus draw conclusions about how we can improve our services.
Data is deleted as soon as the purpose of the data processing has been achieved and no statutory, contractual or official retention periods prevent deletion.
You have the option to withdraw your consent to data processing at any time. To do so, please contact us please .[1] [2] [3]
Registration for the event
We use the service of idloom SA for our app. idloom is an online platform for event management. The data processing is carried out by: idloom SA, Dreve Richelle 161L box 76, 1410 Waterloo, Belgium. If you book a ticket for one of our events, the following personal data will be passed on to the idloom platform:
Name
Address
E-mail address
Invoice amount
The data is stored on the idloom server in Belgium.
Further information on data protection at idloom can be found at the following link:
https://www.idloom.com/en/privacy-notice
The legal basis for the use of idloom is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. The processing of the personal data required for the execution of the contract is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.
The purpose of data processing is to provide an online platform for the sale of tickets for our events, which is also our legitimate interest in using the idloom service.
idloom will retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide the Service or for other important purposes such as complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes and fulfilling our agreements.
You have the option to object to the collection of data by idloom at any time. To do so, you can contact idloom directly at privacy@idloom.com. However, this does not apply to personal data that is absolutely necessary for the sale of tickets and thus for the conclusion of the contract.
We use the Eventbrite service for our app. Eventbrite is an online platform for event management and ticketing. The data processing is carried out by: Eventbrite Inc, 535 Mission Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA.
If you book a ticket for one of our events, the following personal data will be passed on to the Eventbrite platform:
Name
Date of birth
Address
E-mail address
Account number/ credit card number
Invoice amount
The data is stored on the Eventbrite server in the USA.
Further information on data protection at Eventbrite can be found at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.de/support/articles/de/Troubleshooting/datenschutzrichtlini en-von-eventbrite?lg=de.
The legal basis for the use of Eventbrite is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. The processing of personal data required for the execution of the contract is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b) GDPR.
The purpose of data processing is to provide an online platform for the sale of tickets for our events, which is also our legitimate interest in using the Eventbrite service.
Eventbrite will retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide the Service or for other important purposes such as complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes and fulfilling our agreements.
You have the option to object to the collection of data by Eventbrite at any time. To do so, you can contact Eventbrite directly at privacy@eventbrite.com. However, this does not apply to personal data that is absolutely necessary for the sale of tickets and thus for the conclusion of the contract.
Video conferencing and live stream – optional for hybrid and virtual events
We use the service provider Whereby, a provider of web-based video communication and related services, to conduct online meetings and video conferences. The data processing is carried out by: Whereby AS, Gate 1 no. 107, 6700 Måløy, Norway.
The following data is processed:
Display name
E-mail address
Admin user (yes/no)
Date and time (for creating, changing and activating the user account)
Organization affiliation for personal user accounts that are assigned to a business account
Created “Video rooms”
Room name
Profile picture
Background image
If users choose the option to log in via their Google account, the following additional data is processed:
Google Account User ID
Display name
URL of the profile picture
You may also have the option of using the chat function. Further data, such as text entries or uploaded files, may be processed here.
However, the data processed in a room is not stored.
If we wish to record an online meeting, we will inform you transparently in advance and ask for your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
You can find further information on data protection here: https://whereby.helpscoutdocs.com/article/526-data-storage-and-security
Data processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR.
We use the service provider to conduct video conferences and online meetings, for example to provide you with the best possible advice.
The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose of the data processing has been achieved and no legal, contractual or official regulations prevent deletion. Longer storage may be necessary in particular if the data is required for the further fulfillment of the contract.
You have the option of exercising your rights against us at any time. To do so, please contact us using the contact details provided.
We use the Zoom tool to play back recorded and visually processed videos. The data processing is carried out by: Zoom Video Communications, Inc, 55 Almaden Blvd, Suite 600, San Jose, CA 95113, USA (Zoom). Zoom also serves as a communication platform for video and telephone conferences as well as for communicating or editing and sharing files. In order to participate in one of our webinars, we will send a link to your
e-mail address to the corresponding online seminar at Zoom. You must then register with Zoom. The following personal data will be processed:
First name
Last name
E-mail address
Confirmation of e-mail address
Position
Whether you have entered your personal or company e-mail address
Company name
Indicate how you became aware of the online seminar You can also provide the following information voluntarily:
Country/Region
Phone number Zoom is end-to-end encrypted.
Zoom’s products have a consent mechanism for EU users. Existing or new users
originating from an IP address recognized by the EU must agree to the updated privacy policy once. Consent to the updated privacy policy and terms of use is stored for compliance purposes. In addition, privacy settings are possible within the Zoom account. Users who are recognized on their first visit to the zoom.us website via the IP address from an EU member state are shown a cookie pop-up field in which cookie settings can be specified. These cookie settings can also be changed at any time in the future by visiting the cookie settings link at the bottom of any page on the website.
According to Zoom, no data will be transmitted via cookies beforehand. By using Zoom, the following data may also be processed by Zoom, depending on your settings:
Information that you or others upload, provide or create while using Zoom if you save chat logs. Zoom ensures that this data processing is not done for any other reason than to provide your services. Zoom does not sell customer content to third parties or use it for advertising purposes.
Technical information (e.g. IP address, system type and version, camera and microphone type)
Metadata
User settings
Information on how you use the service (e.g.: do you use a video conference or a telephone call)
Approximate location
Zoom offers options for creating individual account settings and user rights with password protection. Zoom is also subject to the standard contractual clauses of the EU in the event of data processing.
You can find additional information on data protection in Zoom’s privacy policy: https://zoom.us/privacy
If you enter personal data that is part of the mandatory field masks during registration, the data processing is based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR. If you also enter personal data in the other (optional) input field masks, the data processing is based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR.
We use Zoom to be able to organize online seminars and thus offer the opportunity to present interesting content in a clear way. Zoom processes the data in order to provide and optimize the services for you.
Zoom deletes personal data if the purpose of processing has been fulfilled and no legal regulations prevent deletion. You also have the option of deleting your own content.
You have the option to object to data processing or to withdraw your consent at any time. To do so, please contact our data protection officer or Zoom via the following e- mail address: legal@zoom.us or privacy@zoom.us
We use the services of the provider restream.io in our app for the livestream and its analysis. The data processing is carried out by: Restream, Inc, 8121 Bee Caves Rd #150, Austin, TX 78746, USA.
When you access the Restream Service from our app, Restream collects the following personal data, among other things, by setting cookies:
IP address
User ID
Device type/ device recognition
Browser type
Number of clicks
the time spent on the stream
Further information on data protection at Restream can be found at the following link: https://restream.io/privacy-policy.
The legal basis for data processing in the context of providing a livestream is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR. The legal basis for the analysis is your consent pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR.
The purpose of the data processing is the production and provision of livestreams for the users of our service.
The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose of the data processing has been achieved and no statutory or contractual retention periods prevent deletion.
You have the option to object to data processing or to withdraw your consent at any time. To do so, please contact our data protection officer or Restream directly via the following e-mail address: support@restream.io.
We offer users of the EventMobi app the option of sending a predefined post on X with a click of the mouse. This is done without the use of cookies, but by opening the X app via a link and then publishing the post or sending it to the desired person.
The data processing is carried out by: Twitter International Unlimited Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland.
You can find additional information on data protection at X at the following link: https://x.com/en/privacy
The data processing is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR.
It is in our interest that you can also easily inform your contacts about our offer.
According to X, personal data is deleted, obscured or aggregated after 18 months. Posts are readable as long as they are published.
You can contact us at any time and object to further processing of your data. You can contact X’s data protection department at: https://twitter.ethicspointvp.com/custom/twitter/forms/data/form_data.asp
Other tools from third-party providers
We also use third-party providers who help us with the app display and the functionality of the service. These are listed below:
This service uses the Google Maps product from Google LLC. Data processing for the European Economic Area and for Switzerland is carried out by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
When you open the app, your browser loads the required geo-information into your browser cache in order to display the map correctly. For this purpose, the browser you are using must connect to Google’s servers. This gives Google knowledge that our service was used via your IP address and which map was displayed. You can find the terms of use for Google Maps at https://www.google.com/intl/de_de/help/terms_maps.html
The legal basis is your consent pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR.
The use of Google Maps makes it easier for you to find our location and to interact with it in various ways, e.g. through route planning.
The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required for the purpose of data processing, unless legal, official or contractual regulations prevent deletion.
You have the option to withdraw your consent to data processing at any time. If you do not wish to use Google Maps, parts of our service cannot be used.
E-mail communication via Sendgrid (e-mail broadcasts, transactional e-mails)
For sending emails (e.g. confirmation emails when booking an event), we use the sending service provider Sendgrid. The data processing is carried out by: Twilio Inc, 101 Spear Street, 1st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
The following personal data is processed when e-mails are sent to you by Sendgrid:
Name
E-mail address
Content of the e-mail
Further information on data protection at Twilio, Inc. can be found at the following link: https://www.twilio.com/legal/privacy.
Data processing by Sendgrid is based on our legitimate interest in the effective and secure transmission of important emails to you, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR.
The purpose of data processing is the reliable delivery of e-mails.
The personal data will be stored by Twilio for as long as it is necessary to provide us with the service and to conduct our business. All data will be deleted or otherwise destroyed no later than 60 days after the user account with Twilio is closed.
You have the option of exercising your rights against us at any time. To do so, please contact us using the contact details provided. You can also contact Twilio directly at the following e-mail address: support@twilio.com.
Eventmobi uses the services of the error management tool Sentry for our app. This offers us the possibility of real-time error tracking for our app in order to reproduce or rectify crashes. This helps us to improve the technical stability of our software. The data processing is carried out by: Functional Software, Inc. dba Sentry, 45 Fremont Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
With the help of Sentry’s services, we are able to respond to errors in our app without the user having to report them. In the event of errors, we log the IP address, the operating system used and the time of the error. Sentry evaluates this data for the purpose of troubleshooting. Processing for other purposes does not take place.
Further information on data protection at Sentry can be found at: https://sentry.io/privacy/.
The legal basis for processing is our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the error-free operation and user-friendly provision of our app
The purpose of data processing is to track errors and monitor the performance of the app. This helps us to constantly optimize our app and our services for you.
Sentry may retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described.
You have the option of exercising your rights against us at any time. To do so, please contact us using the contact details provided.
Data transfer to a third country
To enable us to provide our services, we use the support of service providers from the European area as well as from third countries. In order to ensure the protection of your personal data even in the event of data transfer to a third country, we conclude special order processing contracts with each of the carefully selected service providers. All of the service providers we use have sufficient evidence that they ensure data security through suitable technical and organizational measures. Our service providers from third countries are either located in countries that have an adequate level of data protection recognized by the EU Commission (Art. 45 GDPR) or have provided suitable guarantees (Art. 46 GDPR).
Adequate level of protection: The provider comes from a country whose adequate level of data protection has been recognized by the EU Commission. You can find more information at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data- transfers-outside-eu/adequacy-protection-personal-data-non-eu-countries_en
EU standard contractual clauses: Our provider has submitted to the EU standard contractual clauses in order to guarantee secure data transfer. You can find more information on this at: https://eur- lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?uri=CELEX%3A32021D0914&locale=en
Binding Corporate Rules: Art. 47 of the GDPR provides for the possibility of ensuring data protection when transferring data to a third country by means of binding internal data protection rules. These are reviewed and approved by the competent supervisory authorities as part of the consistency procedure in accordance with Art. 63 GDPR.
Consent: In addition, data will only be transferred to a third country without an adequate level of protection if you have given us your consent to do so in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR or if another exception under Art. 49 GDPR applies to the transfer of data.
Your rights
You have the following rights vis-à-vis us with regard to your personal data:
If you have given your consent to the processing of your data, you can withdraw it at any time. Such a revocation affects the permissibility of the processing of your personal data for the future after you have given it to us. It can be made verbally (by telephone) or in writing by post or e-mail to us.
In the event of a request for information, you must provide sufficient information about your identity and provide proof that the information is yours. The information concerns the following information:
the purposes for which the personal data are processed;
the categories of personal data that are processed;
the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been or will be disclosed;
the planned duration of storage of the personal data concerning you or, if specific information on this is not possible, criteria for determining the duration of storage;
the existence of a right to rectification or erasure of personal data concerning you, a right to restriction of processing by the controller or a right to object to such processing;
the existence of a right of appeal to a supervisory authority;
all available information about the origin of the data if the personal data is not collected from the data subject;
the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, referred to in Art. 22 (1) and (4) GDPR and, at least in those cases, meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and the envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject.
You have a right to rectification and/or completion vis-à-vis us as the controller if the processed personal data concerning you is incorrect or incomplete. The controller must make the correction without delay.
In addition, you may request the deletion of personal data concerning you if one of the following reasons applies to you:
The personal data concerning you are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
You revoke your consent on which the processing was based pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) or Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a) GDPR and there is no other legal basis for the processing.
You object to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or you object to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.
The personal data concerning you has been processed unlawfully.
The deletion of personal data concerning you is necessary to fulfill a legal obligation under Union law or the law of the Member States to which the controller is subject.
The personal data concerning you was collected in relation to information society services offered in accordance with Art. 8 para. 1 GDPR.
If we have made the personal data concerning you public and we are obliged to delete it in accordance with Art. 17 para. 1 GDPR, we will take all reasonable measures to inform other data controllers that you have requested the deletion of all links to this personal data or of copies or replications of this personal data.
The right to erasure does not exist if the processing is necessary:
to exercise the right to freedom of expression and information;
for compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
for reasons of public interest in the area of public health in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. h and i and Art. 9 para. 3 GDPR;
for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes pursuant to Art. 89 (1) GDPR, insofar as the aforementioned right is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of that processing, or
for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims.
Under the following conditions, you can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data:
if you contest the accuracy of the personal data concerning you for a period enabling us to verify the accuracy of your personal data;
the processing is unlawful and you oppose the erasure of the personal data and request the restriction of their use instead;
we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by you for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, or
if you have objected to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR and it is not yet certain whether our legitimate reasons outweigh your reasons.
If the processing of your personal data has been restricted, this data – apart from its storage – may only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest of the Union or of a Member State.
If the restriction of processing has been restricted in accordance with the above conditions, you will be informed by us before the restriction is lifted.
If you have asserted your right to rectification, erasure or restriction of data processing against us, we are obliged to notify all recipients of your personal data of the rectification, erasure or restriction of data processing. This only applies insofar as this notification does not prove to be impossible or would involve a disproportionate effort.
You have the right to know which recipients have received your data.
You have the right to receive your personal data from us in a commonly used, machine-readable format in order to have it transmitted to another controller, provided that
the processing is based on consent pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR or Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a) GDPR or on a contract pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR and
the processing is carried out using automated procedures.
In exercising your right to data portability, you have the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from us to another controller, where technically feasible.
The right to data portability does not apply to the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us.
Right to object to processing (see Art. 21 GDPR)
If we base the processing of your personal data on a legitimate interest (pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR) on our part, you can object to the processing. The same applies if we base the data processing on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. e) GDPR.
When exercising such an objection, we ask you to explain the reasons why we should not process your personal data as we have done. In the event of your justified objection, we will examine the situation and either discontinue or adapt the data processing or point out to you our compelling reasons worthy of protection on the basis of which we will continue the processing.
Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.
The supervisory authority to which the complaint has been submitted will inform you of the status and outcome of the complaint, including the possibility of a judicial remedy pursuant to Art. 78 GDPR.
To exercise these rights, please contact:
Address: 350 Madison Ave., 24th floor, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 759-7525
E-Mail: developer@koreasociety.org
We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy in compliance with the statutory provisions.
* All functions marked with an asterisk (*) are optional and are determined by the organizer whether and how they are used.
Join us for a discussion about the legacy, implications, and a modern application of the theories from Gregory Henderson’s 1968 seminal text Korea: The Politics of the Vortex, with Edward J. Baker, former Associate Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, and Dr. Ingu Hwang, Associate Professor at Boston College. The discussion will also address Hwang’s 2022 book, Transnational Democratization: Human Rights in South Korea and US Cold War Policy, which examines the role of South Korean pro-democracy actors in (re)shaping the global history of human rights activism and politics in the 1970s. The moderator for this program is Korea Society president and CEO Tom Byrne.
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Korea’s Politics of the Vortex: 2025
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 | 4 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
About the Speakers:
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Edward J. Baker’s interest in Korea began with Peace Corps service, with his wife Diane, there in 1966-68. He has lived in Korea all together for about 10 years and has traveled widely in Asia. He has a BA from Colby College, a JD from Yale Law School and an MA in Regional Studies-East Asia from Harvard. He was a staff member of the Subcommittee on International Organizations (chair Donald M. Fraser, D MN) of the U.S. House of Representatives during its Investigation of Korean-American Relations in 1977-78 and one of the authors of its final report. He was the associate director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute for 25 years and taught East Asian and Korean history at Hanyang University and Seoul National University from 2007 through 2010. Until the thorough democratization of the Republic of Korea marked by the December,1997 election of President Kim Dae Jung, he frequently wrote and spoke on South Korean political affairs. He was a founding member of the board of Asia Watch in 1985 (now Human Rights Watch—Asia) and was Amnesty International’s US South Korea coordinator from 1979-91. In recent years he has taken a strong interest in attempting to promote a peaceful solution to the confrontation between North Korea and the US/South Korea and the reunification of Korea.
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| Ingu Hwang received his Ph.D. from the Department of History at the University of Chicago in 2015. Currently, he is an associate professor of the Practice in the International Studies Program, an affiliated professor in the History Department and the Asian Studies Program. Prof. Hwang is also the Leader of the Global Korea Project at Boston College. He offers interdisciplinary courses on modern and contemporary Korea and East Asia that explore colonial/post-colonial experiences, division and geo-politics, the Korean War, development and social justice, human rights history in global contexts.
His research centers on contemporary transnational and global Korean history with a focus on the topics of democracy, peace, security, and human rights. His first book, Human Rights and Transnational Democracy in South Korea, published by the University of Pennsylvania Press Human Rights Series in 2022, offers the first account of the historical intersection between South Korea’s democratic transition and the global human rights boom in the 1970s and 1980s. Other publications include contributions to the Korea Democracy Foundation’s book, 1970s Korean Democratization and Protestants (Korean), published in 2024 and to the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation’s Kim Dae-Jung’s Thoughts and Politics: Peace, Democracy, Reconciliation, and Cooperation (Korean), published in 2023. Currently, he is working on his second monograph, the first scholarly biography of Nobel Prize recipient Kim Dae-jung. The monograph utilizes a global political and cultural lens to analyze Kim’s engagements with Korean, regional, and international political discourses and policies from the 1950s to the 1980s. |
When it comes to building a successful SaaS (Software as a Service) business, many assume that exceptional coding skills are the key to success. However, our next Startup Scene offers a different perspective- one that highlights the power of storytelling and strong investment relationships.
Please join us for an insightful session with John Sung Kim, a serial SaaS founder of Five9 (NASDAQ: FIVN), DoctorBase, and Jetbridge. He will share his expertise on launching SaaS startups, emphasizing how compelling storytelling can drive investor engagement, team-building and business growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn firsthand from John’s entrepreneurial journey and discover the strategies that turn great ideas into thriving companies.
This program is supported by Hanwha Life
Scaling SaaS: The Art of Storytelling & Investor Strategy
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 6 PM (EST)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
About the Speaker:
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John Sung Kim was the founder/CEO of Five9 (NASDAQ: FIVN), DoctorBase (now part of Tebra), and JetBridge (bootstrap profitable). He was an early angel investor in Rappi (the largest delivery app in LATAM market) and SpaceX. He has written articles for TechCrunch and Forbes, and given speeches on startups at Stanford, Kyiv Polytechnic, UCSF and Penn State University.
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Our programs, events, and offers are made possible by the continuous support of our individualmembers, corporate contributors, and donors. Together, we are able to better promote and fostermeaningful connections between the peoples of the U.S. and Korea.
Join us as a member of The Korea Society to enjoy:
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| Invitations to member-only events, programs, and art gallery openings |
Networking opportunities with fellow members and leading professionals from various fields in the U.S. and Korea |
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| Special access to our Korean Language Program for Corporate and Individual Members (*benefits vary by membership level) |
Subscription to our monthly members-only newsletter to stay up-to-date with organization activities and exclusive offers |
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We look forward to having you as a valued member of The Korea Society.
We hope to see you soon!
Celebrate new beginnings with the Year of the Snake!
We are excited to share that our Annual Membership Party will take place at The Korea Society on Wednesday, January 29th at 6:30 PM (EST). We would be honored to have you join us to celebrate the incredible contributions of our members as we celebrate the start of the 2025 Lunar New Year!
At the Membership Party, one of our signature annual events, we gather for an evening of delicious Korean food and drink, entertainment, gifts, and connection. Please join us in celebrating you – our esteemed members – as we usher in another year together. The event will take place at our office location at 350 Madison Ave, 24th floor, New York, NY 10017.
This exclusive event is open to members only, with the option for members to purchase tickets for additional guests ($10 per ticket).
Become a member or renew your membership today to join this memorable evening and immerse yourself in a collective passion for Korea!
For members only, please submit the form below by Friday, January 24, 2025 to register for the event.
For members who wish to purchase tickets for additional guests, please click the box below.
Your donation, at whatever level you choose to join, provides vital support for our event. We will prominently recognize your generosity prior, during and after the event, and via website and social media. Please become a supporter of The Korea Society and highlight your brand’s visibility to our members, many of whom are key business executives, diplomats and young professionals within the U.S.-Korea relations.
Event Sponsorship
Gold – $3,000
• Opportunity for welcoming remarks by a company representative
• Verbal Recognition as a Gold Sponsor during the event
• On-screen recognition with logo by level before and after the event
• Acknowledgement by level on the website, social media, and promotional emails
• Acknowledgement in our Annual Report
• 20 additional tickets to the party
• One year individual membership (Patron level at $500/year)
Silver – $2,000
• Verbal Recognition as a Silver Sponsor during the event
• On-screen recognition with logo by level before and after the event
• Acknowledgement by level on the website, social media, and promotional emails
• Acknowledgement in our Annual Report
• 10 additional tickets to the party
• One year individual membership (Fellow level at $250/year)
Bronze – $1,000
• On-screen recognition with logo by level before and after the event
• Acknowledgement by level on the website, social media, and promotional emails
• 5 additional tickets to the party
• One year individual membership (Dual level at $100/year)
In-kind donation is also welcome.
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer, at stephanie@koreasociety.org
Sponsors
GOLD
IN-KIND DONORS
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| Haerfest |
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| Kim’C Market |
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| Korean Air |
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| Korean Cultural Center |
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| The Kunjip |
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| Makku |
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| Mrs. Bakewell’s |
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| New Wonjo |
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| Ongi |
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| Pavé |
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| Sojo Spa Club |
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| Soju Haus |
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| Sulwhasoo |
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| Tussi |
TOKALA explores the ancient connection between East Asia and the Middle East via the Silk Road where cultural exchange happened and left an imprint which became an integral part of East Asian culture. Their concept of tying together various musical genres with different cultural influences is exactly in line of concept of the bridge between the artistic heritage of world culture.
About Performers
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| Shoko Nagai – Accordion/Voice Shoko Nagai is a versatile musical artist known for her improvisation and original compositions. Since moving to the U.S. from Japan and studying classical and jazz at Berklee, she has mastered instruments like the piano, accordion, Moog synthesizer, and prepared piano. Whether performing Klezmer, Balkan, or experimental music, Nagai captivates audiences with her intense focus and virtuosity. A veteran of New York’s downtown music scene, she has collaborated with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Miho Hatori, and others. Her accolades include fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts (2010, 2023), awards from Chamber Music America (2021), City Artist Corps (2021), JazJants (2008), and recognition as a 2022 International Songwriting Competition finalist. Currently, she is working on projects with Koo Chang Mo and performances in Korea. Her charismatic stage presence continues to mesmerize audiences worldwide. |
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| Vong Pak – Percussion Mr. Pak, a Korean diaspora musician and theatre practitioner, blends traditional Korean arts—pungmul, samulnori, masked dance, folk songs, and pansori—with contemporary creativity. His global travels to over 45 countries shape his art, including his celebrated album Blue and White: Electric Shaman Live. He has performed internationally in over 20 countries and at prestigious U.S. venues like Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Symphony Space. His work has been featured on Good Day New York, Pix11 Morning News, ESPN commercials, and the documentary Rhythm in Motions. As a producer, his works include Dance in the Three Generations of Korean Immigrants and The Sulpuri Dance for Blessing and Peace. He has taught widely, from K-12 students to seniors, at institutions like the Manhattan School of Music. A cultural advisor and Heritage Ambassador, Mr. Pak is currently directing The Migrated Seeds, a documentary on Korean immigrant folklore. His awards include the 2024 NYSCA Fellowship. |
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| Sita Chay – Violin A violinist, composer, and performance artist born in South Korea, Sita Chay is a 2017 Latin Grammy Award winner with the Mariachi group Flor de Toloache. Her creative endeavors have been generously supported by prestigious grants, including those from the NYFA Women’s Fund, NYFA artist fellowship, and New Music USA and has participated in residencies at notable venues like Joe’s Pub. Chay’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in the quest for the sacredness of life and the pursuit of truthfulness through the practice of ritual. Her interdisciplinary series, “Multidimensionally Human,” delves into the somatic sensations of psychotherapy IFS (Internal Family Systems) through various art forms. Collaborating with neuroscientist Dr. Nikolai Chapochnikov, she explores the intersection of art and science in her quest for deeper understanding. In 2023, she released “Ritual of Le Sac,” a music narrative film inspired by her experiences of pregnancy. Chay is also the founder of SaaWee, a Korean Shaman Music Ritual ensemble, blending theatricality with Korean folk spirituality and contemporary jazz which was recognized at the California Music Video Awards 2022 for Best World Music. |
