Annual Reports
A year-by-year record of The Korea Society’s programs, impact, and financial stewardship. Select a cover to view that year’s report.
A year-by-year record of The Korea Society’s programs, impact, and financial stewardship. Select a cover to view that year’s report.
Korea is now tied to America’s economy, technology, security, culture, and communities. Our strategic plan is how we meet that moment.
Vision & Mission
Connecting Leaders. Deepening Partnerships. Shaping Our Shared Future.
To strengthen the U.S.–Korea partnership by connecting leaders, advancing trusted knowledge, and deepening cultural understanding.
To be the institution American and Korean leaders turn to first — in policy, business, education, culture, and community.
Where leaders meet, understand one another, solve problems together, and decide what comes next.
A Statement to the Public
The global order that held for seventy years is being rewritten, and a technological revolution is remaking work, security, and daily life. Through it all, the U.S.–Korea relationship has only grown more consequential.
For nearly seven decades, The Korea Society has been the place where Americans and Koreans come to understand each other. Our task now is to widen that circle — beyond New York and Washington, to every region where Korea has become part of American life.
This plan is our commitment: a clear vision, shared values, and a focused set of priorities that we will be measured against.
Our Values
They apply to every program, partnership, and decision we make.
Nonpartisan, accurate, and reliable in everything we publish and host.
Programs worthy of the leaders and audiences we convene.
We exist for our members, communities, and both publics.
We develop the people who will carry the relationship forward.
We build with partners rather than duplicate their work.
We adapt formats, technology, and reach to meet people where they are.
Key Priorities
Each one is a capability we are building, not a calendar of events.
Build a durable network of American and Korean leaders across policy, business, and culture — and keep them connected between meetings.
Deliver clear, nonpartisan analysis of Korea and the alliance that policymakers, executives, and journalists can rely on.
Extend our work beyond New York and Washington to the regions where Korean investment, communities, and interest are growing fastest.
Equip educators and students nationwide with the resources to understand Korea’s history, culture, and role in the world.
Strengthen our people, digital platform, and financial base so this work outlasts any single administration or news cycle.
Six Institutions
Each one names a capability, why it matters, and how we carry it out.
The room where American and Korean leaders meet, learn, and decide together.
Alliances hold when the people running them know and trust each other.
How we carry it out
A home for members, Korean America, and everyone drawn to Korea.
Public support, not government alone, keeps the relationship durable.
How we carry it out
A trusted, nonpartisan source on Korea and the alliance.
Decisions get made on whatever analysis is nearest and clearest.
How we carry it out
Presence beyond New York and Washington, in every region Korea touches.
Korean investment and communities now reach far past the coasts.
How we carry it out
A platform that reaches people wherever they are.
Our audience is national; our rooms are not.
How we carry it out
The staff, systems, and reserves to do this for decades.
Ambition without a financial base is a wish.
How we carry it out
The Flywheel
Each turn makes the next one easier: reach earns trust, trust earns support, support widens reach. Select a stage to see what powers it.
Convene the people who shape the relationship, and keep them connected between meetings.
Carried by
A Leadership Institution
On this page
Nothing here works alone. The flywheel is the plan.
The Next Five Years
One clear goal per year, each building on the last.
Launch the leadership network, modernize our systems, and secure the first multi-year commitments.
Establish our first regional programs in states where Korean investment is growing fastest.
Take education and digital programming to all fifty states and double our reach.
Open a sustained West Coast presence connecting technology, entertainment, and Korean America.
Be the institution American and Korean leaders turn to first — with the endowment to keep it that way.
The Platform Today
Nearly seven decades of convening give this plan a running start.
Our advantage is relationships — in New York, Washington, Seoul, and Korean America — and the trust that comes with them.
Partner With Us
This plan works only if the people who care about the relationship carry it with us.
Become a member or corporate partner and help sustain the work year over year.
Host, co-sponsor, or bring your network into a program with us.
Fund a priority you believe in — leadership, knowledge, national reach, or education.
Join a nonprofit dedicated to deepening understanding between the people of the United States and Korea. Explore current openings across our departments below.
The Korea Society’s Arts & Culture department is seeking a talented and dedicated intern with demonstrated interest and background in Korean Studies and/or Arts. We are seeking an intern with strong administrative and research/writing skills, as well as interest in art exhibitions and programming.
As an Art & Culture Intern, you will build networking relationships with artists, performers, and experts in Korean culture. You will conduct research on organizations and individuals, as well as track and monitor current events related to traditional and contemporary Korean culture. You will gain exposure to non-profit organizations and learn database management as well as event planning and public/press outreach.
Internships are unpaid positions. We do not provide visa support. Candidates must commit to a minimum of 12 weeks and 8–10 hours per week, and be available to come to the NYC office at least 2–3 days a week. May be required to be present for evening programs.
Email a cover letter (indicating your interest and your available days and hours) and a résumé in PDF format with the subject line:
ART & CULTURE INTERNSHIP 2026
No phone calls, please. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until filled. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society seeks a motivated and detail-oriented Photography Intern to support the documentation of its public programs, special events, and cultural initiatives. This internship offers hands-on experience capturing high-profile events that advance understanding and dialogue between the United States and Korea.
The Photography Intern will assist with photographing live programs — many of which take place during weekday evenings at The Korea Society’s headquarters near Grand Central in New York City. The intern will work closely with the Communications and Programs teams to visually document lectures, panel discussions, and cultural performances.
This is an unpaid internship. Academic credit may be arranged in accordance with school requirements.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
Photography Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. No phone calls, please. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society’s Education Department is seeking talented and dedicated interns with a demonstrated interest in Korea. The department provides lecture and workshop programming, curates a wide range of resources, and offers a robust Korean Language Program. As an intern, you will have networking opportunities, receive professional skills training, and gain exposure to how nonprofit organizations work — learning database management as well as event planning and public/press outreach. We are currently offering three different internship opportunities.
Learn about the management of a language program, assist in developing and running extracurricular activities with students, and aid with curriculum development.
Internships are unpaid. Candidates must commit to a minimum of 10 weeks and 18–22 hours per week. Interns may work remotely, but one day per week in person is recommended. We cannot provide visa support.
Email the following, indicating the specific internship in the subject line (e.g. “Education Internship” or “Korean Language Internship”):
Qualified candidates will be contacted for an in-person or Zoom interview. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society’s Business and Economics Programs department is seeking a talented and dedicated intern with a demonstrated interest and background in US-Korea business/economic affairs. We are seeking an intern with strong administrative and technological skills, as well as an interest in nonprofit programming.
As a Business and Economics Intern, you will build networking relationships with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and experts in relevant industries. You will conduct research on organizations and individuals, track and monitor current events related to US-Korean business/economic affairs, and gain exposure to non-profit organizations while learning database management, event planning, and public/press outreach.
Internships are unpaid. We do not provide visa support. Candidates must commit to a minimum of 12 weeks and 8–10 hours per week, and be available to come to the NYC office at least one day a week. May be required to be present for evening programs.
Submit your application with the subject line:
Business/Economics Internship: Your Name
Your application must include ALL of the following: 1) a résumé in PDF format; 2) a cover letter indicating your interest and the specific months and days you are available to work.
No phone calls, please. Rolling basis until filled. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society seeks multiple bright, enthusiastic, and dedicated interns for its Development Department. The Development intern will provide support for all aspects of the department, assisting with tasks and projects across the following key functional areas.
Applicants must be well organized, competent in Microsoft Office, and capable of conducting detail-oriented Internet searches. Knowledge of Photoshop and InDesign is a plus. This is an unpaid position but an outstanding opportunity for someone interested in nonprofit development, fundraising, and programming. Class credit available. The work schedule is flexible and will be discussed during the interview.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
Development Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. No phone calls, please. Rolling basis until filled. Thank you for your interest!
The Communications department is seeking a talented, motivated, and hard-working intern who shares our mission to promote greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. As a Communications intern, you will help expand The Korea Society’s audience and reach online and in media, and gain experience in a fast-paced non-profit environment.
Internships are unpaid. Candidates must commit to a minimum of 12 weeks and 8–10 hours per week. Priority given to applicants available to staff in-person events at our NYC office on some weekdays.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
Communications Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. No phone calls, please. Rolling basis until filled. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society’s Policy department is now accepting applications for internships. Qualified candidates should have demonstrated interests in international relations or East Asian politics, with strong research and writing skills and an interest in programming.
As a Policy Intern, you will build working relationships with leading international relations experts, thinkers, and practitioners. You will monitor current events surrounding Northeast Asia and its effects on U.S. foreign policy, assist with conducting research and briefing our President & CEO, and have opportunities to join private roundtable discussions with senior government officials.
Internships are unpaid. We do not provide visa support. Candidates are expected to commit 15–20 hours a week and come to the NYC office at least one day a week, and to assist at in-person policy programs. A six-month commitment is preferred; short periods of two-three months are not optimal for the intern or the Society, so please consider this before applying.
Email the following with the subject line:
2026 POLICY INTERNSHIP APPLICATION – Last Name, First Name
Please do not follow up by phone. Thank you for your interest!
These internships afford unique opportunities to understand the inner workings of a non-profit organization, and to learn about and contribute to the social, cultural, economic, political, and security dimensions of the U.S.-Korea relationship. The work schedule is flexible and will be discussed during the interview. This is an unpaid internship; class credit is available where applicable.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
General Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. Please do not follow up by phone. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society’s Finance department is seeking an enthusiastic intern with an interest in learning about finance/accounting. The potential intern should be detail-oriented and possess some degree of administrative and bookkeeping skills. This is an unpaid internship; class credit is applicable.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
Finance Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society seeks an intern to assist its media team with content creation. Applicants should have an interest in Korean or Asian issues and be able to create high-quality work for the Society’s communications with its business, government, and academic constituencies.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
Design Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. Thank you for your interest!
The Korea Society seeks a video production intern to assist its media team with content creation. Applicants should display an interest in Korean or Asian issues and be able to create high-quality work for the Society’s communications with its business, government, and academic constituencies.
Submit a cover letter and résumé with the subject line:
Video Internship: Your Name
Only emailed applications will be accepted. Thank you for your interest!
In the interest of transparency and accountability, The Korea Society makes its financial disclosures, audited statements, and tax filings publicly available below.
공익위반 제보를 위한 국민권익위원회, 국세청 홈페이지 링크 안내입니다. 공익위반 제보가 있을 경우 아래 링크를 사용해 제보 바랍니다.
The Korea Society seeks to be the recognized leader in promoting closer relations between the peoples of the Republic of Korea and the United States.
The Korea Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization with individual and corporate members that is dedicated to the promotion of greater awareness and understanding in order to strengthen cooperation between the peoples of the United States and Republic of Korea.
In the area of Policy, promote and increase interest, knowledge, and discussion of the importance of Korea and the ROK–U.S. Alliance in order to maintain and strengthen the diplomatic and security relationships, all aspects of which are critical for the future of both countries.
In the area of Education, advance educational opportunities and programs for students and educators in order to promote mutual understanding and appreciation as well as develop and sustain the long-lasting ties between our two nations for generations to come.
In the area of Arts & Culture, promote the diversity and excellence of Korean and Korean-American artists, performers, authors, and other professionals in the broadly defined area of culture.
In the area of Business & Economics, bring greater awareness of and focus on business relationships between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea in order to strengthen economic relations.
Expand and increase consistent and predictable contributions of foundations, corporations, and individuals to The Korea Society’s activities and its finances.
Strengthen and grow TKS to enable it to accomplish the Society’s mission and organizational vision.
We gratefully acknowledge the corporations, foundations, and individuals whose generosity sustains our mission to deepen understanding between the people of the United States and Korea.
Ascend Capital Partners
Bank of America Merrill Lynch & Co.
Bigsun Holding Group
Binggrae Corporation
Consulate General of the ROK in New York
Dentons Lee
Hanwha Qcells
HYOSUNG
Korea Zinc
LS Corp. | Superior Essex
New York Life
PGA Tour
Woods Capital, LLC
Yang Won Sun Foundation
BGR Group
City National Bank
Deloitte & Touche LLC
Hanmi Pharmaceutical
Jobs Ohio
Kumho Tire Co.
LS MnM
McLarty Associates
PGP Capital Advisors, LLC
PKF Plenus
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Bridg
Corning Incorporated
Dentons US LLP
Doosan Business Research Institute, DBRI
Ernst & Young LLP
The Federation of Korean Industries
HLP Integration
Industrial Bank of Korea
KB Kookmin Bank
Korea Investment Corporation
Lazard Asset Management
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
NH Financial Group
PwC
Roman DBDR
Aprio LLP
Export Import Bank of Korea
First Republic Bank
KCCI
KOTRA
All Dimension Construction
Alquist 3D
Amkor Technology
AtkinsRéalis
Blockchains
CBOL / Pacific Century / Celltron
Corstone
DR&AJU
Ethos Asset Management
Hamilton Advisor
Hembio
IceMiller
KCIF, Inc.
Kessler Foundation
Maekyung Media Group
Relay Human Cloud
rePlant Hemp Advisors
RFR Realty LLC
The Royal Bank of Canada
Tech Council Ventures
Thank you to all who make The Korea Society’s work possible.
Abraham Kim, Ph.D. is the President & CEO of The Korea Society, where he leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen ties between the United States and Korea through policy dialogue, business engagement, and cultural exchange.
Dr. Kim brings more than 25 years of experience in public policy, national security, and nonprofit leadership, with a career focused on U.S.–Korea relations and Northeast Asia. He has worked closely with senior government officials, business leaders, and international organizations, providing analysis and guidance on geopolitical and economic issues related to the Korean Peninsula.
Prior to joining The Korea Society, Dr. Kim served as Executive Director & President of the Council of Korean Americans (CKA), where he expanded the organization’s national footprint and strengthened its role in policy engagement and leadership development. He previously served as Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana and as Interim President and Vice President of the Korea Economic Institute of America, where he supported public diplomacy initiatives and educational programs focused on the U.S.–Korea alliance.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Kim worked as a policy and risk analyst at Eurasia Group, CSIS, and SAIC, focusing on political risk, crisis simulations, and regional security issues in Northeast Asia. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in Political Science from Columbia University, an M.A. from Harvard University, and a B.A. from Boston University.
Jiyoung Suh is the Vice President at The Korea Society, where she leads fundraising activities, corporate programs, signature events, and external affairs. With over a decade of service to the Society, Jiyoung has held various roles, including Senior Director of Development, Director of Special Events, and Development Officer. Her extensive experience encompasses all aspects of development and event management.
Before joining The Korea Society, Jiyoung served as a Manager at The Beautiful Foundation NY (aka NY Nanum Foundation). She earned her Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Diplomacy from Ewha Womans University.
Hae Kyung “Haley” Ahn is Senior Advisor for Outreach at The Korea Society. In this position, she plays an important role in expanding the influence and activities of The Korea Society beyond its New York base and acts as the representative of The Korea Society in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining The Korea Society, Haley worked as Senior Advisor at Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) and Head of the Protocol Office at the U.S. Embassy, Seoul. She also served as advisor and lecturer at the International Convention Management Center at Ewha Womans University and adjunct professor at Soongeui Women’s College in Seoul, Korea. Haley has received various awards from U.S. government including Meritorious Honor Award and Foreign Service National (FSN) of the Year Award. She has also received a Merit Award from the Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense. Haley was an undergraduate at Ewha Womans University. She holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from Yonsei University and Ph.D. in Political Science from Ewha Womans University.
Hyunjung (Helen) Cho joined The Korea Society team in December 2020 as the Financial Controller. She has more than 25 years of finance experience including accounting, business process, budgeting and financial reporting in non-profit, retail, and bio-tech industries. Prior to joining The Korea Society, Helen held a Controller position for more than 12 years and an Accounting Manager for 4 years at The Partnership for New York City. She holds a master’s degree in accounting from University of Colorado Denver and bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Colorado Boulder. She is a certified public accountant registered in Colorado.
Seho Kim, Senior Creative Director at The Korea Society, oversees the organization’s visual identity, creative projects, and communication strategies across web, print, and mobile platforms. With a background in freelance artistry, including work for UNICEF, W Hotels the Store, and gallery exhibitions, he also illustrated the children’s book Go for Kids and taught at Parsons School of Design/New School University. Holding a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Parsons, where he was the 2003 student commencement speaker, he has received numerous accolades for his excellence in communications design, including the ARC, Vision, Inspire, Spotlight, American Design, and Magellan Awards.
Before joining the Korea Society, Jay Oh has worked in publishing and non-profit art organizations in Greensboro, N.C., Minneapolis, and New York. She holds a B.A. in art history from Smith College and an M.A. in art history from Williams College.
Chelsie Alexandre is the Geopolitical Affairs Program Officer at The Korea Society. She works with the Director of Policy to develop and implement events that address issues shaping the dynamics of U.S.-ROK relations, the Korean peninsula, and Northeast Asia. Before joining The Korea Society, Chelsie received a Fulbright Research award to conduct research in South Korea on the role of middle power countries in the Korean peace process with Korea University’s Peace and Democracy Institute. During her time in Seoul, she also briefly reported on domestic Korean affairs for The Diplomat.
Prior to her current role, Chelsie was a Partnerships Coordinator at the New York City-based nonprofit, The Concordia Summit, and she worked as a Legal Analyst at the global law firm Kobre & Kim. Chelsie also had previous experience as a research Intern at The Korea Society. She graduated with a B.A. in Politics from Princeton University, with minors in East Asian Studies and Diplomacy.
Rachel Bang is The Korea Society’s Arts and Culture Programs Associate. Rachel is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of various arts and culture initiatives within the organization. She also works to conduct research related to arts and culture, identifying potential partners and collaborators, and helping to build relationships! She holds a B.A. in Psychology and minor in Korean Culture and Studies.
Stephanie Hwang is The Korea Society’s Development Program Officer. Along with providing general support to the Development Team, she is responsible for managing individual membership and programming the Young Professional Network. Prior to joining The Korea Society in 2023, she worked in Publicity and Marketing at Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Stony Brook University, and tutors high-school level English on the weekends.
Jamie Joo is the Associate Director of Development at The Korea Society. She is responsible for managing corporate membership and coordinating special events for the organization. Before joining The Korea Society, Jamie served as an Operation Specialist in the United States Navy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering Technology with a specialization in Avionics from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology.
Eunjung Kho is the Director of Administration / Assistant Controller at the Society. She graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a BS in Accounting. During her years at Binghamton, she served on the Executive Board of various Korean-American groups—as a Secretary, Fundraiser, and Design Editor—that promoted and planned social, educational, and cultural events for Koreans, Korean-Americans, and students on campus. She was the Secretary for Korean-American Student Association, and the Magazine Design Editor and Secretary for Han Perspective, the only bilingual publication group on campus to provide news, opinions, reviews, and arts with a focus on Korean and Korean-American culture.
Sojeong is the Director of Business and Economics Program. Working with the Senior Director of Development, Sojeong manages the corporate program with a focus on startup business in America and Korea. Her program shines a light on the dynamic startup scene in Korea and America, helping to connect successful startup pioneers with aspiring entrepreneurs. Sojeong has extensive experience in fundraising and in managing youth leadership and community development programs. Prior to her current role, she was a Program Officer at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, The Beautiful Foundation NY (aka Nanum Foundation), and The Korea Society. She holds a B.A. in English Education from Ewha Womans University, an M.A. in Political Science from Seoul National University, and an M.I.A. (Master of International Affairs) from the University of California, San Diego.
Gayoung is the Executive Assistant to President/CEO and Board of Directors Staff Liaison at The Korea Society. She previously interned at Portman Square Group, a global investigations firm specializing in business intelligence, where she focused on due diligence, research, and data analysis. Gayoung also worked as an administrative assistant in Columbia University’s Undergraduate Admissions Office and as a communications associate at The Kaizen Company, an international development firm.
Passionate about foreign policy and U.S.-Korea relations, Gayoung was one of ten undergraduate fellows selected globally for the 2022 Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC) Summer Fellowship program at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). There, she conducted research on potential challenges to the Nuclear Suppliers Group due to increasing global nuclear demand and changing attitudes surrounding nuclear energy. Gayoung graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Political Science.
Sara is the Business & Economics Program Associate at The Korea Society. She provides support to the corporate programs, focusing on US-ROK economic relations, the startup sector, and related leadership programs. Prior to joining the Korea Society, she has interned at The Ditchley Foundation and at the US-Asia Institute and has conducted various research about Korea’s role in the world, such as Korea’s modern economic development, Korean diaspora studies, South Korea and China’s cultural diplomatic ties, and East Asian modern territoriality. She holds an MSc in International Relations from The London School of Economics and a double B.A. in Global Liberal Studies and Social Cultural Analysis (high honors) from New York University.
Yurim Oh is The Korea Society’s Education Program Officer and serves as the coordinator of the Society’s Korean Language Program (KLP). Yurim designs and delivers software training and onboarding for internal staff on new digital tools and technologies, while also supporting the development, management, and promotion of KLP. Before joining The Korea Society in 2025, Yurim served as a program director and instructor at Semonemo.US, and earlier owned and operated an English and college prep academy in South Korea. Yurim is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Analytics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She holds a Master of Science in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology from the University at Albany and a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Public Administration and Landscape Architecture from the University of Seoul.
Micala Shaffer is The Korea Society’s Communication Officer. She is responsible for developing and executing the organization’s communications strategy, coordinating program promotions, fostering relationships with media personnel, and managing grant proposals and reporting. She first joined The Korea Society as Communication Intern in 2021 after graduating from University at Albany with a B.A. in East Asian Studies, double major in Globalization Studies, and a minor in Korean Studies. Prior to joining The Korea Society full time, she worked as the receptionist at the law office of McAdam & Fallon.
Bradley D. Sheen is the Media Program Associate at The Korea Society. With a strong background in media production and a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, he collaborates closely with the Creative Director and IT Director to create engaging multimedia content, including video production, editing, and graphic design. His role also involves updating program webpages, ensuring a dynamic online presence for the organization.
As the Society’s IT Director, Peter Stuehmke is proficient with technologies such as network administration, database administration, Web 2.0 technologies, and audio-visual production. Prior to joining the Society in April 2006, Peter Stuehmke worked in a variety of technology, support, consulting, and media-design positions. Mr. Stuehmke graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2005 with a BA in philosophy and a minor in engineering science.
Join us for an upcoming program in The Korea Society’s Young Professionals Network: Lessons Learned series, presented in partnership with the Korea Finance Society (KFS).
This program features Karen Choi, Partner at Capital Group, who will reflect on her professional journey and share lessons from building a long-term career at the highest levels of the global finance industry. She will offer candid perspective on leadership and the realities of sustaining a career while balancing competing priorities, with insights for young professionals as they consider the intersection of growth and purpose in their own careers.
The discussion will be moderated by Sandra Schubert, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. Drawing on shared industry experience, the conversation will be followed by a Q&A and networking session, offering an opportunity to engage directly with the speakers.
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The Korea Society is pleased to present this Young Professionals’ Network event in partnership with the Korea Finance Society (KFS). KFS seeks to build a community to promote the advancement of Korean and Korean-American financial professionals in the United States through networking, education, and mentorship. |
About the Speaker:
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Karen Choi is a partner and fixed income portfolio manager at Capital Group. She has 27 years of investment experience and has been with Capital Group for 17 years. Earlier in her career at Capital, as a fixed income investment analyst, Karen covered utilities, regional banks, and non-bank financials in the U.S. Prior to joining Capital, she was a senior vice-president and fixed income analyst at AllianceBernstein and before that with Prudential Financial. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Wellesley College. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Karen is an appointed member of the Edison Electric Institute Wall Street Advisory Group (WSAG). Karen is on the Board of the New York Women’s Foundation and previously served as Co-chair of the Board, and she is also active in local and global non-profit organizations. Karen is the co-founder and organizer of Women in Power and has chaired one of the inaugural inclusion committees in her workplace. Karen is also on the Board of Trustees at the Horace Mann School. Karen resides in CT with her husband/partner and four daughters. |
About the Moderator:
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| Sandra Schubert is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor in the Asset & Wealth Management Division of Goldman Sachs, where she leads a team responsible for advising ultra-high net worth families and family offices, endowments, and foundations. She is a member of the firm’s Top Advisors, a select group that represents the top 10% of advisors globally. Sandra joined Goldman Sachs after receiving her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to graduate school, Sandra spent several years in Asia and in France, heading the ELLE brand for Hachette Filipacchi in Korea. Sandra received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School. She serves the communities where she lives and works as a current Trustee and past Investment Committee Chair of the Brooklyn Public Library, a Trustee of the Korea Finance Society, and Steering Committee Member of the GS Asian Professionals Network. |
In If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light, Korean science fiction superstar Kim Choyeop leads us to places we never thought we’d reach, imagining worlds galaxies away and unfamiliar lifeforms with near-dizzying humanity. A stunning and poignant collection of literary speculative fiction stories that explore the complexities of identity, love, death, and the search for life’s meaning, Kim’s stories dismantle the borders between normal and abnormal, material and abstract, earthly and otherworldly. With unforgettable inventiveness and pathos, If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light heralds the arrival of an essential voice in contemporary fiction.
In this episode of Author Talks, Kim and her English translator Anton Hur discuss her English debut.
About the Authors:
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Kim Choyeop has a master’s degree in biochemistry from Pohang University of Science and Technology. When she burst onto the Korean literary scene, her short story ‘Lost on Premises’ received immediate recognition at the 2017 Korean Science Fiction Awards. She is also the recipient of the Minumsa Writer of the Year Award and the Munhak Dongne Young Writer Award. Her first short story collection If We Can’t Travel at the Speed of Light has sold over two hundred thousand copies in Korea alone. She is also the author of two more short story collections, The World I Just Left Behind and The Bookstore of Planetary Languages. Kim’s first novel, Greenhouse At the End of the Earth, became an instant bestseller in South Korea. |
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Anton Hur is the author of Toward Eternity and the translator of Kim Choyeop’s If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light, Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny, Baek Sehee’s I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, Lee Seong-bok’s That Summer’s End, Kyung-Sook Shin’s Violets, and others. He was double-longlisted and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, a finalist for the National Book Award, and nominated for the Dublin Literary Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He resides in Seoul. |
Across Languages: New Voices in Korean Poetry brings together acclaimed South Korean poets Lee Jenny, Yoo Heekyung, Oh Eun, and Shin Hae-uk with award-winning literary translators Archana Madhavan and Stine An, for a Korean–English bilingual reading and conversation to share the dynamism and innovations of language in Korean poetry culture. Through poetry and discussion, the speakers examine the cultural centrality of poetry in Korea and consider translation as a critical, creative practice that reshapes how literature circulates, sounds, and is felt across languages.
This program is presented in partnership with Ugly Duckling Presse and Zephyr Press.

About the Speakers:
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Yoo Heekyung is an acclaimed South Korean poet, playwright, and essayist. He is the author of over ten collections of poetry and prose, including Today’s Morning Vocabulary (Moonji Books, 2011), Winter Night Rabbit Worries (Hyundae Munhak, 2023), and Photography and Poetry (Achimdal Books, 2024). Yoo studied creative writing at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and playwriting at the Korea National University of Arts, and debuted as a poet in 2008 when his poem won the Chosun Ilbo’s spring literary contest. A recipient of Today’s Young Artist Award from the South Korean Ministry of Culture (2023), Hyundae Munhak Literary Award (2020), and the Gosan New Writer Award (2019), Yoo lives in Seoul where he runs the poetry bookshop and project space Wit N Cynical. |
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Lee Jenny is a South Korean poet and writer, born in Busan in 1972. In 2008, she made her literary debut with the poem “Peru” which won the Kyunghyang Daily News New Writer’s Award. She has since published four poetry collections: Maybe Africa (2010), As We Don’t Know Us (2014), The Things That Were Thus Scribbled (2019), The Sentences That Aren’t Even There are Beautiful (2019), Eternity Looks Back at the Future (2026), and an essay collection Dawn and Music (2024). She was the recipient of the Kim Hyun Literary Prize in 2016 and the Hyundae Munhak Award in 2022. |
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Oh Eun was born in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do in 1982. He graduated from the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University and received a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Culture Technology at KAIST. He began his poetic career in the pages of Modern Poetry in 2002. His work includes the poetry collections The Pigs at Hotel Tassel, We Love Ambience, Something from Something, The Left Hand’s Feelings are Hurt, I Had a Name, The Pronoun for Nothingness, the young adult poetry collection Matters of the Heart, and the essay collections You, I, and Yellow, Patting, Wearing Green, Why Not, People Who Only Become Kin at Night. He has won the Park In-hwan Literary Award, Gu Sang Poetry Award, Modern Poetry Award, Poet’s Notebook Award and Daesan Literary Award. He belongs to the poetry collective Jangnan(作亂). |
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Shin Hae-uk was born in Chuncheon in 1974. Shin’s major works include the poetry collections Precise Arrangement, Biologicity, syzygy, Caecilians, and Natural History from the Edge of the Natural; the novel The Dream Reader Electrical Shop; and the essay collections Book for Just One and Looking out the Window. Her honors include the Kim Hyun Literature Award, the Shin Tong-mun Literature Prize and the Daesan Literature Award. |
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Stine An is a poet, literary translator, and performer in New York City. She holds a BA in Literature from Harvard College and an MFA in Literary Arts from Brown University and is the recipient of fellowships and grants from The Poetry Project, the PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant, Yaddo, ALTA, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her publications include Today’s Morning Vocabulary (Zephyr Press, 2025) and Winter Night Rabbit Worries (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2026) by Yoo Heekyung, and S_MMER CR_SH (Sarabande Books, 2025). Their debut poetry collection, B-Dragon Suite, is a winner of the 2023 Nightboat Poetry Prize. |
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Archana Madhavan translates Korean poetry and prose into English. Her past book-length works include Kim Hyun’s Glory Hole (co-translation, 2022) and Amil’s Roadkill (2025). Her translation of Lee Jenny’s first book of poetry Pirowa Padowa was shortlisted for the Granum Translation Prize in 2023 and won the Malinda A. Markham Translation Prize in 2024. She lives in San Jose, California. |