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Dr. 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.

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.

Sara is the Business and 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.

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.

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.

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 with a double B.A. in East Asian Studies and Globalization Studies (magna cum laude) from University at Albany. Prior to joining The Korea Society full time, she worked at the law office of McAdam & Fallon, P.C..

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.