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Author: Yurim Oh

Author Talks: Bora Chung & Anton Hur

Posted on by Yurim Oh

Author photo: ©HyeYoung | 

 

The author and translator of Cursed Bunny, a National Book Award and International Booker Prize Finalist, are back with a new collection of short stories.

A rising star of Korean literature, Bora Chung burst onto the American literary scene last year with the publication of her astounding debut, Cursed Bunny: Stories, translated by Anton Hur. Met with universal praise, these surreal, chilling fables that take on patriarchy, capitalism, and the reign of big tech were a National Book Award Finalist for Translated Literature and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. Chung and Hur returns with her striking sophomore collection, Your Utopia: Stories.

Filled with Chung’s inimitable blend of horror, absurdity, and dark humor, and set in near and distant futures that reflect our deepest fears and desires, the stories in Your Utopia take place in different, off-kilter yet sometimes uncannily familiar settings. With Your Utopia, Chung hopes to provide readers with “a collection of stories that explore the limits of humanity to re-discover what it means to be human. Like all other works of science and speculative fiction, Your Utopia is ultimately about human beings: who we are and what we will be as the Anthropocene era reaches its peak and eventual demise.”

In this episode of Author Talks, Bora Chung is joined by Anton Hur to discuss her latest English publication.

 

Author Talks: Bora Chung & Anton Hur

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

 

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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Jian Yoo | Iridescent Hue

Posted on by Yurim Oh

January 25 – April 18, 2024 |

Working in the precise and fine medium of mother of pearl – “jagae” in Korean – Jian Yoo’s iridescent art bridges historical and contemporary, nature and artificial, arts and crafts. Made of thousands of mother-of-pearl pieces layered in intricate patterns, Yoo’s art respectfully acknowledges the long tradition of master craft workers while reinventing the genre with distinctively modern sensibilities.

The Korea Society Gallery is open only by appointment. The appointment must be made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled visit. To make an appointment, please contact info@koreasociety.org.

Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10 AM-4:30 PM
By Appointment Only

Click here to make an appointment

 

 

 

New York Asia Week Reception

Thursday, March 14, 2024 | 5-7 PM (EDT)

 

@ The Korea Society 
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, NYC

**Pre-registration is now required for all Korea Society events, and an ID is required for security.**

For more information, please contact info@koreasociety.org or call (212) 759-7525.

 

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Jian Yoo is a contemporary mother-of-pearl artist residing and working between Korea and the United States. While studying Interior Design at Pratt Institute of New York, Yoo chose mother-of-pearl—or “jagae” in Korean—as her medium, inspired by her father, a master of “najeonchilgi” or Korean nacre lacquerware who ran his own studio throughout her childhood. Returning to Korea in 2013, Yoo embarked on pioneering the modern mother-of-pearl art while establishing her own studio, ARIJIAN.

Yoo designed the trophy for the first Seoul Smart City Prize, and her artwork was chosen as the Presidential State Gift for the South Korea-US Summit of 2023 and 44 other heads of state and foreign dignitaries. She held a solo exhibition at the Andaz Hotel Gangnam in Seoul, Lotte Hotel Seoul, Culture Object in New York, and was featured in exhibitions at, among others, Downtown Design Dubai, UNESCO Headquarter in Paris, and National Folk Museum of Korea, which also acquired her artwork. Jian Yoo has also collaborated with brands such as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Cartier, Blancpain, Girogetti, and many others.

 

 

Jian Yoo | Iridescent Hue

Posted on by Yurim Oh

January 25 – April 18, 2024 |

Working in the precise and fine medium of mother of pearl – “jagae” in Korean – Jian Yoo’s iridescent art bridges historical and contemporary, nature and artificial, arts and crafts. Made of thousands of mother-of-pearl pieces layered in intricate patterns, Yoo’s art respectfully acknowledges the long tradition of master craft workers while reinventing the genre with distinctively modern sensibilities.

The Korea Society Gallery is open only by appointment. The appointment must be made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled visit. To make an appointment, please contact info@koreasociety.org.

Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10 AM-4:30 PM
By Appointment Only

Click here to make an appointment

 

 

 

New York Asia Week Reception

Thursday, March 14, 2024 | 5-7 PM (EDT)

 

@ The Korea Society 
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, NYC

**Pre-registration is now required for all Korea Society events, and an ID is required for security.**

For more information, please contact info@koreasociety.org or call (212) 759-7525.

 

Join our membership program here!

email iconE-News sign-up

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Jian Yoo is a contemporary mother-of-pearl artist residing and working between Korea and the United States. While studying Interior Design at Pratt Institute of New York, Yoo chose mother-of-pearl—or “jagae” in Korean—as her medium, inspired by her father, a master of “najeonchilgi” or Korean nacre lacquerware who ran his own studio throughout her childhood. Returning to Korea in 2013, Yoo embarked on pioneering the modern mother-of-pearl art while establishing her own studio, ARIJIAN.

Yoo designed the trophy for the first Seoul Smart City Prize, and her artwork was chosen as the Presidential State Gift for the South Korea-US Summit of 2023 and 44 other heads of state and foreign dignitaries. She held a solo exhibition at the Andaz Hotel Gangnam in Seoul, Lotte Hotel Seoul, Culture Object in New York, and was featured in exhibitions at, among others, Downtown Design Dubai, UNESCO Headquarter in Paris, and National Folk Museum of Korea, which also acquired her artwork. Jian Yoo has also collaborated with brands such as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Cartier, Blancpain, Girogetti, and many others.

 

 

An Evening of Korean Traditional Dance

Posted on by Yurim Oh

Join us for an enchanted evening of Korean traditional dance performances. Kim Myoseon, Master Instructor of Seungmu (monk’s dance), the 27th Important Intangible Cultural Property of the Republic of Korea, and her company present a series of dance performances and provide a fascinating account behind the formation and evolution of Korean dance.

 

 

An Evening of Korean Traditional Dance

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 6:30 PM (EST)

 

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

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About the Speaker:

Renowned dancer Kim Myoseon was designated as Master Instructor of Seungmu, the 27th Important Intangible Cultural Property of Korea, in 2005. She is Chief Artistic Director of Balim Dance Company and Chair of the Ubong Imaebang Dance Preservation Association, which was founded to preserve the legacy of her late teacher Lee Mae-bang. Kim also served as an exchange professor at University of California, Los Angeles, and has established 13 Kim Myoseon National Intangible Cultural Heritage Seungmu Training Centers globally, located in Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, New Jersey, Tokushima, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Okayama, Incheon, Busan, Mokpo, and Seoul. Among many honors and awards she has received are the 2021 Korea Arts and Culture Achievement Award and was the Grand Prize at 33rd Korean Traditional Music Awards.

Interview with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim

Posted on by Yurim Oh

Join us for the “Local Leadership in a Global Context” series with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim, moderated by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Korea Society Board Chair.

Governor Kim and Ambassador Stephens discuss the transformation of Gyeonggi Province into a “center of opportunity,” highlighting its growing global reach through international cooperation, including with U.S. businesses and institutions. Governor Kim also shares lessons from his inspiring life and career.

Gyeonggi Province is the Republic of Korea’s most populous province with 14 million residents, and home to key Korean industries, research and educational institutions, and much more. Governor Dong Yeon Kim was elected Governor of Gyeonggi Province in June 2022. Previously, Governor Kim served as ROK Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from 2017 to 2018. He was President of Ajou University from 2015 to 2017.

This program was recorded in Suwon in November 2023.

  

Interview with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim

Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 6:00 PM (EST)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dong Yeon Kim was inaugurated as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, the largest province in the Republic of Korea, on July 1, 2022. With experience and insights accrued through a public service career spanning more than 3 decades, Governor Kim has undertaken the mission of making Gyeonggi Province a “center of opportunity” with “more, fairer and better opportunities” as well as a global leader in peace, future industries and quality of life.

As a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Governor Kim oversaw national economic policies. He formulated and coordinated macro/micro-economic and fiscal policies, as well as taxation, the national treasury, and international finance while supervising state-owned enterprises. He also served a pivotal role in implementing an economic paradigm shift that focused on people-centric investment and innovation growth. Furthermore, he actively initiated international cooperation with finance ministers from other countries and international organizations including the IMF, World Bank, EBRD, and OECD.

Governor Kim previously served as President of Ajou University, a leading university in Korea, bringing about innovative changes in Korea’s higher education. His initiatives – benchmarked by other universities – include the “Pa-ran (Blue) Semester” that inspires students to design their own curricula so as to pursue their visions and goals, and the “After You Program” that seeks to enhance social mobility by providing underprivileged students with opportunities to study abroad.

Other notable works from Governor Kim’s 34 years of public service include successful initiatives aimed at countering the 2008-2009 global financial crisis as the Senior Secretary to the President for Finance and Economy. From 2005 to 2006, he also developed “Vision 2030,” a national long-term strategy with a 25-year horizon and supporting fiscal plan.

Governor Kim’s work experience extends internationally as well. He was a project manager and public sector specialist at the World Bank and also served as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, in Washington D.C. Additionally, he has authored numerous publications including the best-selling book “Pleasant Uprising” and several professional articles. For his many contributions to the nation, he was awarded Korea’s Medal of Excellent Public Service in 2011.

Governor Kim has earned Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a Fulbright Scholarship.

Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation Series on Ethics & Common Values Inaugural Lecture by Dr. Jim Yong Kim

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With the ever-growing need to understand ourselves and humanity as a whole, it is necessary to examine the concepts of morality, ethics and universal values as guiding principles of the human condition. With generous support from Y.T. Hwang Family Foundation, The Korea Society is launching a new lecture and conversation series titled Series on Ethics and Common Values.

This series promotes the understanding of central themes of our human existence – morality, ethics, personal responsibility, compassion and civility – through a series of lectures by distinguished speakers and conversation with extraordinary individuals who exemplify the universal values in line with the mission of Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation and The Korea Society.

The Korea Society and Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation is proud to present Dr. Jim Yong Kim, who will deliver the inaugural lecture of the new series.

 

 This program is made possible by the support from Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation

 

Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation
Series on Ethics & Common Values
Inaugural Lecture by Dr. Jim Yong Kim

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 | 6 PM (EST)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speaker:

Jim Yong Kim, M.D., PhD, is Vice Chairman and Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, a fund that invests in infrastructure projects across several sectors around the world.From July 2012 to February 2019, Kim served as the 12th President of the World Bank Group.

A physician and anthropologist, Dr. Kim’s career has revolved around health, education, and improving the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable. He was born in South Korea to parents who had fled the violence of the Korean War and grew up in Iowa, where his father was a practicing dentist and his mother was a philosopher and theologian. Kim graduated from Brown University, then became one of the first students to study jointly for a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a PhD in anthropology at Harvard University.

While at Harvard, Kim co-founded Partners In Health, a non-profit medical organization that provides healthcare to poor communities on four continents. From 2003 to 2005, Kim served as Director of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department. Following his service at WHO, Kim was Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard School of Public Health. In 2009, he was named the 17th President of Dartmouth College, where he served until he was nominated by President Barack Obama to lead the World Bank Group.

He received a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, was recognized as one of America’s “25 Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report, and was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

 

Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture 2023

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The Korea Society is pleased to announce that the winner of the 7th Annual Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture Competition is Dr. Munseob Lee, Assistant Professor at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Lee will address The Return of Industrial Policy: Lessons from Korea.

Industrial policy is making a comeback. Signs of government intervention in support of industry are visible not only in China, but in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Drawing lessons learned from Korea’s experience, Lee provides important insights for today’s policy-makers. A notable case to be discussed is the Korean government’s implementation of the heavy and chemical industry drive in 1973. While that policy yielded positive outcomes for the targeted industries, it also resulted in a higher concentration within those sectors.

Lee emphasizes the intricate nature of industrial policy and stresses the need for a thorough evaluation of its costs and benefits before implementation, especially now given the current bipartisan support for substantial bills in the U.S. aimed at revitalizing industrial policy. As one reviewer stated, “At this critical time Lee revisits the effectiveness of Korean industrial policy during a high development phase to glean useful insights for Korea, U.S., and beyond.” The Lecture is moderated by Thomas Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society.

The intent of the annual Sherman Family Lecture Award is to grow U.S. thought leadership on Korea for a new generation. The award is presented across disciplines and to emerging thought leaders, from doctoral candidates to junior professors and respective research or non-profit professionals. The award is made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Sherman and family. You can view the presentations of former award winners here.

 

2023 Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture
The Return of Industrial Policy: Lessons from Korea
Munseob Lee

Wednesday, December 6, 2023 | 6 PM (EST)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speaker:

 

Munseob Lee is Assistant Professor of Economics in the School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) at the University of California San Diego. Lee is also an Associate Director in GPS’s Korea-Pacific Program. His research areas are macroeconomics and economic growth. Lee’s work has been published in the Journal of Political Economy and the Journal of Monetary Economics, among others. He has been a short-term consultant at the World Bank, a visiting fellow at the Asian Development Bank, and a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He earned a PhD from the University of Chicago and a BA from Seoul National University.

 

About the Moderator:

 

Thomas J. Byrne is President and CEO of The Korea Society and has taken on 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 previously served at 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.

You May Also Enjoy:

National Identity Affirmation and Trust in Korea, Japan and China with Eunbin Chung Korea’s Changing National Story and Democratic Future with Aram Hur Architecture as Kisul in Postwar Korea: Building the Industrial Nation-State: 2020 Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture with Melany Sun-Min Park P’ansori Mountain Pilgrimages: Land as Interlocutor in Contemporary Korean Oral Performance and Literature with Ivanna Sang Een Yi

TAKE ME HOME

Posted on by Yurim Oh

The Korea Society is thrilled to sponsor the screening of the award-winning short film Take Me Home, followed by a Q+A with director Liz Sargent and the film team at Marlene Meyerson JCC.

Anna is an adult with a Cognitive Disability living with her mother in Midland Florida. When her mother is unresponsive, she calls her sister for help, but without the language to be believed, Anna is brushed aside. Emily returns home and is immediately engulfed in a futile struggle for medical information, while Anna’s world is deconstructed. In this sadness, Anna sees the bigger picture and with a straightforward strength, Anna holds her own. The uncertainty for the sisters’ future independence remains but they are now a team against all odds.

Take Me Home is a film drenched with love: unexpected, fulfilling, and necessary love that comes with growing up, maturity, and realizing your own potential.— AWARDS DAILY

WINNER: Golden Reel Best Short / Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (Academy Qualifying)
WINNER: Special Jury Best Short / deadCenter Film Festival (Academy Qualifying)
WINNER: Best Film / Cinema Touching Disability
WINNER: Special Jury / Desertscape Int’l Film Festival
WINNER: Best New Actress / Anna Sargent / New York Shorts Awards

 

Reserve Tickets Here

This screening is partly supported by JP Morgan Chase & Co.

 

TAKE ME HOME
Screening & Q+A

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | 7 PM

@ Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan L2 Auditorium
334 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10023

 

 

 

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About the Director:

Photo credit: Erica Urech

Liz Sargent is a Korean American Adoptee whose award-winning work explores themes of adoption, disability and family. As a Writer/Director she incorporates her background as a choreographer into visual storytelling that channels complex human emotions that are an extension of her experience as the middle child of eleven and an exploration of her intersectional identity.

You May Also Enjoy:

The Films of Kim Ki-young Specially Processed American Me K-Content on the World Stage: Emergence, Explosion, and Staying Power with Steve Chung Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

The Korean Cookbook with Chef Junghyun Park

Posted on by Yurim Oh

Photo by Peter Ash Lee

Acclaimed two-Michelin-starred chef Junghyun (JP) Park invites you to discover the delicious and joyful world of Korean cuisine known as Hansik. Together with Jungyoon Choi, globally renowned expert on Korean food, Chef Park presents an expansive and scholarly exploration of Korean cooking and proves that there is much more to celebrate about Korean fare than just barbecue. Following 10 years of in-depth research – and 20 years of friendship – Park and Choi have meticulously crafted the most comprehensive collection of Korean recipes in print today.

The Korean Cookbook published by Phaidon features more than 350 authentic recipes, originating from the high rises of Seoul to the volcanic beaches of Jeju Island. An incredible variety of deeply-researched dishes are carefully documented in this collection that spans 500 pages and includes 110 commissioned photographs shot in Korea by photographer Jinju Kang, an artist who works primarily on Hansik and Korean Art Cultures. Designed by Associate Studio, the book brings together the heritage of Korean paper making, Hanji, along with typographic structure melding together decorative window design with one of Korea’s most celebrated typographers Ahn Sang Soo. Richly illustrated and beautifully designed, The Korean Cookbook is the definitive culinary guide that captures the true essence of Hansik for readers around the world.

In this conversation at The Korea Society with Elyse Inamine, Chef Park speaks about his first book and career.

 

The Korean Cookbook with Chef Junghyun Park

Monday, November 13, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EST)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speaker:

Junghyun (JP) Park is an acclaimed chef born and raised in Seoul. With his wife, Ellia Park, they run four restaurants in New York – Atoboy, Naro, Seoul Salon, and Atomix (2 Michelin stars, 3 stars from the New York Times). In 2022, Atomix received the Art of Hospitality Award from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and achieved No. 8 in World 50 Best 2023, the top restaurant in North America. In 2023, Park won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State.

 

About the Moderator:

Elyse Inamine is a writer and editor in New York City. Previously, she was the restaurants editor at Bon Appétit, and has covered the restaurant industry on staff at Food & Wine and Tasting Table. Now she writes for the New York Times, Food & Wine, and more, and continues to work as a contributing editor at BA.

You may also enjoy…

A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food with Michelle Li Peter Serpico: Learning Korean with Eric Kim Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home with Eric Kim Korean Instant Pot Cooking

E. J. Koh: The Liberators with Anton Hur

Posted on by Yurim Oh

Extraordinarily beautiful and deeply moving, The Liberators by E. J. Koh is an elegantly wrought family saga of memory, trauma, and empathy, and a stunning testament to the consequences and fortunes of inheritance. From the Gwangju Massacre to the 1988 Olympics, flashbacks to Korean repatriation

A moving and lyrical debut novel. . . . Koh has fully harnessed her potential in this assured outing.—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

An epic saga.—Book Page, A Most Anticipated Fiction Book of Fall 2023

At the height of the military dictatorship in South Korea, Insuk and Sungho are arranged to be married. The couple soon moves to San Jose, California, with an infant and Sungho’s overbearing mother-in-law. Adrift in a new country, Insuk grieves the loss of her past and her divided homeland, finding herself drawn into an illicit relationship that sets into motion a dramatic saga and echoes for generations to come.

Extraordinarily beautiful and deeply moving, The Liberators by E. J. Koh is an elegantly wrought family saga of memory, trauma, and empathy, and a stunning testament to the consequences and fortunes of inheritance. From the Gwangju Massacre to the 1988 Olympics, flashbacks to Korean repatriation after Japanese surrender, and the Sewol ferry accident, Koh’s exquisitely drawn portraits and symphonic testimony from guards, prisoners, perpetrators, and liberators spans continents and four generations of two Korean families forever changed by fateful past decisions made in love and war.

In this conversation with Anton Hur, E. J. Koh discusses her debut novel.

 

E. J. Koh: The Liberators with Anton Hur

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 6 PM (EST)

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Author:

E. J. Koh is the author of The Magical Language of Others, which won a Washington State Book Award, Pacific Northwest Book Award, and Association for Asian American Studies Book Award, and was longlisted for the PEN Open Book Award. Koh is also the author of the poetry collection A Lesser Love, a Pleiades Press Editors Prize for Poetry winner. Koh’s work has appeared in AGNI, the Atlantic, Boston Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Poetry, Slate, World Literature Today, and elsewhere. Koh earned her MFA at Columbia University and her PhD at the University of Washington, and has received National Endowment for the Arts and MacDowell fellowships. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

 

About the Moderator:

Anton Hur is the author of Toward Eternity (HarperVia) and No One Told Me Not To (Across Books). As a translator, he was double-longlisted and shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize. He resides in Seoul.