Join us for a book talk with the Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder. This new work provides an authoritative overview of the internal and external pressures on the U.S.–South Korea alliance and explores its future prospects. He argues that exclusive-nationalist leaders’ accession to power and domestic political polarization in the United States and South Korea could put past successes at risk and endanger the national security objectives of both countries. In the United States, “America First” nationalism favors self-interest over cooperation and portrays allies as burdens or even free riders. “Korea first” sentiments, in both progressive and conservative forms, present the U.S. military presence in South Korea as an obstacle to inter-Korean reconciliation or a shackle on South Korea’s freedom of action. Snyder also examines North Korea’s attempts to influence South Korean domestic politics and how China’s growing strength has affected the dynamics of the alliance. He considers scenarios in which the U.S.-South Korea relationship weakens or crumbles, emphasizing the consequences for the region and the world. Drawing on this analysis, Snyder offers timely recommendations for stakeholders in both countries on how to preserve and strengthen the alliance. The conversation is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado.
This program is produced in partnership between The Korea Society and The Council on Foreign Relations.
The U.S.-South Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Not
Tuesday, January 9, 2024 | 6 PM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Scott A. Snyder is senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). His program examines South Korea’s efforts to contribute on the international stage; its potential influence and contributions as a middle power in East Asia; and the peninsular, regional, and global implications of North Korean instability. Mr. Snyder is the author of The United States-South Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Not (December 2023), coeditor of North Korea’s Foreign Policy: The Kim Jong-un Regime in a Hostile World (January 2023) with Kyung-Ae Park, author of South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers (January 2018), coauthor of Domestic Constraints on South Korean Foreign Policy (January 2018) with Geun Lee, Young Ho Kim, and Jiyoon Kim, and coauthor of The Japan-South Korea Identity Clash: East Asian Security and the United States (May 2015) with Brad Glosserman. Mr. Snyder served as the project director for CFR’s Independent Task Force on policy toward the Korean Peninsula. He currently writes for the blog Asia Unbound. Mr. Snyder received a BA from Rice University and an MA from the regional studies East Asia program at Harvard University. He was a Thomas G. Watson fellow at Yonsei University in South Korea.
Join us for a screening of the documentary film BEYOND UTOPIA, winner of the Audience Award for US Documentary Features at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. BEYOND UTOPIA is a suspenseful look at the lengths people will go to gain freedom. It follows various individuals as they attempt to flee North Korea, one of the most oppressive places on earth. At the film’s core are a mother desperate to reunite with the child she was forced to leave behind; a family of five – including small children and an elderly grandmother – embarking on a treacherous journey across the Yalu River and into the hostine mountains of China; and a man of God on a mission to help these desperate souls. Gripping, visceral, and urgent, Madeleine Gavin’s film embers the viewers with these family members as they attempt their perilous escape, palpably conveying life-or-death stakes. After the film, stay for a Q&A with Executive Producer Sue Mi Terry and human rights advocate and North Korean defector Seohyun Lee, moderated by policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre.
The screening is free, but we encourage $20 donations to the filmmakers here.
Beyond Utopia: Screening and Q&A with Sue Mi Terry and Seohyun Lee
Thursday, January 4, 2024 | 6 PM (In-Person)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Dr. Sue Mi Terry was the Director of the Asia Program and the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy from 2021-2023. Prior to joining the Wilson Center, Dr. Terry served in a range of important policy roles related to both Korea and its surrounding region. Formerly a Senior Fellow with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), she served as a Senior Analyst on Korean issues at the CIA (2001-2008), where she produced hundreds of intelligence assessments–including a record number of contributions to the President’s Daily Brief, the Intelligence Community’s most prestigious product. She received numerous awards for her leadership and outstanding mission support, including the CIA Foreign Language award in 2008. From 2008 to 2009, Dr. Terry was the Director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. In that role, she formulated, coordinated, and implemented U.S. government policy on Korea and Japan, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. From 2009 to 2010, she was Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the National Intelligence Council. She holds a Ph.D. (2001) and an M.A. (1998) in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a B.A. in political science from New York University (1993). She was born in Seoul and raised in Hawaii and Northern Virginia.
Seohyun Lee, from Pyongyang, North Korea, is a renowned advocate for human rights in North Korea. Raised in Pyongyang’s elite, she experienced a privileged education before her family’s defection to South Korea and later the United States in 2016. Seo-Hyun works with HRNK, LiNK, and other NGOs to promote North Korean human rights and inform the global community. Through her YouTube channel “Pyonghattan,” she shares her unique perspectives. She’s spoken at TEDx, the UN Security Council, and top universities, and met notable figures like President Bush and Hillary Clinton. Currently, she’s a master’s student at Columbia, focusing on international affairs. In 2023, recognized as a Korea-Unification Opinion Leader, she continues her advocacy for North Korean people’s rights.
Is Sentiment Shifting on Foreign Policy, Alliances, and the US-Korea Relationship?
Thursday December 14, 2023 | 12 PM (EST)|
How does the US public view America’s place in the world? How strong are the bonds between the US and Korea? Conversely, how does the Korean public view the United States as a partner and an ally? How are these views changing and what are the implications for global geopolitics, the US-Korea Alliance… Read More
The Korean Wave: Where did it come from, and where is it going? A Conversation with Korea’s Ambassador for Cultural Cooperation Sohn Jie-ae
Friday, December 8, 2023 | 11:30 AM (EST)|
The world is captivated by Korean culture. This fascination and popular interest, once focused on K-drama and K-pop, have now extended into fashion, food, fine art, classical and various genres of music. So much so that various institutions are pondering the question… Read More
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 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… Read More
YPN – Leading with Vision at Kakao Mobility: A Conversation with SVP Christopher Chang
Friday, December 1, 2023 | 12 PM (EST)|
On November 30th, our Young Professionals’ Network invites Dr. Christopher Chang (장성욱), the Senior Vice President of Kakao Mobility Corp, to discuss his significant contributions to mobility technology innovation. Join this conversation, moderated by Frank Bi… Read More
Tiki-Taka: Ways of Seeing Beyond Architecture with Design
Friday, November 17, 2023 | 6:00 PM (EST)|
Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of how both global and local emerging issues can be deconstructed, explored, challenged, and recontextualized through the distinct lenses of architecture and design. Drawing from their recent publications the architects and educators Dongsei Kim, Drawing Hwa-Chaeng: Mapping Contested Territories, and Dongwoo Yim… Read More
Beyond Boundaries: A Conversation with Sang A Im
Thursday, November 16, 2023 | 6 PM (EST)|
The Korea Society welcomes Sang A Im, fashion designer and former South Korean actress/singer, to the Young Professionals’ Network for a conversation about her unique journey to success in the cutthroat New York City design world. At Genesis House, a beautiful modern oasis influenced by Korean culture, Sang A Im met with Vivian Lee… Read More
The Korean Cookbook with Chef Junghyun Park
Monday, November 13, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EST)|
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… Read More
New Horizons for US-Korea-Japan Trilateral Cooperation
Thursday November 9, 2023|
Join us for a program exploring the opportunities and limits for US-Korea-Japan trilateral cooperation. US President Joe Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a landmark trilateral summit at Camp David in August…. Read More
E. J. Koh: The Liberators with Anton Hur
Wednesday November 8, 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… Read More
Djuna: Counterweight with translator Anton Hur
Tuesday November 7, 2023|
An “antic, madcap noir with flair” (Wired) and “fast-paced cyberpunk story” (The New York Times Book Review) from one of South Korea’s most revered science fiction writers, whose identity remains unknown, Djuna’s Counterweight is an absorbing tale of corporate intrigue, political unrest, unsolved mysteries, and the havoc wreaked by one company’s monomaniacal endeavor to build the world’s first space elevator… Read More
A Look at Korea as a Frog Outside the Well: An Outsider’s Perspective on Korean History
Monday November 6, 2023|
Join us and explore with Prof. Mark Peterson the ideas advanced in his most recent book, Views of Korean History by a Frog Outside the Well. Written in a conversational style for the general public, in this book Dr. Peterson offers a unique take on Korean history that differs from the standard history taught in Korea since liberation from Japan… Read More
Author Talks: Yu Miri
Tuesday October 24, 2023|
In 2020, beloved Zainichi Korean writer Yu Miri and prize-winning translator Morgan Giles won the National Book Award in Translated Literature for Tokyo Ueno Station, a deeply emotional and unflinchingly bold novel that highlighted the socioeconomic injustices and devastating human cost of modernization… Read More
The Korean Economy Beyond the Crisis: Korea-US-China Economic Interdependence and Competition
Wednesday October 18, 2023 | 5 PM (EDT)|
Join us for an in-person program with former Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Korea Duck Koo Chung, also the Founder and Chairman of the NEAR Foundation (North-East Asia Research Foundation), as he recounts his time as a Deputy Minister of Finance during the 1997 IMF Crisis… Read More
How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia
Friday, October 13, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)|
Join us for this book talk with Dr. Aram Hur, who discusses Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia. At a time when nationalism appears to be stoking regional conflicts and democratic backsliding in Asia and beyond, Dr. Hur’s book argues for the positive capacity of nationalism… Read More
Artist Talk | Three Clay Artists
Thursday, October 12, 2023|
Firing clay has been amongst the few mediums to have persevered through thousands of years. Three contemporary ceramic artists pursue their own exploration with clay while reshaping the tradition. Transcending the stereotype of the medium, Janny Baek, Steven Young Lee, and Sunkoo Yuh… Read More
Living a Balanced Life in a Capitalistic Society “A Veteran Wall Street Analyst’s Views
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 |
The Korea Society, Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York are co-hosting the New York Korean Financial Forum. We are pleased to welcome Soonkyu (SK) Shin, who works on Wall Street as a credit analyst, to tell his newest story, an evolution of the theme of life’s robustness that he has been writing about for the past few years… Read More
Korean and English Bilingual Poetry Reading
Friday, October 6, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)|
Three poets. Three translators. One conversation. We invite you to join us for an evening of bilingual poetry readings. Three poets – Moon Bo Young, Kim Liyoun, Kim Sono – along with three translators – Soje, Eunice Lee, Jenny Jisun Kim – explore the power of language to connect us with one another… Read More
Keeping At It: The Quest for Sound Money and Good Government
Thursday, October 5, 2023|
Join us for the launch of the Korean translation of Keeping At It: The Quest for Sound Money and Good Government, a memoir written by the late Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. This program features William R. Rhodes, CEO of William R. Rhodes Global Advisors and author of “Banker to the World… Read More
The U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance at 70: Legacy and Future
Wednesday, October 4, 2023|
Signed on Oct. 1, 1953, in the wake of the armistice, the U.S.-South Korea alliance has matured into a dynamic partnership, deterring conflict and fostering cooperation with respect to trade, technology and people-to-people ties. This expert panel reflected on the legacy and future of the alliance… Read More
New Nuclear Dynamics of Northeast Asia
Thursday, September 21, 2023 | 10 AM (EDT)|
Join us for a program that addresses the new nuclear dynamics of Northeast Asia produced in cooperation with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center. This panel discussion investigates how regional shifts in nuclear weapons capabilities and evolving doctrines affect the Korean Peninsula and beyond… Read More
The Sister
September 15, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)|
Join us for the New York City book launch of The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, The Most Dangerous Woman in the World. Hear from author Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars… Read More
Behind the Scenes: Writing a Picture Book with Frances Cha & Aram Kim
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)|
Join two Korean-American picture book writers as they discuss the many different layers of consideration, introspection, and deliberation that go into conceiving and writing picture books, and the importance of humor and diversity in children’s literature… Read More
Angie Kim: Happiness Falls with Susan Choi
Friday, September 8, 2023 | 6 PM (EDT)|
Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut, Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing-person story into something wholly original… Read More
Chinese Views of North Korea’s Uncertain Future
Friday, September 8, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)|
Join us for a discussion featuring Dr. Sungmin Cho, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, an academic institute of the US Department of Defense, based in Hawaii. Dr. Cho will present research that analyzes Chinese texts focusing on North Korea’s regime stability… Read More
Interview with President and Global Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor Company, José Muñoz
Tuesday, August 29, 2023 | 6 PM (EDT)|
Welcome to the latest installment of the Korea Society’s Leadership Interview Series featuring José Muñoz, President and Global Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Motor Company, who also serves as the President and CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America. President Muñoz is one of the most influential leaders in the auto industry… Read More
The South Korea Nuclear Debate
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 | 8 PM (EDT)|
What motivates interest among the South Korean population and national security expert community in the potential development of an indigenous nuclear deterrent?… Read More
Korean War Armistice Day Commemoration 2023
Thursday, July 27, 2023 | 12 PM|
Watch our video commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953. The Korea Society gathered at The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Battery Park, Manhattan to honor Veterans who served in The Korean War… Read More
The Films of Kim Ki-young
Wednesday, July 19, 2023|
World-renowned South Korean directors, including Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon Ho, cite Kim Ki-young as being the greatest Korean influence on their work. When Yuh-Jung Youn won the best supporting actress award at the 2021 Oscars, she thanked Kim Ki-young… Read More
Dress History of Korea
Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 6:00 PM|
Bringing together a wealth of primary sources and with contributions from leading experts, Dress History of Korea presents the most recent approaches to the interpretation of dress and fashion of Korea… Read More
Artist Talk: Janice Chung
Thursday, July 6, 2023|
In her HAN IN TOWN series, Janice Chung captures what was once the epicenter of the Koreatown in New York City—Flushing, Queens—and focuses on the various businesses that have continued to serve the Korean-American community… Read More
Author Talks: Cheon Myeong-kwan
Tuesday, June 27, 2023|
Shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize and translated by Chi-Young Kim, Whale is the first novel by Cheon Myeong-kwan to be published in English, by Archipelago Books in the U.S. and Europa in the U.K… Read More
Behind the Headlines: Human Rights and Human Stories in North Korea
Thursday, June 15, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)|
What’s really happening in North Korea right now? The regime’s pandemic border closures have left diplomats and aid workers outside the country, making it even more difficult than normal for the outside world to understand the Kim regime’s decision making and the daily lives of ordinary North Korean people… Read More
Join us to celebrate the longest running education Program offered at the Society, the Project Bridge Youth Ambassador Project Program. The Program began in 1993 as a response to Sa-I-Gu—… Read More
Artist Talk: Emanuel Hahn
Thursday, June 1, 2023|
Emanuel Hahn‘s Koreatown Dreaming series was born out of a sense of urgency to document the stories of Koreatown LA during the Covid-19 pandemic and creeping gentrification… Read More
Interview with POSCO Group Chairman Jeong-Woo Choi
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)|
The Korea Society welcomes you to the latest episode of its Leadership Interview Series with Jeong-Woo Choi, CEO of POSCO Holdings and Chairman of POSCO Group, an iconic Korean company. Chairman Choi will be in conversation with Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Korea Society Board Chair and President of Korea Economic Institute of America… Read More
Make Break Remix: The Rise of K-style with Fiona Bae Thursday, May 25, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)
K-pop, K-fashion, K-drama, K-beauty: over the past decade, K-style has exploded onto the global scene. What is behind this phenomenon? Where does K-style go from here?… Read More
FLAWLESS Tuesday, May 23, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)
Seoul, South Korea makes Beverly Hills look like a one-stoplight town when it comes to the beauty rat race, and it’s getting more intense every year. Elise Hu spent four years in South Korea as NPR’s bureau chief, and during her tenure there, the K-beauty industry tripled to become a $10 billion industry. South Korea is home to more than 7,500 cosmetic and skincare manufacturers… Read More
Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program Thursday, May 11, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Join us for a book talk with Dr. Siegfried Hecker, who discusses “his on-the-ground experience at the North’s nuclear center at Yongbyon,” unpacking the ramifications of North Korea’s technical developments in the context of fateful foreign policy decisions by Washington, Seoul, and Pyongyang… Read More
Interview with FILA Holdings Corporation & Acushnet Holdings Corporation Chairman Gene Yoon Wednesday, May 3, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)
Join us for the latest episode of our Leadership Interview Series with FILA Holdings Corporation & Acushnet Holdings Corporation Chairman Gene Yoon, moderated by The Korea Society’s President & CEO Tom Byrne… Read More
US-Korea Summit Analysis Friday, April 28, 2023 | 8 AM (EDT)
Join us for this conversation on the major diplomatic, security, and economic takeaways from the US-Korea Summit between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The Korea Society is joined by former ROK Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, Van Fleet Nonresident Senior Fellow Dr. Katrin Katz and The Washington Post Seoul Bureau Chief Michelle Ye Hee Lee… Read More
North Korea: Lessons Learned and Creative Thinking Thursday, April 27, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)
Join us for a discussion that aims to cultivate fresh ideas on America’s policy toward North Korea and coordination with ally South Korea by mobilizing a nuanced understanding of past lessons. The discussion includes consideration of developments to the approach addressed in the summit meeting between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol… Read More
Kyung-Sook Shin with Jenny Wang Medina Thursday, April 13, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)
An instant bestseller in Korea and the follow up to the international bestseller, Please Look After Mom, I Went to See My Father by Kyung-Sook Shin centers on a woman’s efforts to reconnect with her aging father, uncovering long-held family secrets. More than just the portrait of a single man, I Went to See My Father opens a window onto humankind, family, loss, and war… Read More
The North Korean Cyber Threat Thursday, April 13, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)
Join us for a discussion about North Korea’s cyber threat, with Jean Lee, co-host of the BBC’s Lazarus Heist podcast and public policy fellow with the Wilson Center, and cybersecurity expert Michael Barnhart, who is currently with the threat intelligence firm Mandiant and was formerly Cyber Team Lead at the US Senate and signals intelligence collector in the intelligence community… Read More
A novel about a woman tossed overboard by heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores with the help of a giant Pacific octopus. Author photo by S. M. Sukardi One of “22 Works of Fiction to Read This Spring”—The New York Times A novel about a woman tossed overboard by heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores… Read More
Minhwa: Korean Paintings of the People, by the People, and for the People Wednesday, April 5, 2023 | 6:30 PM
Tiger with Two Cubs and Two Magpies, Late Joseon Dynasty (18th or 19th Century), Mattielli Collection. Image courtesy of jstor.org | In this lecture, Professor Sunglim Kim explores Korean folk painting, minhwa, and examines its origin and development, the different genres within it, and their meanings and functions… Read More
Artist Talk: Seongmin Ahn with Eleanor Hyun Friday, March 24, 2023
In her solo exhibition at The Korea Society, Seongmin Ahn presents a series of paintings and wall installations that fuses her insight in the relativity of perception with a deep regard for traditional Korean art, especially minhwa–folk painting. In her work, Ahn begins with traditional forms and themes… Read More
Global View Series: Agents of Subversion with Professor John Delury Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Join us for a conversation with Dr. John Delury, Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University, on his new book, Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA’s Covert War in China.This roundtable and pre-recorded video explores a Korean War era mission in China that went wrong… Read More
The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War Thursday, February 16, 2023 | 12 PM (EST)
Join this discussion with Dr. Henry W. Brands, Professor and Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, about his book The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War. The book explores the tensions between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur as the Korean War escalates, threatening to boil over into another World War… Read More
Consequences of Korea’s Compressed Modernity Thursday, February 9, 2023 | 7 PM (EST)
Join our discussion about the consequences of Korea’s rapid economic development on the family unit and society at large, featuring Seoul National University sociology Professor Chang Kyung-Sup. This program is a collaboration with the Policy Department and the Education Department… Read More
Heinz Insu Fenkl – Skull Water Tuesday, February 7, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EST)
Twenty-five years in the making, Heinz Insu Fenkl’s ambitious, darkly funny, sweeping novel SKULL WATER is a haunting inter-generational coming-of-age story that grapples with identity and displacement in South Korea in the 1950s and 1970s… Read More
A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food Tuesday, January 24, 2023 | 6:00 PM (EST)
Introduce children to Asian cuisine and the #VERYASIAN movement! Written by Michelle Li, A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food introduces young readers to classic and modern Korean dishes and provides fun facts about the foods and culture of Korea… Read More
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema with Karen Han Tuesday, January 17, 2023 | 6 PM (EST)
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema by culture writer and screenwriter Karen Han is the first definitive critical and visual survey of the Academy Award–winning South Korean writer/director who has been making critically acclaimed feature films for more than two decades. Brilliantly illustrated and designed… Read More
South Korea’s Demographic Challenge Thursday, January 12, 2023 | 8 AM (EST)
Join us for a discussion on the causes and consequences of South Korea’s shrinking birth rate, including its impact on social and civic relations, the economy, and the military, as well as an exploration of efforts to reverse the trend. This discussion features Washington Post reporter Min Joo Kim, Wall Street Journal reporter Dasl Yoon… Read More
Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program Thursday, May 11, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Join us for a book talk with Dr. Siegfried Hecker, who discusses “his on-the-ground experience at the North’s nuclear center at Yongbyon,” unpacking the ramifications of North Korea’s technical developments in the context of fateful foreign policy decisions by Washington, Seoul, and Pyongyang… Read More
Interview with FILA Holdings Corporation & Acushnet Holdings Corporation Chairman Gene Yoon Wednesday, May 3, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)
Join us for the latest episode of our Leadership Interview Series with FILA Holdings Corporation & Acushnet Holdings Corporation Chairman Gene Yoon, moderated by The Korea Society’s President & CEO Tom Byrne… Read More
US-Korea Summit Analysis Friday, April 28, 2023 | 8 AM (EDT)
Join us for this conversation on the major diplomatic, security, and economic takeaways from the US-Korea Summit between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The Korea Society is joined by former ROK Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, Van Fleet Nonresident Senior Fellow Dr. Katrin Katz and The Washington Post Seoul Bureau Chief Michelle Ye Hee Lee… Read More
North Korea: Lessons Learned and Creative Thinking Thursday, April 27, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)
Join us for a discussion that aims to cultivate fresh ideas on America’s policy toward North Korea and coordination with ally South Korea by mobilizing a nuanced understanding of past lessons. The discussion includes consideration of developments to the approach addressed in the summit meeting between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol… Read More
Kyung-Sook Shin with Jenny Wang Medina Thursday, April 13, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)
An instant bestseller in Korea and the follow up to the international bestseller, Please Look After Mom, I Went to See My Father by Kyung-Sook Shin centers on a woman’s efforts to reconnect with her aging father, uncovering long-held family secrets. More than just the portrait of a single man, I Went to See My Father opens a window onto humankind, family, loss, and war… Read More
The North Korean Cyber Threat Thursday, April 13, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)
Join us for a discussion about North Korea’s cyber threat, with Jean Lee, co-host of the BBC’s Lazarus Heist podcast and public policy fellow with the Wilson Center, and cybersecurity expert Michael Barnhart, who is currently with the threat intelligence firm Mandiant and was formerly Cyber Team Lead at the US Senate and signals intelligence collector in the intelligence community… Read More
A novel about a woman tossed overboard by heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores with the help of a giant Pacific octopus. Author photo by S. M. Sukardi One of “22 Works of Fiction to Read This Spring”—The New York Times A novel about a woman tossed overboard by heartbreak and loss, who has to find her way back to stable shores… Read More
Minhwa: Korean Paintings of the People, by the People, and for the People Wednesday, April 5, 2023 | 6:30 PM
Tiger with Two Cubs and Two Magpies, Late Joseon Dynasty (18th or 19th Century), Mattielli Collection. Image courtesy of jstor.org | In this lecture, Professor Sunglim Kim explores Korean folk painting, minhwa, and examines its origin and development, the different genres within it, and their meanings and functions… Read More
Artist Talk: Seongmin Ahn with Eleanor Hyun Friday, March 24, 2023
In her solo exhibition at The Korea Society, Seongmin Ahn presents a series of paintings and wall installations that fuses her insight in the relativity of perception with a deep regard for traditional Korean art, especially minhwa–folk painting. In her work, Ahn begins with traditional forms and themes… Read More
Global View Series: Agents of Subversion with Professor John Delury Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Join us for a conversation with Dr. John Delury, Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University, on his new book, Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA’s Covert War in China.This roundtable and pre-recorded video explores a Korean War era mission in China that went wrong… Read More
The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War Thursday, February 16, 2023 | 12 PM (EST)
Join this discussion with Dr. Henry W. Brands, Professor and Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, about his book The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War. The book explores the tensions between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur as the Korean War escalates, threatening to boil over into another World War… Read More
Consequences of Korea’s Compressed Modernity Thursday, February 9, 2023 | 7 PM (EST)
Join our discussion about the consequences of Korea’s rapid economic development on the family unit and society at large, featuring Seoul National University sociology Professor Chang Kyung-Sup. This program is a collaboration with the Policy Department and the Education Department… Read More
Heinz Insu Fenkl – Skull Water Tuesday, February 7, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EST)
Twenty-five years in the making, Heinz Insu Fenkl’s ambitious, darkly funny, sweeping novel SKULL WATER is a haunting inter-generational coming-of-age story that grapples with identity and displacement in South Korea in the 1950s and 1970s… Read More
A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food Tuesday, January 24, 2023 | 6:00 PM (EST)
Introduce children to Asian cuisine and the #VERYASIAN movement! Written by Michelle Li, A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food introduces young readers to classic and modern Korean dishes and provides fun facts about the foods and culture of Korea… Read More
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema with Karen Han Tuesday, January 17, 2023 | 6 PM (EST)
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema by culture writer and screenwriter Karen Han is the first definitive critical and visual survey of the Academy Award–winning South Korean writer/director who has been making critically acclaimed feature films for more than two decades. Brilliantly illustrated and designed… Read More
South Korea’s Demographic Challenge Thursday, January 12, 2023 | 8 AM (EST)
Join us for a discussion on the causes and consequences of South Korea’s shrinking birth rate, including its impact on social and civic relations, the economy, and the military, as well as an exploration of efforts to reverse the trend. This discussion features Washington Post reporter Min Joo Kim, Wall Street Journal reporter Dasl Yoon… Read More
The Korea Society is excited to introduce a new subseries, ‘Local Leadership in a Global Context,’ as part of our ‘Leadership Interview Series.’ This subseries will feature municipal, provincial and state-level leaders in Korea and the U.S., and will explore the importance that local leadership plays in national policies and international relations. Moderated by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Korea Society Board Chair, or Tom Byrne, President and CEO, the scope of the program will also cover economic and social policies of particular interest to local leaders and their constituencies, as well as the importance of ROK-US trade, investment and technological relations and partnerships to the prosperity of Korea and the U.S.
Join us in exploring the fascinating and often under-appreciated dynamics at the regional and local levels that will shape the future of the U.S.-Korea relationship.
Advancing the U.S.-ROK Alliance and the Global Rise of Jeollanamdo with Governor of Jeollanamdo, Kim Yung-rok
IN-PERSON: Friday, October 25, 2024 | 10:30 AM (EDT) VIDEO RELEASE: Tuesday, December 17, 2024|
Join us for the next installment of our “Local Leadership in a Global Context” series, as we delve into a discussion with the Governor of Jeollanamdo Kim Yung-rok, moderated by Tom Byrne, President & CEO of The Korea Society… Read More
Interview with Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon
Thursday, April 18, 2024 | 12:00 PM (EDT)|
Join us for a “Local Leadership in a Global Context” series discussion with Mayor of Busan, Park Heong-joon, moderated by Tom Byrne, President & CEO of The Korea Society… Read More
Interview with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 6 PM (EST)|
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… Read More
Interview with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 | 6 PM (EST)|
Join us for our latest edition of the Leadership Interview Series with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon moderated by The Korea Society President & CEO Tom Byrne… Read More
How does the US public view America’s place in the world? How strong are the bonds between the US and Korea? Conversely, how does the Korean public view the United States as a partner and an ally? How are these views changing and what are the implications for global geopolitics, the US-Korea Alliance, and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula? The expert panel includes: Troy Stangarone, Senior Director and Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) and an author of KEI’s “2023 Report on American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula,” Dina Smeltz, Senior Fellow, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and author of the survey report, “Americans Continue to See Benefits from US Alliances,” and Dr. Woo Chang Kang, associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Korea University, who will explore the implications for Korea of these recent surveys, as well as the equivalent surveys in Korea. The conversation is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado.
Is Sentiment Shifting on Foreign Policy, Alliances, and the US-Korea Relationship?
Thursday December 14, 2023 | 12 PM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Troy Stangarone is Senior Director and Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute (KEI). He oversees KEI’s trade and economic related initiatives, as well as the Institute’s relations with Capitol Hill and the Washington, DC trade community. As part of his broader portfolio, he oversees KEI’s programmatic initiatives, survey work, and serves as the editor for KEI’s blog, The Peninsula. Prior to joining KEI, Mr. Stangarone worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Robert Torricelli on issues relating to foreign affairs and trade. He also served as an aide to Governor James McGreevey of New Jersey. He holds a MSc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Memphis.
Dina Smeltz has over 25 years of experience designing and fielding international social and political surveys. She joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as senior fellow on public opinion and foreign policy in 2012, where she oversees the Council’s well-known annual survey of American attitudes toward foreign policy. Previously, she was a director of research in the Middle East and South Asia division (2001-2007) and analyst/director of the European division (1992-2004) in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the US State Department’s Office of Research.
Dr.Woo Chang Kang is an associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Korea University. He received his Ph.D. from New York University in 2015. Before joining Korea University, he worked as a postdoc at Yale University in 2015 and lecturer at the Australian National University from 2016-2019. His research interests are in political behavior and quantitative political analysis, with particular attention to Korea and the United States. At Korea University, he has taught American Politics, Public Opinion, Political Psychology, and Korean Electoral Politics.
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
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.
Join us for a program exploring the opportunities and limits for US-Korea-Japan trilateral cooperation. US President Joe Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a landmark trilateral summit at Camp David in August. This program aims to critically assess the progress made since then, with an emphasis on big picture strategic issues. How can the three countries tackle shared challenges and promote mutual security and prosperity? How well can they cooperate to manage relations with North Korea, China, Russia, Southeast Asia, and the wider global community? Are the new institutional pathways for cooperation initiated by the Camp David summit being implemented effectively? An expert panel, composed of specialists from each of the three nations, will investigate these questions and more in conversation with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. Panelists include: Van Fleet Nonresident Senior Fellow Dr. Katrin Fraser Katz, Kangwon National University Professor Kuyoun Chung, Asia Society Policy Institute DC Office Director for Political-Security Affairs Emma Chanlett-Avery, and Keio University Professor Nishino Junya.
New Horizons for US-Korea-Japan Trilateral Cooperation
Thursday, November 9, 2023 | 8 AM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Emma Chanlett-Avery is Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Washington, DC office and the Director for Political-Security Affairs. Previous to this post, she served for 20 years as Specialist in Asian Affairs at the Congressional Research Service, where she focused on U.S. relations with Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Thailand, and Singapore, with an emphasis on security issues and alliances. In 2023, she served as a Congressional Fellow on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, assisting the Chairman with drafting Asia policy legislation and preparing for hearings. Ms. Chanlett-Avery was a Presidential Management Fellow, with rotations in the State Department on the Korea Desk and at the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group in Bangkok, Thailand. She also worked in the Office of Policy Planning as a Harold Rosenthal Fellow. She is a member of the Mansfield Foundation U.S. – Japan Network for the Future, a Mansfield-Luce Asia Network Scholar, and a recipient of the Kato Prize. She serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Japan America Societies, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Japan America Society of Washington DC, and as a Trustee of International Student Conferences, Inc. Ms. Chanlett-Avery received an MA in international security policy from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and her BA in Russian studies from Amherst College.
Dr. Kuyoun Chung is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Kangwon National University. Her research focuses on American and South Korean foreign policy and security issues in the Indo-Pacific, including regional security architecture, maritime security, and grey-zone conflict. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2011. She was previously a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at UCLA (2011–2012), visiting professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (2014–2015), policy advisor to the Vice President of the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation (2015), and research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (2015–2018). She also joined the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (2017) and has served as a member of the policy advisory committee of the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, and ROK Navy.
Dr. Katrin Fraser Katz, is The Korea Society’s inaugural Van Fleet Nonresident Senior Fellow. Dr. Katz is a former director for Japan, Korea, and oceanic affairs on the staff of the National Security Council, where she served from 2007 to 2008. She is also a Scholar-in-Residence in the Master of Arts in International Administration (MAIA) program at the University of Miami and an Adjunct Fellow (Non-resident) in the Office of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. Previously, she was a special assistant to the assistant secretary for international organization affairs at the U.S. Department of State and an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. She was previously an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University and has also taught at Georgetown University. In 2017, Dr. Katz received the inaugural Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture Series award from The Korea Society. Dr. Katz’s research, which has been supported by grants from the Korea Foundation and the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, explores the interplay of cooperation and conflict in East Asia’s political, economic, and security dynamics. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University; a master’s degree in East Asian and international security studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where she was awarded the John C. Perry Scholarship for East Asian Studies; and a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in international relations and Japanese from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Nishino Junya is a Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. He also serves as Director of the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies at Keio University. His research focuses on contemporary Korean politics, international relations in East Asia and Japan-Korea relations. Dr. Nishino was a Japan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a Visiting Scholar at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, George Washington University (2012-2013). He was also an Exchange Scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute (2011-2012). Previously he served as a Special Analyst on Korean Affairs in the Intelligence and Analysis Service of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-2007), and was a Special Assistant on Korean Politics at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul( 2002-2004). Dr. Nishino received his B.A. and M.A. from Keio University, and Ph.D. in Political Science from Yonsei University in South Korea.
Join us to watch Chosen, a documentary that follows five Korean Americans of vastly diverse backgrounds with competing political views as they run for US Congress in 2020. David Kim is the only underdog with limited resources vying to be the first Korean American representative in Koreatown. Director Joseph Juhn joins for an intimate Q&A session after the film in conversation with policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre, providing opportunities for audience members to ask questions. This event is free, but we encourage donations to Joseph Juhn (suggested amount $20).
This program will be released as a video on Friday, March 24
Chosen: Film Screening and Director Q&A
Thursday, November 2, 2023 | 7:00 PM (In-Person)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Joseph Juhn is a lawyer-turned-filmmaker with passion for diasporic narratives. His latest documentary, “CHOSEN”, sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of five Korean Americans who ran for US Congress in 2020, and has been praised by audiences and critics alike since its release in Korean theaters in 2022. Joseph’s debut feature documentary, “JERONIMO”, released in 2019, explored the life of a Korean Cuban revolutionary named, Jeronimo Lim, and inspired a discourse on the concept of Korean diaspora in both the US and Korea. Prior to working on “JERONIMO” full-time, Joseph was an in-house counsel at the Manhattan-based South Korean government agency (KOTRA) for 4 years where he advised Korean companies and entrepreneurs on US intellectual property and startup law. Joseph studied Film and Video at UC San Diego and got his JD at Syracuse University College of Law.
Join us for an in-person program with former Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Korea Duck Koo Chung, also the Founder and Chairman of the NEAR Foundation (North-East Asia Research Foundation), as he recounts his time as a Deputy Minister of Finance during the 1997 IMF Crisis. Chung played a crucial part in Korea’s impressively rapid economic recovery as chief negotiator representing the Korean government with the IMF. This program will feature Chung’s reflections on Korea’s development in the 25 years since the crisis, and insights into the trajectory of Korean society and economy as the country navigates trade tensions between the U.S. and China. This conversation will be moderated by Korea Society President and CEO Tom Byrne.
The Korean Economy Beyond the Crisis: Korea-US-China Economic Interdependence and Competition
Wednesday October 18, 2023 | 5 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Duck Koo Chung is a former Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Korea during President Kim Dae-Jung’s administration (1999-2000). He is also the founder of the North East Asia Research Foundation (NEAR Foundation), South Korea’s premier privately-funded independent think-tank, and currently serves as its chairman. Chung embarked on his career as a government official in 1971, dedicating nearly three decades of service. During the onset of the Korean financial crisis, Chung, a Vice Minister of Finance at the time, played a pivotal role in the early resolution of Korea’s liquidity crisis as a chief negotiator with the IMF.
After retirement from the cabinet, Chung became a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Seoul National University and served as the director of the Seoul National University Center for International Finance. In 2003, Peking University in China invited him as a Distinguished Chair Professor, where he taught Korean Economic Development and Open-Door Policy. In 2005, he served as a visiting professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, where he taught the International Monetary Regime and the future prospects of the yuan. In 2013, he was appointed as a policy advisor at CASS (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences). During the early years of Xi Jinping’s first term, the Chinese government recommended that Mr. Chung lead special lectures and academic seminars involving distinguished policymakers, bureaucrats, and high-ranking officials from 18 government departments. Presently, he is based at the Center for Strategies and International Studies (CSIS) as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow.
Join us for this book talk with Dr. Aram Hur, who discusses Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia. At a time when nationalism appears to be stoking regional conflicts and democratic backsliding in Asia and beyond, Dr. Hur’s book argues for the positive capacity of nationalism. The book received the 2023 Robert A. Dahl Award from the American Political Science Association for “scholarship of the highest quality on the subject of democracy” by an untenured scholar. Dr. Hur is the Kim Koo Chair in Korean Studies and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. She was the recipient of The Korea Society’s Sherman Family Emerging Scholar Lecture Award in 2021. This program is a collaboration between The Korea Society’s Policy Department and the Education Department, and is moderated by Linda Tobash, Senior Advisor for Education. The discussant is Dr. Darcie Draudt, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
The book is available to purchase from Cornell University Press here.
How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia
Friday, October 13, 2023 | 12 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Dr. Aram Hur is Kim Koo Chair in Korean Studies and Assistant Professor of Political Science at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Her research focuses on nationalism and democracy, with specialization in issues of identity change, integration, and democratic support in East Asia. Her work 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 is the 2021 Korea Society Sherman Emerging Scholar Awardee and a 2018-19 CSIS US-Korea NextGen Scholar, selected as one of the “next generation of Korea specialists in the United States.” Previously, she taught at the University of Missouri, where she also served as Co-Director of MU’s Institute for Korean Studies. She holds a PhD in Politics from Princeton University, an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA with honors from Stanford University.
Dr. Darcie Draudt, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. A political scientist and policy analyst, she publishes regular commentary on South and North Korean domestic politics and foreign policy, Northeast Asian relations, and US-Korea policy. Draudt currently holds nonresident fellowships at the George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS), the Korea Economic Institute, the National Bureau of Asian Research, and the European Centre for North Korea Studies (ECNK) at the University of Vienna. She has been named a member of the National Committee on North Korea and one of the Next Generation Korea Peninsula Specialists at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Draudt holds a PhD in Political Science from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA in Korean Studies from the Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, and a BA with Honors in Anthropology from Davidson College. Draudt lived in Seoul, South Korea, from 2008 through 2013.
