In April 2018, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 3rd as International World Bicycle Day to recognize “the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport.”
Koreans have enjoyed cycling and life with bicycles for many years. Hear from the cycling experts and enthusiasts from different backgrounds and cultures about cycling in Korea as they share their personal stories and experiences from the seat of their bicycles.
Join in the conversation among life-long cyclists: Chang Wan Kim, the legendary rock singer and actor; Christopher Koo, Chairman of LS Group, KITA and Korea Cycling Federation; Ambassador Kathleen Stephens; and Tom Underwood, former U.S. Foreign Service officer.
With a special video presentation by Ho Pil Yoon, director of Sangju Bicycle Museum.
Cycling in Korea
Thursday, June 3, 2021
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Chang Wan Kim is the legendary rock singer, composer, musician, actor, TV host, radio DJ, and writer. Along with his two brothers, he formed the band Sanullim, one of the most beloved and influential music groups in Korea. Today, Mr. Kim performs as a solo artist and as a lead singer of an eponymous Kim Chang Wan band, and he continues to collaborate and inspire the next generation of musicians.
Mr. Kim has also acted in numerous television dramas and films, hosted television shows and radio programs, and written several books, including a collection of essays, poetry, and short stories.
Christopher Koo began his business career at Bando Trading (currently LG International), where he worked for the company’s New York Office and later served as Regional Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Office based in Singapore. In 1995, he moved to LG Investment and Securities (presently NH Investment & Securities) to head the International Business Division. This career path has made him a seasoned expert in international trade and finance. In 2002, he joined LG Cable (presently LS Cable & System) as Chief Financial Officer and later became the company’s CEO and Chairman. During his tenure, he grew the firm into the third-largest wire and cable manufacturer in the world, through the successful acquisition of Superior Essex (SPSX), the leading cable manufacturer in North America. Since 2013, he has served as the second chairman of LS Group, driving the company’s second leap toward the future through diverse efforts, including the expansion of the Group’s global presence and the development of new growth engines.
In addition, Mr. Koo is the chairman of Korea International Trade Association (KITA) which is the prominent economic organization at the forefront of trade promotion. He is also the board member of UN Global Compact (UNGC), the chairman of Korea Cycling Federation, and the chairman of Korea University Alumni Association (KUAA). Furthermore, he performed as the chairman of the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property, and the chairman of Korea Invention Promotion Association.
Amb. Kathleen Stephens is a former American diplomat. She was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2011. Korea has been a leitmotif of Ambassador Stephens’ life and career since she served in rural Korea as a Peace Corps volunteer and trainer in 1975-1977. She was also in Korea 1983-1989, first as a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul reporting on Korea’s domestic political and human rights scene, and later leading the U.S. Consulate in Busan. Other overseas assignments included postings to China, former Yugoslavia, Portugal, Northern Ireland, where she was U.S. Consul General in Belfast during the negotiations culminating in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and India, where she was U.S. Charge ‘d Affaires (2014-2015). Ambassador Stephens also served in a number of policy positions in Washington at the Department of State and the White House. These included acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (2012), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (2005-2007), Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2003-2005), and National Security Council Director for European Affairs at the Clinton White House.
Ambassador Stephens is the board chair of The Korea Society, and she has been President and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute of America since September 2018, based in Washington, DC.
Tom Underwood was born in Korea to a family of American missionaries and returned to Seoul as a Political Officer in the U.S. Embassy (1999-2003). Mr. Underwood also served with the State Department at NATO in Brussels, OPCW at The Hague, and U.S. Embassies in Bucharest (1997-1999), Kampala (1991-1993), and London (1989-1991). He worked in Korea as Regional Program Officer from 2008 to 2011, and then as Deputy Commissioner of the USA Pavilion at Expo 2012 in Yeosu. He also served in Afghanistan as Senior Civilian Representative to three provinces, and his last overseas assignment was as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
After retiring from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2015, Mr. Underwood settled in Arlington, VA, as a base for traveling, writing, continuing education, and exploring by bicycle.
Dr. S. Heijin Lee is Assistant Professor at New York University, focusing on Transnational Feminist Cultural Studies; Asian/American Studies; Gender and Sexuality Studies; Digital Media and Popular Culture. Dr. Lee’s research explores the imperial routes of culture and media. In addition to her book, The Geopolitics of Beauty, which maps plastic surgery in South Korea, Asia, and Asian America, Lee is co-editing two anthologies. Dr. Lee’s works include Other Pop Empires, Bollywood to Hallyuwood, and Fashion and Beauty in the Time of Asia, which tracks fashion and beauty as formations of Asian modernities. Lee has been published in Women and Performance: Journal of Feminist Theory and Frontiers: Journal of Women’s Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in American Studies and Certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan; a M.A. in Asian American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies/Spanish at the University of California, Berkeley. 
Lai Frances, whose real name is Allyza Umali, is freelance journalist and producer whose work has been featured in Billboard, Allure, PopCrush, KpopStarz, The Boombox, and many more media outlets. A self-proclaimed Kpop girl group enthusiast, Lai can be found on panels at KCON and New York Comic Con while contributing to podcasts and digital projects on arts, entertainment, and culture. Frances earned a B.A. in Journalism and Video Production from Rutgers University-Newark with a focus on music, entertainment and multimedia journalism.