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.
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,” which includes a foreword written by Volcker, and insights from Christine Harper, a member of Bloomberg’s editorial board, on Volcker’s extraordinary life and legacy. From his early days working in the Treasury Department, to his time in the Federal Reserve navigating the high inflation of the 1970s and 80s, Volcker’s thoughtful reflections on the importance of good government, stable finance, and stable prices continue to resonate in this new translation.
This program is produced in partnership with Columbia University’s APEC Study Center.
Keeping At It: The Quest for Sound Money and Good Government
VIDEO RELEASE: Thursday, October 5, 2023
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Christine Harper is a member of Bloomberg’s editorial board, and the co-author of Paul Volcker’s 2018 memoir, Keeping at It: The Quest for Sound Money and Good Government. Over more than 25 years at Bloomberg News, including eight in London, Christine covered technology, media, and telecom companies, corporate debt, and investment banking. She joined the editorial board in June 2023 after five years as editor of Bloomberg Markets magazine and five years helping to oversee the newsroom’s global coverage of financial institutions. Before joining Bloomberg, Christine worked at Dow Jones in New York and Brussels and at The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Sun Herald of Biloxi, Mississippi.
William R. Rhodes is an American banker and philanthropist. He was awarded the Korean Diplomatic Medal by the Korean government for having helped restructure the Korean debt and for helping to lead the negotiations on the KORUS FTA. Rhodes is president and CEO of William R. Rhodes Global Advisors, LLC which he founded in 2010. Having stepped back from full-time responsibilities with Citi after more than 53 years with the institution. He most recently served as senior advisor, senior vice chairman and senior international officer of Citigroup and chairman, president & CEO of Citibank, N.A. He held various senior executive positions at Citi from 1957 until his retirement from Citigroup on April 30, 2010. Subsequent to his retirement, he continued to serve as a senior advisor to Citi from 2010 through 2017.
The Korea Society’s Partnership Events serve as a collaborative platform, offering organizations and professionals opportunities to foster cooperation across diverse sectors through panels, showcases, and interactive discussions. Through these collaborative initiatives, the Society advances economic ties between the U.S. and Korea, further deepening its impact in areas including business and finance.
US Infrastructure Market Outlook and Investment Strategy (Focused on the Mid-Market)
Thursday, April 16, 2026|
The New York Korean Financial Forum was held on April 16, 2026 at The Korea Society, in partnership with Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York… Read More
U.S. Stock Market Outlook for 2026
Thursday, March 26, 2026|
The New York Korean Financial Forum was held on March 26, 2026 at The Korea Society, in partnership with Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York, to discuss the outlook for U.S. stock markets in 2026… Read More
US M&A Market Trends and the Outlook for the Private Equity Secondary Market
Thursday, February 26, 2026|
The New York Korean Financial Forum was held on February 26, 2026 at The Korea Society, in partnership with Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York… Read More
2026 Outlook for the US Interest Rate Market
Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 11 AM (EST)|
As part of the New York Korean Financial Forum, The Korea Society, Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York co-hosted 2026 Outlook for the US Interest Rate Market on December 18, 2025, at The Korea Society in New York… Read More
Korean American Next-Generation Networking Event
Friday, December 5, 2025|
This year’s event will be held in-person at The Korea Society and feature distinguished speaker, Prof. Jeongki Lim, Associate Professor of Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design… Read More
Alternative Investments LP–GP Network Forum
Monday, September 29, 2025|
As part of the New York Korean Financial Forum, The Korea Society, Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York co-hosted the Alternative Investments LP–GP Network Forum on September 29, 2025, at The Korea Society in New York… Read More
PEN Commerce & Technology Demo Day
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 | 1:00 PM (EDT)|
We are excited to invite you to our partnership event, PEN Commerce & Technology Demo Day, taking place on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at NYC-Civic Hall. PEN Ventures, a premier startup accelerator and investment program in South Korea, will showcase the top 25 startups and their founders… Read More
Korean American Next-Generation Networking Event
Friday, December 8, 2023|
Co-hosts The Korea Society and EnoB, with the generous sponsorship of the Korean Consulate General of New York, are proud to present The Korean American Next-Generation Networking Event, a program designed to provide emerging professionals with a platform for inspiration, enrichment, and fostering meaningful connections… Read More
New York Korean Financial Forum 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… Read More
Building and Protecting Your K-Brand in the YouTube Era
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 | 6:00 PM|
The Korea Society and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) are delighted to present Building and Protecting Your K-Brand in the YouTube Era on July 22, 2020. Over the last two decades, YouTube has demonstrated its versatility, achieving far more than the launch of successful careers for the likes of Justin Bieber and BTS… Read More
Leveraging Big Data, AI, and Patents for Business Growth
Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 | 6:00 PM|
Our first session will feature Tim Hwang, CEO of FiscalNote. FiscalNote is a global technology and media company that Tim co-founded in 2013 at the age of 21. FiscalNote feeds big data to a powerful machine learning algorithm to provide its clients with the right policy information and AI-driven insights to better navigate market risk and uncertainty and maximize new opportunities… Read More
[K-Move] A webinar: Developing Your Career with Mentorship
Tuesday, October 27, 2020 | 6:00 PM|
The Korea Society is pleased to join KOTRA in presenting valuable lessons on career development through the K-Move program series. K-Move is a project that KOTRA has been organizing for younger Korean audiences abroad, while inviting leading professionals from different fields to share their stories on employment and settlement in the U.S… Read More
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.
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.
Stephen Haggard is the Lawrence and Sallye Krause Distinguished Professor and director of the Korea-Pacific Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. He teaches courses on the international relations of the Asia-Pacific at GPS covering political economy as well as security issues. He has done extensive research on North Korea in particular. In addition, he has a long-standing interest in transitions to and from democratic rule and the current phenomenon of democratic backsliding. His recent research on South Korea addresses the issue of political polarization, including with respect to foreign policy.
Allison Hooker is a foreign policy and national security specialist with 20 years of experience in the U.S. Government working on Asia. She served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia, where she led the coordination and implementation of U.S. policy toward the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to that, Hooker served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Korean Peninsula, where she staffed the U.S.-DPRK Summits in Singapore, Hanoi, and the DMZ. Prior to her service at the White House, Hooker was a senior analyst for North Korea in the Department of State and staffed the Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program. She received a Masters’ of Arts Degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and has been a research fellow at Osaka University and Keio University, where she focused on Japan-Korea relations, and Japan-China relations, respectively.
Youngwan Kim is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea in 1993. He worked at various Ministries of the Korean Government, including Foreign Ministry, Unification Ministry, and Office for Government Policy Coordination, Prime Minister’s Office. Prior to his current post as Consul General in LA, he served as Director-General for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Prime Minister’s office. He also worked as Director-General for Planning and Management of the Foreign Ministry. His most recent foreign post was a Member of the Panel of Experts, UN Security Council Sanctions Committee at the United Nations headquarter. His foreign posts also include Washington D.C., New York, Beijing and Baghdad.
Munseob Lee is an economist who concentrates his research efforts on macroeconomics, growth and development, firm dynamics, and Korea. He has investigated the factors that determine the growth of firms, with a particular focus on how government purchases can promote long-term growth of small businesses. Additionally, he examined the disproportionate effect of inflation, revealing that low-income households and black families are the most affected by rising prices in the United States.
Lee, who is an Associate Director in GPS’s Korea-Pacific Program, teaches courses including Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Macroeconomics of Development and The Korean Economy.
In 2019, General Curtis “Mike” Scaparrotti completed a distinguished 41-year career in the U.S. Army as the Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. Prior to that he served as the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea / United Nations Command / Combined Forces Command in Seoul from 2013 to 2016. Other prominent postings in his highly-decorated career include Director of the Joint Staff, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, the Deputy Commander of U.S. Forces – Afghanistan, the Commanding General of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. Additionally, over the years, General Scaparrotti served in key leadership positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic level. He has commanded forces during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Support Hope (Zaire/Rwanda), Joint Endeavor (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Assured Response (Liberia). General Scaparrotti holds a Master’s degree in Administrative Education from the University of South Carolina. In addition to his work with The Cohen Group, General Scaparrotti sits on the boards iof the Atlantic Council and Patriot Foundation, and is a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University.
Yoo Myung-hee served at the Ministries of Trade, Industry and Energy and Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea for nearly three decades before becoming Korea’s first female trade minister (2019-2021). In a variety of roles she designed and implemented Korea’s trade policy and negotiation strategies and led numerous bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations as Korea’s chief negotiator, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and Korea’s free trade agreements with the United States and ASEAN. As trade minister, she contributed to international initiatives to ensure supply chain resilience and to address digital trade policy. She received her BA and MPA from Seoul National University and JD from Vanderbilt University Law School and currently teaches at the Graduate School of International Studies of Seoul National University.
