North Korea challenges reporters’ efforts at providing clarity and revealing hidden dynamics given information gaps and a lack of access. Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll, NK News Podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot and freelance journalist and outgoing Asian American Journalist Association New York President Hannah Bae speak with Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado on how reporters overcome these obstacles to gain credible and durable insight.
Covering North Korea
with
Chad O’Carroll, Jacco Zwetsloot and Hannah Bae
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 | 12 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Korea’s Regional Relations| Thursday, December 5, 2019 | 12:00 PM|
John Park, Korea Project Director at Harvard’s Kennedy School, joins Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion on Korea’s current relations with Japan, China and the United States. Concluding a year that saw discord between Seoul and Tokyo and a pause in Washington-Pyongyang dialogue, Dr. Park addresses next-steps on the Peninsula and prospects for dialogue, denuclearization…Read More
The Nuclear Timeline with North Korea, featuring Jung Pak and Annika Betancourt| Friday, November 15, 2019|
November 15, 2019 – North Korea has warned that it will pursue a so-called “new path” if substantive progress isn’t made in negotiations with the United States by the end of the year. But what’s behind this deadline, and what should we expect in the coming months? To find out, Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado sits down with two experienced analysts for insights on timelines, sequencing, and the art of diplomacy.
Dr. Jung Pak is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for East Asia Policy Studies. She previously held senior positions at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Annika Betancourt is a visiting fellow at Brookings and has experience with diverse aspects of the North Korea portfolio, including human rights, humanitarian aid and diplomacy from her time with the U.S. State Department.
US-North Korea Relations from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un| Wednesday, October 30, 2019|
October 30, 2019 – History plays a role in shaping current events all over our the world — but it seems to be especially alive in Korea. Scholars and practitioners that work on the Korean Peninsula can all agree on the importance of learning lessons from the past, but that is where the consensus stops. Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo is an Associate Professor in International Relations at King’s College London and author of the book US-North Korea Relations from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un. In this discussion with Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Pardo attempts to “see through the cycle” and attribute rational explanations to Pyongyang’s mercurial behavior, asserting that North Korea’s has used brinkmanship and bargaining to achieve its main goal, which he considers to be diplomatic normalization with the US.
A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History| Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 6:00 PM|
Author Seth Berkman discusses the release of his new book on South Korea’s women’s hockey team at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. In conversation with Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Berkman, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and SPIN and on ESPN, chronicles the tale of a group of young women who brought the Koreas closer in new ways. Followed by book sale and signing by the author…Read More
New Thinking from Korea and China | Thursday, October 17, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
New generation scholars from Korea and China join Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion on developments in regional politics and security, North Korea’s denuclearization, and visions for the Korean Peninsula. This National Committee on American Foreign Policy event offers unique insights from young professionals for members and media…Read More
2019 Sherman Family Emerging Scholar Lecture | Friday, October 11, 2019 | 3:00 PM |
University of Colorado Boulder Visiting Assistant Professor Ivanna Sang Een Yi addresses P’ansori Mountain Pilgrimages: Land as Interlocutor in Contemporary Korean Oral Performance and Literature. In a presentation both spoken and sung, Professor Yi conceptualizes the contemporary practice of p’ansori san kongbu, mountain study, as a form of pilgrimage…Read More
Korean Sool 101 | Thursday, October 10, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Join us for a fun evening to learn about – and taste! – the signature alcoholic beverages of Korea: Soju and Makgeolli: what makes them so unique and tasty, and how they are becoming ever so popular outside of Korea. Meet the young Korean Americans continuing and putting their own marks on the tradition…Read More
Senior analyst Yang Xiyu, Senior Fellow at China’s Institute of International Studies, joins Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion of China’s role on the Korean Peninsula, its relations with South Korea, recent meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and China’s commitment to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula…Read More
North Korea: Peace? Nuclear War? | Thursday, October 3, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Harvard University’s William Overholt discusses the release of his new edited volume, North Korea: Peace? Nuclear War? with Society President Tom Byrne. Overholt tackles the range of approaches to North Korea, the interplay of development and security, leaders Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un, and challenges to alliance management…Read More
A Conversation with Jihoon Rim, former CEO of Kakao | Thursday, September 19, 2019 | 6:30 PM |
Mr. Jihoon Rim, executive advisor and former CEO at Kakao and Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern School of Business, shared his experiences as the leader of Kakao, the most widely used mobile platform in Korea…Read More
Hong Gildong, the Invincible and Righteous Outlaw by Professor Minsoo Kang | Thursday, September 12, 2019 | 6 PM |
Hong Gildong, who is sometimes referred to as the Korean Robin Hood, is by far the most famous literary character from classic Korean literature. His story as a maverick outlaw, powerful magician, and a wise king is told in the Joseon dynasty novel The Story of Hong Gildong. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of miscomprehension about the origin and nature of the famous work…Read More
Korea-Japan Relations and the US Role | Thursday, September 12, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sheila Smith joins Korea Society Chairman Ambassador Thomas Hubbard for a discussion on the recent challenges to Korea-Japan relations posed by the dispute over Japanese export controls. Amid the growing discord, Smith and Hubbard weigh in on possible offramps and paths forward, as well as the nature of the US role in facilitating discussion among its two Northeast Asia allies…Read More
A Decade of K-Pop: Korean Music’s Ascent in the U.S. | Thursday, July 11, 2019 | 6:30 PM |
Ten years since Wonder Girls and BoA became the first Korean artists to appear on Billboard’s main U.S. music charts, K-pop is at the forefront of the increasingly globalized U.S. music scene. With BTS undeniably at the top of the music world and Blackpink making K-pop history…Read More
Passion in Entrepreneurship – Aligning Vision and Passion | Thursday, June 27th, 2019 | 6 PM |
The path of becoming an entrepreneur is not an easy one. Sang Lee, CEO of Darc Matter and President of KSE, is interested in hearing from entrepreneurs and founders who have created a business around their passions and dreams. Robert Lee from Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and Celina Lee from Give One Dream will join the session and share their…Read More
Hope For My People with Joseph Kim | Monday, June 24, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Joseph Kim was born and raised in North Korea. At the age of 12, his father died of starvation and he was separated from his mother and sister. In 2006, Joseph escaped North Korea into China. A year later, he was resettled in the United States as a North Korean refugee. Since then, Joseph has shared his story from the TED stage, has published a memoir, “Under the Same Sky,”…Read More
Trauma Care and North Korea | Thursday, June 20, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Harvard Medical School Global Surgery Scholar Kee B. Park, M.D. and Korea Foundation-Vrije Universiteit Brussel Korea Chair Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo examine North Korea’s growing injury burden and the regime’s ability to respond. They address marketization, affluence, political factors, domestic and international resource mobilization, sanctions impact, and roadmaps for a multistakeholder national system… Read More
A Conversation on K-Factor: An Orchestral Exploration of K-pop at Lincoln Center | Wednesday, June 19, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
K-Factor is a unique concert presented by Lincoln Center, casting a light on the often overlooked musical innovations and radical spirit of the global phenomenon that is K-pop. On June 20, a 50-piece symphony orchestra will perform live at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, with a program comprising a curated set of songs arranged to highlight the distinct musical ingenuity present in Korean music new and old… Read More
Marketization and North Korea | Thursday, June 13, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Stanford University Visiting Fellow Andray Abrahamian and Korea Economic Institute Nonresident Fellow Yonho Kim join Society President Thomas Byrne to discuss how North Korea’s marketization has impacted social ties, communication, governance, and culture… Read More
Korean Illuminated Sutra Transcription Talk & Demonstration | Wednesday, May 8, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Master artist Kim Kyeong-Ho is a pioneer and transmitter of the art of Sagyeong, Korean Sutra Copying. He was appointed by the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor as the sole Traditional Sutra Copying Skills Transmitter, and is… Read More
A Brief History of Han | Thursday, May 2, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
The term han is difficult if not impossible to translate into English – at least not in a word or two. Words such as “rage” or “deep sorrow” are not sufficient to capture the complex of emotions that it evokes. Yet it is something that Koreans can readily identify when they see it… Read More
Russia’s Role on the Korean Peninsula | Friday, May 3, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Professor Georgy Toloraya breaks down the DPRK-Russia summit, Russian support for South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s peace offensive, and support for peninsular development in conversation with Senior Director Stephen Noerper… Read More
New Generation Thinking in China and Korea with Zakary Dychtwald | Thursday, April 11, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Author and Young China Group founder Zakary Dychtwald addresses generational dynamics affecting domestic politics and foreign policy in Northeast Asia. He examines aspirations, innovation and employment in conversation with Society associate director Jonathan Corrado.This event is co-hosted by the Columbia Business School’s APEC Study Center… Read More
The Origins of Kimchi and Soju | Thursday, April 4, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Kimchi and soju are staples of daily life in Korea and tend to represent the cuisine for foreigners. Though kimchi and soju are strongly associated with Korea, their history has remained elusive. This program delves into the origins of these foods by looking at the eating and drinking culture of the Joseon period… Read More
Next Steps on the Korean Peninsula | Wednesday, April 3, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
The Korea Society welcomes former United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/US Forces Korea Commanders Generals (ret.) Vincent Brooks and Walter “Skip” Sharp for an insightful hour of analysis on Korea and prospects for peace and confidence-building going forward. General Brooks, who recently completed his tenure in Korea and spoke at Stanford University in March… Read More
Federation of American Scientists International Study Group on North Korea Policy Briefing | Thursday, March 28, 2019 | 6 PM |
Adam Mount, Mira Rapp-Hooper and Ankit Panda discuss the results of a consensus effort of fifteen experts from the US, ROK, Japan, Canada, and UK to develop a strategy toward a North Korea that maintains nukes. They warn that without a major shift in strategy, a nuclear-armed North Korea will expand its ability to aggress against its neighbors… Read More
ASIA WEEK ARTIST TALK with Suh Seung Won | Thursday, March 14, 2019 | 6:30 PM |
Simultaneity presents an ongoing series based on the Korean Dansaekhwa monochrome movement by artist Suh Seung Won (b. 1941), a pioneer of geometric abstraction in Korean contemporary art. Expanding on a career across five decades, Suh’s Simultaneity series explores his continued meditations on the concurrence of time and space, expressed through interactions between geometric forms and the underlying surface… Read More
Photography of North Korea | Thursday, March 7, 2019 | 6:30 PM |
AP’s lead North Korea photographer Wong Maye-E shares images of North Korea and its people, in conversation with Society senior director Stephen Noerper.This program enjoys the support of Columbia University’s Center for Korean Research (CKR)… Read More
Reflections on the Trump-Kim Summit | Friday, March 1, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
The Stimson Center and Korea Society provide a first look at the US-DPRK summit results. Project 38 North at the Stimson Center Director Joel Wit joins senior director Stephen Noerper in a rapid reaction assessment of the second Trump-Kim summit. This news maker event identifies takeaways, highlights dynamics between the US and North Korean leaders, explores progress toward denuclearization, and speaks to change in North Korea… Read More
The March First Movement: 100 Years On | Thursday, February 28, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
The year 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the March First Movement, the largest uprising against Japanese rule during the colonial period (1910-1945). The movement’s now mythic status in Korean nationalism has obscured much of its complexity… Read More
Korean Film Today with Won Dong-Yeon | Wednesday, February 25, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Famed producer Won Dong-Yeon–the creative force behind Along with the Gods and Masquerade–speaks to the state of Korean film today and intricacies of the film industry at home. He also reflects on the power of Korean directors, producers and actors for the global box office… Read More
The Nine Cloud Dream with Heinz Insu Fenkl | Wednesday, February 20, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Korea’s most prized literary masterpiece: a Buddhist journey questioning the illusions of human life—presented in a vivid new translation by PEN/Hemingway finalist Heinz Insu Fenkl Often considered the highest achievement in Korean fiction, The Nine Cloud Dream poses the question: Will the life we dream of truly make us happy?… Read More
STRIVING FOR PEACE ON THE BEDROCK OF THE ROK-US ALLIANCE | Thursday, February 14, 2019 | 10:00 AM |
South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker, the Honorable Moon Hee-sang, delivers an address on Striving for Peace on the Bedrock of the ROK-US Alliance. The speech comes in advance of the second summit between the US President and North Korean leader… Read More
As an early member of the Dansaekhwa art movement, Suh Seung-Won (b. 1941) presents the theoretical basis for Korean modernism. For over 50 years, Suh has expressed his aesthetic views on the simultaneity of time and space through his exploration of interactions between geometric patterns and backgrounds… Read More
Human Rights and North Korea | Friday, February 1, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea Executive Director Greg Scarlatoiu, Bush Institute Director for Human Freedom Lindsay Lloyd, and CSIS Korea Chair Victor Cha speak to the landmark UN COI human rights report a half decade on from its release… Read More
Talking to North Korea with Glyn Ford | Friday, January 25, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Track2Asia Director Glyn Ford discusses his new book Talking to North Korea with Society senior director Stephen Noerper. Informed by extraordinary access to the country’s leadership, Ford investigates the regime from the inside, acknowledging that North Korea is a deeply repressive state that nonetheless has sections of its leadership determined to end its isolation… Read More
Love for Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving for Perfection with Haemin Sunim | Thursday, January 10, 2019 | 6:00 PM |
Begin 2019 with renowned Buddhist teacher and writer Haemin Sunim. Born in Korea and educated in the United States, he has more than a million Twitter and Facebook followers. His books The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down–published in thirty languages–and Love For Imperfect Things have sold more than four million copies… Read More
Reading North Korea, with Chad O’Caroll and Jan Janowski | Tuesday, January 15, 2019 | 12:00 PM |
Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll and German diplomat Jan Janowski examine how to navigate information deficits when communicating within or reporting on North Korea. Lean into the new year with this informative session aimed at policy and corporate supporters, members, and media… Read More
PRESS RELEASE | Ambassador Kathleen Stephens commences as Korea Society Board Chair
The Korea Society is pleased to announce that Ambassador Kathleen Stephens has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors to serve as the new Board Chair effective January 2020.
Ambassador Stephens’ connection with Korea began in 1975 when she spent two years in Chungnam Province as a Peace Corps volunteer. She served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2011, the first Korean-language speaker and first woman in that role. She currently serves as the president and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute of America inWashington, DC.
Ambassador Stephens was a U.S. Foreign Service officer from 1978to 2015. In addition to Korea, her other diplomatic postings included China, India, Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland. She was on the National SecurityCouncil staff in the 1990s, and served in senior positions at the Department of State, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs(2003-2005), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian andPacific Affairs (2005-2007), and acting Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (2012). Since 2015, she has been the William J. Perry Fellow atStanford University’s Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), where she teaches classes on U.S. foreign policy, diplomacy and U.S.-Korea relations.
“This is an important time in the U.S.-Korea relationship,” Ambassador Stephens said. “Interest in the policy challenges we face is higher than I’ve ever seen it, whether on the Hill, in media and academia, or in the broader public. I look forward to doing all I can in working with the Korea Society’s board of directors, its management and its supporters and stakeholders in advancing the mission of the Society–to advance awareness understanding and cooperation between the people of Korea and America,” remarked Ambassador Stephens.
Ambassador Stephens will succeed Ambassador Thomas C. Hubbard who has served as chair of the Korea Society’s board for more than a decade, from 2009 through 2019. A career foreign-service officer for nearly forty years, Ambassador Hubbard served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2001 to 2004. He held key Washington postings, including assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs. Ambassador Hubbard was a principal negotiator of the 1994 Agreed Framework aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and headed the first senior-level U.S. government delegation to North Korea.
On Ambassador Stephens’ appointment, Ambassador Hubbard said, “I congratulate the Korea Society Board on the selection of Ambassador Kathy Stephens to be the next Chairman of the Board. I can think of no one more qualified to lead this important organization in the coming years. It was both a pleasure and an honor for me to Chair the Korea Society for the last ten years, and I thank the board as well as President Tom Byrne and his able staff for their support. I plan to stay in close touch with the Korea Society and will continue to do all I can to promote close understanding between the American and Korean people as our two nations grapple with the challenges and opportunities before us.”
The Society’s president Tom Byrne said, “I will miss the support provided by Ambassador Thomas Hubbard in the four years I have served as president. Tom provided dedicated leadership in helping the Society expand its programs, raise its profile and reach a wider audience, while shoring up our financial footing. And I look forward to working with Ambassador Kathy Stephens to build on these accomplishments. Kathy and I share a common bond with Korea—we both served as Peace Corps Volunteers there in the late-1970s. Since then, two-way cultural and economic exchanges between Korea and the U.S. have grown tremendously, while the deep friendship between the peoples of the two countries has remained constant. I am eager to work with Kathy as we face the challenges and seize the opportunities in front of us to advance the mission and strengthen the value proposition of the Korea Society.”
ROK Presidential Adviser and Yonsei University Distinguished Professor Chung-in Moon shares roundtable insights on the year ahead in Korean politics, policy and unification dialogue with select policy and corporate members.
This event is by-invitation only at policy@koreasociety.org
Korea in 2020: Politics, Policy and Unification Dialogue Insights
Thursday, January 9, 2020 | 3 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Senior professionals from business, media and the United Nations join for an hour’s discussion on Thursdays over three weeks with leading thought experts on Korea and Northeast Asia. This twice yearly series affords both networking and high impact analyses on pressing issues in politics, economics and security. By invitation.
Kim Koo Professional Series
Thursdays, November 7, 21 and December 5, 2019 | 4 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
John Park, Korea Project Director at Harvard’s Kennedy School, joined Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion on Korea’s current relations with Japan, China and the United States. Concluding a year that saw discord between Seoul and Tokyo and a pause in Washington-Pyongyang dialogue, Dr. Park addresses next-steps on the Peninsula and prospects for dialogue, denuclearization and enhanced regional relations.
This program enjoys the support of Columbia University’s Center for Korean Research (CKR).
Korea’s Regional Relations
with
John Park
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 | 12 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Retired General Vincent Brooks, former Commander of US Forces Korea/Combined Forces Command/United Nations Command, revisits the Korea Society for a discussion of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, to include the latest on the US-ROK alliance, North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, dialogue efforts, and confidence building.
Korea Security Update
with
Former Commander General Vincent Brooks
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 6 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
November 15, 2019 – North Korea has warned that it will pursue a so-called “new path” if substantive progress isn’t made in negotiations with the United States by the end of the year. But what’s behind this deadline, and what should we expect in the coming months? To find out, Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado sits down with two experienced analysts for insights on timelines, sequencing, and the art of diplomacy.
Dr. Jung Pak is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for East Asia Policy Studies. She previously held senior positions at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Annika Betancourt is a visiting fellow at Brookings and has experience with diverse aspects of the North Korea portfolio, including human rights, humanitarian aid and diplomacy from her time with the U.S. State Department.
The Nuclear Timeline with North Korea, featuring Jung Pak and Annika Betancourt
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2019
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
History plays a role in shaping current events all over our the world — but it seems to be especially alive in Korea. Scholars and practitioners that work on the Korean Peninsula can all agree on the importance of learning lessons from the past, but that is where the consensus stops. Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo is an Associate Professor in International Relations at King’s College London and author of the book “US-North Korea Relations from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un.” In this discussion with Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Pardo attempts to “see through the cycle” and attribute rational explanations to Pyongyang’s mercurial behavior, asserting that North Korea’s has used brinkmanship and bargaining to achieve its main goal, which he considers to be diplomatic normalization with the US.
US-North Korea Relations from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Author Seth Berkman discusses the release of his new book on South Korea’s women’s hockey team at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. In conversation with Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Berkman, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and SPIN and on ESPN, chronicles the tale of a group of young women who brought the Koreas closer in new ways. Followed by book sale and signing by the author.
This program enjoys the support of Columbia University’s Center for Korean Research (CKR).
A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019 | 6 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
