Join us for a discussion with the Senior Washington Correspondent for Bloomberg News Saleha Mohsin on her newly released book Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order, in cooperation with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP). As the global order continues to evolve, it seems that the dollar’s dominance may find itself waning for the first time in 70 years. In a world dividing into two camps, one led by China and the other by the U.S, Mohsin investigates America’s strong dollar policy and how it has shaped the world order, the effects of America’s heavy-handed sanctions on its adversaries, and how American allies like South Korea view the dollar in today’s global financial system. The conversation will be moderated by former CBS White House Correspondent and NCAFP Board Member, Jacqueline Adams.
Saleha Mohsin is the senior Washington correspondent for Bloomberg News. In her role, she covered the final months of the Obama Treasury Department, then the transition into the Trump presidency. Her work as a Treasury reporter encompassed Trump’s trade war, economic sanctions, parts of the Federal Reserve and Capitol Hill, and the government’s response to the worst public health crisis in nearly a century. Saleha also covered the transition into the Biden White House, including the stronger focus on economic statecraft and the ‘Buy America’ agenda that carried over from the previous administration. She also reported on the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Jacqueline Adams has had a long career as a journalist, author and convener. She launched a second career as a communications strategist after more than two decades as an Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent. Through her boutique consulting firm, J Adams: Strategic Communications, LLC, she counsels corporate and non-profit clients. An alumna of Harvard Business School, Ms. Adams serves on the Board of Directors of the HBS Club of New York, the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and the senior community, Brookhaven at Lexington. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Advisory Committee of the United States Institute of Peace, and the Advisory Council of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream.
Explore insights into the dynamics of the U.S.-ROK economic relations and the critical issues impacting trade and investment between the two nations in our inaugural program, “The Dynamic U.S.-ROK Trade and Investment Relationship: Current Issues and Prospects” kicking off the new series, U.S.-ROK New Economic Paradigm. Join a distinguished panel of experts consisting of the Hon. Diane Farrell, Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade at the United States Department of Commerce, Mr. Frank Ahrens, Principal of BGR Group, and Dr. Hyun-jung Je, President & Chief Representative of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Washington DC Office, in conversation with The Korea Society’s President & CEO Tom Byrne. Each speaker brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the discussion, offering insightful perspectives on foreign investment in the U.S., investment-friendly U.S. states, and how U.S.-Korea economic relations might be shaped by the upcoming US Presidential election.
Diane Farrell is the Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade. In this role, she plans, determines, and coordinates policy; directs the International Trade Administration (ITA); and oversees the daily operations of ITA, which has an annual budget of $613 million with approximately 2,100 trade and investment professionals—based in more than 100 U.S. cities and 70 markets around the world. Within the Department of Commerce, Diane Farrell also serves currently as Co-Chair of the Equity Council, alongside Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.
Prior to becoming the Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia, where she was the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Global Markets on all matters concerning international economics, trade, investment, and commercial policy programs and agreements with respect to Asia. In this role, she also oversaw planning and execution of Department of Commerce commercial diplomacy and export promotion strategies at United States Missions in Region Asia.
Previously, Farrell worked at the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC). As Executive Vice President, she oversaw business advocacy policy and government relations.
Farrell served on the Board of Directors at the Export Import Bank of the United States (U.S. EXIM Bank) before joining USIBC. A Presidential appointee, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was responsible for voting on transactions in excess of $10 million as well as significant policy matters. Her portfolio responsibilities included small business, India, Southeast Asia, and portions of Latin America. In addition, she was named a member of the White House Business Council. During her tenure at U.S. EXIM Bank, Indian transactions expanded and diversified as aircraft sales and conventional and green energy projects, among others, led to India becoming the second largest country by U.S. dollar allocation in the bank’s overall portfolio.
Before serving at U.S. EXIM Bank, Farrell was elected as the First Selectwoman (mayor), in Westport, Connecticut. In this role she managed multimillion-dollar budgets within the Consumer Price Index and maintained the town’s AAA bond rating at a time when significant infrastructure investment was taking place. She oversaw the construction of schools, a municipal wastewater treatment plant, affordable housing, and other necessary facilities.
Farrell also served as Chairwoman of the Southwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Agency Metropolitan Planning Organization that was responsible for federally funded transportation infrastructure in a vital commercial corridor. As a select member of the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Steering and Policy Committee, she helped set policy goals for transportation and infrastructure initiatives in support of cities and towns across the United States.
Frank Ahrens, a Principal and Head of BGR Analytics, joined the firm in 2014. He uses data analytics to help individuals, corporations and governments identify winning strategies and employs the full range of earned- and paid-media tactics to improve clients’ profiles and protect their reputations. Working with terrific BGR colleagues, Frank builds relationships with top-tier U.S. media, creates print, digital and video content and deploys the latest SEO tactics. He helps clients land high-profile op-ed placements, score coveted TV news show bookings and produce positive, fact-based content designed to win Page 1 of Google search – an indispensable skill when crisis hits. Working with BGR’s Data Science Team, Frank established BGR Analytics in 2023, which creates data-based rankings of countries and states that give clients the intelligence they need for the most important decisions they make.
Frank has arranged client interviews with Fox News, CNN, The Washington Post and major wire services. Client op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. Frank’s clients have included the governments of South Korea, Panama and India, top-tier brands such as CJ Group, Bose and LSG Sky Chefs; and high-net-worth individuals in Hollywood, Europe and the Middle East.
Before coming to BGR, Frank was Vice President of Global Corporate Communications for Hyundai Motor at the automaker’s Seoul, South Korea, headquarters. He worked closely with Hyundai Motor government affairs offices in Washington and Brussels on breaking and long-range issues including labor, energy and trade. During Frank’s tenure, Hyundai was named “Fastest Growing Brand” by Interbrand in 2011 and 2012.
Prior to Hyundai, Frank worked for 18 years as an editor and reporter at the Washington Post. He covered the global financial crisis of 2008-2010 as well as the media and entertainment industries. Frank appeared frequently as a media industry expert on CNBC, MSNBC, PBS and other networks. He continues to write on international and industry matters, with articles appearing in Foreign Policy, Forbes, Automotive News, PR News and The Diplomat.
Hyun-jung Je is Chief Representative of KITA Washington Center in Korea International Trade Association. She is now in charge of advising and supporting Korean trade companies which are involved in trade and investment issues in the U.S. and also connects and plays a bridging role between Korean businesses and the US governments, congress and think tanks. Since she joined the KITA in 2001, she has worked as a researcher for most of her career years at the Institute for International Trade (IIT), a branch of the KITA. She published many research and policy papers focusing on Korea’s trade policies, free trade agreements and diverse trade issues involving Korean companies. From 2016 to 2018, she served as a private advisor for trade negotiations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and participated in the negotiations on market access during the Korea-US, Korea-Canada and the Korea-India FTAs. From 2020 to 2021, she also served as a member of the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning. Based on her own experiences and academic research, she published a book titled as “Public-Private Relationships in Trade Policy-making” in 2018. Hyun-jung Je holds Ph.D. in International Studies (major in international commerce) and B.A. and M.A. in International Relations from Seoul National University.
Please join us for a timely discussion on the Republic of Korea’s membership in the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-2025 term, featuring the ROK Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Joonkook HWANG, in conversation with Korea Society President and CEO Thomas Byrne. The Republic of Korea, which has a special history and bond with the United Nations, aims to actively contribute to world peace and security and fulfill the expectations of the international community during its tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. This event will offer a valuable opportunity for the audience to gain insights into Ambassador Hwang’s perspective on the ROK’s vision for its Security Council activities, highlighting its interests and priorities among more than 60 regional and thematic agenda items on the Council. Moreover, Ambassador Hwang is anticipated to address the current status and future prospects of the Korean Peninsula, including recent changes and implications of North Korea’s nuclear and inter-Korean policies. This event will also serve as a platform for shedding light on new Security Council dynamics in recent years amidst ongoing global geopolitical changes, in particular the enhanced roles of non-permanent Council members, referred to as the Elected 10.
This event is co-hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) and features introductory remarks by Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jeffrey R. Shafer.
*Please note that the opening remarks from Ambassador Hwang will be livestreamed and On the Record. The following Q&A will not be livestreamed and will be Off the Record.
**Please note that in-person attendance at this program is By Invitation Only. Online registration for the livestream is open to all.
***Please note that the date and time of this program is subject to change if there is an urgent UNSC meeting
The Republic of Korea and the UN Security Council
with ROK Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Ambassador Joonkook HWANG
Friday, March 15, 2024 | 4:30 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Ambassador Joonkook Hwang was born in Seoul in December 1960. He assumed his current position of Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in July 2022. Ambassador Hwang joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of Korea in 1982. Throughout the majority of his distinguished diplomatic career, he has assumed key responsibilities on political and security matters both at the bilateral and multilateral levels. He has held various senior positions in the Government of the Republic of Korea, including, among others, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2016-18), Special Representative (Vice Foreign Minister) for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs and Head of Delegation to the Six-Party Talks (2014-16), Chief Negotiator for the ROK-US Defense Burden-sharing arrangement (2013), Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister for Political Affairs at the ROK Embassy in Washington DC (2010-13), and Ambassador and Director-General for North Korean Nuclear Issues (2008-10). Ambassador Hwang returns to New York after previously serving as Counsellor (2003- 06) and First Secretary (1995-97) at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. He retired from the government in 2018, and taught courses on the North Korean nuclear crisis and Politics in Northeast Asia as a visiting professor at Yonsei University and Hallym University in Korea. Ambassador Hwang graduated from Seoul National University in 1982, majoring in Economics. He obtained his Master’s degree in Public Affairs at Princeton University in 1986. Ambassador Hwang is married to Shil Rhee and they have two daughters.
Join us for this conversation about prospects for Korean Unification with Jeongmin Kim, Lead Correspondent at NK News / Editorial Director at Korea Pro, Dr. Lee Sang-shin, director of the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy at Korea Institute of National Unification (KINU), and Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), in conversation with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. This panel will explore recent policy shifts towards unification in South Korea under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and in North Korea announced by Chairman Kim Jong Un at the ninth plenary meeting of the eighth central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party. What are the consequences of Kim’s announcement that North Korea’s long standing policy goal of unification (one nation, two systems) will be dropped? The expert panel will also discuss changing public opinion in South Korea, including demographic and ideological splits in policy preferences for the future of the Korean Peninsula. Plus, in addition to discussing the well-understood challenges and obstacles to practically embarking on a process of unification, the panel will cover some of the potential benefits of Unification, including demographic, sociocultural, geopolitical, and economic factors.
The promotional partner for this program is Columbia University’s APEC Study Center.
Korean Unification: A Fading Prospect?
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 8 AM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt is the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches and writes on demographics and economic development, as well as on security in the Korean peninsula and Asia. Mr. Eberstadt is also a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR). He has also served as consultant or adviser for a variety of units within the US government.
Jeongmin Kim is the Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at Korea Pro, based in Seoul. Kim covers inter-Korean and DPRK-related foreign, defense and humanitarian affairs, and has covered the 2022 ROK Presidential election on the ground. Prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau. Follow her on Twitter @jeongminnkim.
Dr. Sang Sin LEE is a research fellow and the director of the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU). Dr. Lee’s research areas include political behavior and elections, and public opinion in South Korea. After receiving a Ph. D. in Political Science at the University of Iowa in 2008, he worked for the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at the Seoul National University and then joined the KINU in January 2016. Dr. Lee is currently in charge of the KINU Unification Survey. The KINU Unification Survey is recognized as one of the most important polls in Korea and is cited by major media outlets around the world, including the New York Times, Newsweek, and the BBC.
Join us for a discussion on deterrence and North Korea with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, United States Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Together in conversation with US Air Force Reserve Major Jessica Taylor and Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Ambassador Jenkins will discuss the US-ROK Alliance and the growing threats posed by Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear, missile, and space capabilities as well as its proliferation and procurement activities, including its growing ties and trade with Russia.
Deterring North Korea: A Conversation with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins United States Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 12 PM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, PhD, has served as the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security since July 22, 2021. As Under Secretary, she leads three bureaus: the Arms Control, Compliance and Verification Bureau; the International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau; and the Political-Military Affairs Bureau. In addition, as of May 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken named Under Secretary Jenkins as the senior official to lead the Department’s efforts on AUKUS implementation.
U/S Jenkins previously served in the Obama Administration as Special Envoy and Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) from July 2009 until January 2017. Ambassador Jenkins coordinated U.S. efforts on threat reduction globally and U.S. government programs in chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological (CBRN) security. She was the State Department lead for all four of the Nuclear Security Summits held from 2010 to 2016, as well as the U.S. Representative to the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.
Before serving as Coordinator, she was a Legal Adviser to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency where she provided advice to U.S. ambassadors and delegations negotiating arms control and nonproliferation treaties. Ambassador Jenkins also provided legal advice to treaty implementation bodies including the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). She has worked with international institutions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Interpol, and the BWC Implementation Support Unit.
From its inception in 2017 until April 2021, Ambassador Jenkins was the Founder, Executive Director, and Board Chair of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS), a leading advocacy organization supporting women of color in the security and peace-building sector that believes global issues are best approached from a variety of perspectives.
Ambassador Jenkins has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law School, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and George Washington Elliott School of International Affairs. Ambassador Jenkins has a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Virginia; an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center; an M.P.A. from the State University of New York at Albany; a J.D. from Albany Law School; and a B.A. from Amherst College. She also attended The Hague Academy for International Law. Jenkins is a retired U.S. Naval Reserve Officer and received numerous awards for her military service. She is a member of the New York State Bar.
Major Jessica Taylor, US Air Force Reserve, is a nonresident fellow in the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. She is currently pursuing her PhD in international relations with a focus on the Indo-Pacific as a part of the Security Studies program at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. In addition, Taylor is a logistics readiness officer in the US Air Force Reserve. Taylor has served in the US Department of Defense in both military and civil service capacities for nearly twenty years. She most recently served in South Korea from 2019 to 2021 as an international relations strategist where she provided geopolitical analysis and advice to the headquarters command staffs of United Nations Command, ROK/US Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea. In addition to experience in East Asia, Taylor has had assignments in South Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Taylor holds a BA in biology from Baylor University and an MS in foreign service from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service.
Recent events have heightened military tensions on the Korean Peninsula—North Korea’s successful launch of a military satellite resulting in Seoul’s decision to partially suspend the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), and followed by Pyongyang’s deployment of additional forces near its border with South Korea—increasing the chances of conflict on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea’s advancements in its nuclear weapons and missile programs, coupled with the diminishing enforcement of sanctions and renewed support from Russia, have sparked debates among the South Korean public and security experts about the possibility of Seoul pursuing an indigenous nuclear deterrent. Join us for a program co-hosted by The Korea Society and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) on the future of Korean Peninsula security and suggestions for de-escalation and preventive diplomacy, featuring Professor Moon Chung-In, James Laney Professor at Yonsei University and Vice Chair for the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament. Following Professor Moon’s initial remarks, he will be joined by NCAFP director for Asia Susan A. Thornton and Director of the new Indo-Pacific Security Initiative of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Markus Garlauskas for a conversation moderated by Korea Society president & CEO Tom Byrne.
We kindly ask that you please only RSVP for the event using the following/below links for in-person and livestream registration and not via email. Thank you for your cooperation!
Rumbles of Thunder and Endangered Peace on the Korean Peninsula
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 12 PM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Professor Moon Chung-in is Vice Chair of the APLN. He is the former Special Adviser of National Security and Foreign Affairs to the ROK President (2017-2021). He is currently James Laney Distinguished Professor of Yonsei University and the Editor-in-Chief of Global Asia, a quarterly magazine in English. He has published over sixty books and 300 scholarly articles. His most recent book is Understanding Kim Jong Un’s North Korea (Lexington Book, 2022, co-edited with Robert Carlin). He attended all four inter-Korean summits (three in Pyongyang and one in Panmunjom) as a special delegate.
Markus Garlauskas is the director of the new Indo-Pacific Security Initiative of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, which replaces the former Asia Security Initiative. He leads this new initiative’s efforts focused on security, prosperity, and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region. He led projects focused on deterrence and defense issues in East Asia as a nonresident senior fellow from August 2020 until assuming his duties as director in January 2023. Garlauskas served in the US government for nearly twenty years. He was appointed to the Senior National Intelligence Service as the National Intelligence Officer (NIO) for North Korea on the National Intelligence Council from July 2014 to June 2020. As NIO, he led the US intelligence community’s strategic analysis on North Korea issues and expanded analytic outreach to non-government experts. He also provided direct analytic support to top-level policy deliberations, including the presidential transition, as well as the Singapore and Hanoi summits with North Korea.
Susan A. Thornton is Project Director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security at the NCAFP, Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School and Senior Fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center. In 2018, she retired from the State Department after a 28-year diplomatic career focused primarily on East and Central Asia. In leadership roles in Washington, Thornton worked on China and Korea policy, including stabilizing relations with Taiwan, the U.S.-China Cyber Agreement, the Paris Climate Accord and led a successful negotiation in Pyongyang for monitoring of the Agreed Framework on denuclearization. In her 18 years of overseas postings in Central Asia, Russia, the Caucasus and China, Thornton’s leadership furthered U.S. interests and influence and maintained programs and mission morale in a host of difficult operating environments. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, she was among the first State Department Fascell Fellows and served from 1989–90 at the U.S. Consulate in Leningrad. She was also a researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute from 1987–91. Thornton holds degrees from the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Bowdoin College. She speaks Russian, Mandarin Chinese and French, is a member of numerous professional associations and is on the Board of Trustees for the Eurasia Foundation.
Thomas J. Byrne joined The Korea Society as President in August 2015. Since June 2023, he had also taken 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 comes to the Society from 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 the “Local Leadership in a Global Context” series with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim, moderated by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Korea Society Board Chair.
Governor Kim and Ambassador Stephens discuss the transformation of Gyeonggi Province into a “center of opportunity,” highlighting its growing global reach through international cooperation, including with U.S. businesses and institutions. Governor Kim also shares lessons from his inspiring life and career.
Gyeonggi Province is the Republic of Korea’s most populous province with 14 million residents, and home to key Korean industries, research and educational institutions, and much more. Governor Dong Yeon Kim was elected Governor of Gyeonggi Province in June 2022. Previously, Governor Kim served as ROK Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from 2017 to 2018. He was President of Ajou University from 2015 to 2017.
This program was recorded in Suwon in November 2023.
Interview with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 6:00 PM (EST)
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
Dong Yeon Kim was inaugurated as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, the largest province in the Republic of Korea, on July 1, 2022. With experience and insights accrued through a public service career spanning more than 3 decades, Governor Kim has undertaken the mission of making Gyeonggi Province a “center of opportunity” with “more, fairer and better opportunities” as well as a global leader in peace, future industries and quality of life.
As a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Governor Kim oversaw national economic policies. He formulated and coordinated macro/micro-economic and fiscal policies, as well as taxation, the national treasury, and international finance while supervising state-owned enterprises. He also served a pivotal role in implementing an economic paradigm shift that focused on people-centric investment and innovation growth. Furthermore, he actively initiated international cooperation with finance ministers from other countries and international organizations including the IMF, World Bank, EBRD, and OECD.
Governor Kim previously served as President of Ajou University, a leading university in Korea, bringing about innovative changes in Korea’s higher education. His initiatives – benchmarked by other universities – include the “Pa-ran (Blue) Semester” that inspires students to design their own curricula so as to pursue their visions and goals, and the “After You Program” that seeks to enhance social mobility by providing underprivileged students with opportunities to study abroad.
Other notable works from Governor Kim’s 34 years of public service include successful initiatives aimed at countering the 2008-2009 global financial crisis as the Senior Secretary to the President for Finance and Economy. From 2005 to 2006, he also developed “Vision 2030,” a national long-term strategy with a 25-year horizon and supporting fiscal plan.
Governor Kim’s work experience extends internationally as well. He was a project manager and public sector specialist at the World Bank and also served as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, in Washington D.C. Additionally, he has authored numerous publications including the best-selling book “Pleasant Uprising” and several professional articles. For his many contributions to the nation, he was awarded Korea’s Medal of Excellent Public Service in 2011.
Governor Kim has earned Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a Fulbright Scholarship.
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
