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Category: Signature Events

50th Anniversary Seoul Gala

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Members, friends, and supporters of The Korea Society marked the 50th anniversary of the organization at a gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul on February 3, 2007.

 

His Excellency Lee Hee-Beom
Chair
50th Anniversary Commemoration of The Korea Society

The Honorable Donald P. Gregg
Chairman
The Korea Society

The Honorable Evans J. R. Revere
President
The Korea Society

Welcoming Speech
The Honorable Alexander Vershbow
Ambassador
Embassy of The United States of America

Introduction by
Stanley C. Gale
Dinner Chair

Congratulatory Address
Her Excellency Han Myeong Sook
Prime Minister
Republic of Korea

 

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Grand Hyatt Hotel 
Grand Ballroom
Seoul, Korea

***

Reception • 6:00 PM
Dinner • 7:00 PM

 

 

 

2006 Van Fleet Award Honoree

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2006 vanfleet lee-kun-hee

2006 Van Fleet Award Honoree

LEE KUN-HEE
SAMSUNG CHAIRMAN

 

As the guiding light of Samsung, Chairman Lee Kun-Hee is responsible for an extraordinary economic conglomerate that has contributed enormously to the economic rise of South Korea. Samsung is the strongest economic symbol of today’s Korea, as is demonstrated by its ranking number 20 in the latest Business Week / Interbrand survey of the 100 “top brands” worldwide. This extraordinary ranking is supported by the stunning surge in the value of the Samsung product line over the past five years. Over this period, Samsung posted the biggest gain in value of any of the top 100 brands, with an explosive rise of 186-percent in value. Today its total assets amount to more than $230 billion, with close to a quarter of a million employees working in over 65 countries. Samsung currently has more than 25 offices in the United States alone.

Chairman Lee has played a direct, hands-on role in shaping Samsung’s approach to its people and its products. He has long supported innovation in management, creating a more dynamic corporate culture under the slogan “Change Myself First,” based on his conviction that all progress begins with the individual. Today, Samsung’s corporate philosophy reflects Chairman Lee’s belief that economic success comes from a stress on quality, not quantity.

Educated in Korea, Japan and the United States, Chairman Lee remains active in many areas, as a vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, a vice chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Committee, a member of the International Olympic Committee, a director of the Korean Youth Association and a philanthropist of high standing. Under his guidance, Samsung made a $3.2 million contribution to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund last year and has contributed more than $30 million to American charities over the years. Truly, Samsung is an outstanding global citizen.

When General James Van Fleet, for whom this award is named, came up with the idea of establishing The Korea Society, Korea itself still lay largely prostrate in the wreckage of war. Samsung has played an enduring and significant role in Korea’s recovery and rise to global prominence. It is for his key role in that magnificent recovery that we honor Chairman Lee.

 

 

 

2006 Annual Dinner

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The Korea Society 2006 Annual Dinner

honoring
The Honorable Madeleine Albright
Former United States Secretary of State

and
2006 Van Fleet Awardee
Lee Kun-Hee
Samsung Chairman

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

The Pierre
Fifth Avenue at 61st Street
New York City

Reception – 6:30 PM – Cotillion Room
Dinner – 7:30 PM – Grand Ballroom

Hundreds of friends of The Korea Society-including many of the most prominent members of the business and diplomatic establishments in the U.S. and the ROK-gathered in the main ballroom of The Pierre hotel in New York City to celebrate the organization and those who have done outstanding work in carrying out its mission of forging ever closer, deeper U.S.-Korea ties. At this year’s annual dinner, Lee Kun-Hee, chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, was honored with The Korea Society’s 2006 James A. Van Fleet Award. Madeleine Albright, former U.S. secretary of state, delivered the keynote address.

Introduced by Donald P. Gregg, president and chairman of The Korea Society, Albright spoke in rousing defense of the U.S.-Korea alliance. Recounting her experiences in dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue in the 1990s, Albright decried the current administration’s hard-line posture towards Pyongyang, urging that the U.S. conduct direct and unconditional talks with the North and cement a comprehensive plan for denuclearization and development on the Korean peninsula. “It is important that all concerned focus less on process and debating points than on progress and results,” she said.

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ImageAlbright was followed by a last-minute addition to the program, South Korea’s foreign minister and the leading candidate for U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon. Minister Ban praised all the work of The Korea Society over the last year, as well as the many contributions made by Chairman Lee to U.S.-Korea relations. Donald P. Gregg then took the podium to present the award.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by the sounds of the International Sejong Soloists, one of the most prestigious string ensembles in New York, and the stylings of renowned Korean jazz vocalist Youn Sun Nah.

The 2006 annual dinner was one of the most successful in The Korea Society’s history. The caliber of the program attracted a full house of guests and sponsors, as well as numerous members of the Korean, American and Japanese press.  

Program

ImageMadeleine Korbel Albright served as the 64th secretary of state of the United States.  In 1997, she was named the first woman secretary of state and became, to that time, the highest ranking woman in the history of the US government. (portrait by Timothy Greenfield Sanders)

Dr. Albright is the founder of The Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm.

She is the first Michael and Virginia Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service.  She is the chairman of The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, chair of The Pew Global Attitudes Project and president of the Truman Scholarship Foundation.  Dr. Albright is the co-chair of the High Level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor (HLCLEP) and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Board of Trustees for the Aspen Institute.  
   
As Secretary, Dr. Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade and business, labor, and environmental standards abroad.

Accomplishments during former Secretary Albright ’s tenure included the expansion and modernization of NATO and NATO’s successful campaign to reverse ethnic cleansing in Kosovo; the promotion of peace in the Balkans; the reduction of nuclear dangers from Russia; the strengthening of democracy in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; the skillful management of our multifaceted relationship with China including trade as well as human rights; and the growth of trade in the Americas, in Africa through the African Growth Opportunity Act, and through the conclusion of hundreds of other agreements that facilitated American business overseas. 

From 1993 – 1997, Dr. Albright served as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of the President’s Cabinet.  In 1995, she led the U.S. delegation to the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.

Dr. Albright was the Director of Women in Foreign Service Programs and a Research Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University during the decade prior to her return to public service.  From 1989 -1992, she was President of the Center for National Policy, a non-profit public policy organization based in Washington D.C.  As a professor, Dr. Albright wrote extensively on change in communist systems particularly on the role of the media. 

From 1978-81, Dr. Albright was a member of President Carter’s National Security Council and White House staff.  From 1976-78, she served as Chief Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie. 

Dr. Albright received her B.A. with Honors, from Wellesley College, Masters and Doctorate from Columbia University’s Department of Public Law and Government, as well as a Certificate from the Russian Institute.

She was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and immigrated to America with her family after Communists took control of that country in 1948.  She is the mother of three daughters and has six grandchildren.

Dr. Albright’s autobiography, Madam Secretary: A Memoir, was published in September, 2003. She has a new book entitled The Mighty and The Almighty – Reflections on America, God and World Affairs, published in May, 2006. (as of 5-06)

 

ImageLee Kun-Hee is chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, a leading manufacturer of industrial and consumer electronics. Prior to serving in this role, Lee served as chairman of the Samsung Group from 1987 to 1998 and vice chairman of the group from 1978 to 1987. He began his career with the Samsung Group in 1968, serving as executive director of Joong-Ang Daily News and Tong-Yang Broadcasting Corporation until 1978. Lee has made many noteworthy contributions to the global business community. For his dedication to improving economic and social ties between France and Korea, the French government honored him in 2004 with the Commandeur de la Légion D’Honneur (Commander of the Legion of Honor), a prestigious decoration established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

Lee has worked tirelessly in a variety of roles to advance the well-being of Korea and the Korean people. He has been of vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries since 1987, and vice chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Committee since 1981. He is the current director of the Korean Youth Association.

Lee has also worked to extend opportunities to Korean athletes. Lee served as president of the Korean Amateur Wresting Federation from 1982 to 1996 and as honorary president since 1997. He has been a standing member of the Korean Olympic Committee since 1982, becoming vice president of that committee in 1993 and honorary president in 1996. In 1996, Lee was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee and, later that year, as a member of the Korean Organizing Committee for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan.

Born on January 9, 1942 in the town of Uiryung, Kyongnam Province, South Korea, Lee is married with one son and two daughters. He majored in economics at Waseda University in Tokyo, studied business administration at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and has received two honorary doctorates-one, in business administration, from Seoul National University in January 2000, and the other, in philosophy, from Korea University in May 2005.

 

 


Speakers & Honorees

BENEFACTORS

William R. Rhodes
Chairman & CEO, Citibank N.A.
Senior Vice Chairman, Citigroup Inc.

Yun Jong-Yong
Vice Chairman & CEO
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Ray Ferguson
Chief Executive Officer
Standard Chartered Bank, Americas

  

PATRONS

Edward T. Cloonan
Vice President
American International Group, Inc.

Wendell Weeks
President and CEO
Corning Incorporated 

Kang Chung Won
President & CEO
Kookmin Bank

  

 

 

 SPONSORS

  
 Michael L. Ducker
President
FedEx Express International		 Wang Sang Eun
President
Korean-American Friendship Association		 Arthur F. Ryan
Chairman & CEO
Prudential Financial
John B. Hynes, III
President & CEO
Gale International		 Nicholas Bratt
Managing Director
Lazard Asset Management LLC		 Rodger A. Lawson
Vice Chairman
Prudential Financial
Hur Dong-Soo
Chairman & CEO
GS Caltex Corporation		 Michael Ahn
President & CEO
LG Electronics, North American HQ		 John H. Koo
President & CEO
SK USA, Inc.
Robert E. Fallon
Chairman
Korea Exchange Bank		 Jin Roy Ryu
Chairman and CEO
Poongsan Corporation		 Young H. T. Cho
Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Bill Hwang
Managing Partner 
Tiger Asia Management L.L.C.
Jarett F. Wait 
Managing Director
Lehman Brothers
  
Dinner Committee

BENEFACTORS

Citigroup Inc.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Standard Chartered Bank

PATRONS

American International Group, Inc. 
Corning Incorporated
Kookmin Bank
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd 

SPONSORS

FedEx Express 
Gale International
GS Caltex Corporation
Korea Exchange Bank
Korean-American Friendship Association
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Lehman Brothers
LG Electronics, North America Headquarters 
Poongsan Corporation 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
Prudential Financial
SK USA, Inc.
Tiger Asia Management L.L.C.
 

DONORS

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP
Gale International
Hyosung America Incorporated
Kim & Chang
Korea Bankers Association of New York
KPMG LLP
Merrill Lynch
NYSE Group 

CONTRIBUTORS

Asian American Bar Association of NY
The Boeing Company
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP 
DMZ Forum 
Korea International Trade Association 
Korea Consulate General 
POSCO America Corporation
State Street Financial

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Additional support was provided by Robert A. Terry, Westinghouse.

We gratefully acknowledge in-kind donations from Johnnie Walker.

 

16th Annual Golf Tournament

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2006 05 09 Golf iconMay 9, 2006

The only thing clouding the sky on the day of the 16th Annual Van Fleet Memorial Golf Tournament was the occasional wayward drive, sailing across the green. Seventy-one golfers, in 18 teams, played 18 holes at the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club in Bedford New York. The tournament, preceded by breakfast and followed by dinner and a silent auction, was fun for all. The Van Fleet Memorial Trophy went to C.Y. Park. The team competition was dominated by a foursome of Dong Hyun Ahn, Dukki Jin, Daehyun Kim and Moon Gie Kim. As per tradition, Hyundai’s hole-in-one prize—a 2006 Azera—went unclaimed.

 

 

Annual Membership Party 2026 | Checkout

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Ticket purchase will include one free raffle ticket and complimentary dinner.

 
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2005 Van Fleet Award Honoree

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2005 vanfleet george-bush

 

2005 Van Fleet Award Honoree

 

GEORGE H.W. BUSH
41ST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

The presidency of George H.W. Bush, from 1989 to 1993, remains the high point of the U.S.-Korea alliance that dates from the Korean War.

From the early months of his term in office, President Bush worked creatively to support South Korea’s policy of “Nordpolitic,” which was designed to pave the way toward better relations between North and South Korea by establishing diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, China, and the countries of Eastern Europe.

In 1990, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the previous year, President Bush arranged a meeting between South Korean President Roh Tae Woo and Mikhail Gorbachev in San Francisco that paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Seoul the following year.

Using his vast Chinese experience, President Bush encouraged China to recognize South Korea, which it did in 1992. President Bush also urged the Chinese to drop their long-standing opposition to membership in the United Nations for South Korea. Today, both North and South Korea are United Nations members of long standing.

In military matters, President Bush was equally adroit in supporting “Nordpolitic.” Strategic weapons deployments, and annual, large-scale training exercises were modified in close coordination with Seoul’s outreach to Pyongyang. The result was the signing of two North-South agreements at the end of 1991 that remain as a blueprint for a stable Korean Peninsula in the post-nuclear age.

Today, as the U.S.-Korea alliance continues to grow and prosper in a new century, President Bush is still remembered with great respect and affection by the Korean people for all that he contributed to this key relationship during his presidency.

 

 

 

2005 Annual Dinner

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The 2005 annual dinner was one of, if not, the largest Korea-related event ever held in New York City. The dinner was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria. It drew nearly 1,000 guests. No doubt, the turnout was a reflection of the high profiles of the guests for the event: Roh Moo-hyun, president of the Republic of Korea and the dinner’s keynote speaker, as well as George H.W. Bush, former president of the U.S. who was the recipient of the 2005 Van Fleet Award. Both delivered very personal and uplifting messages that were well-received by the dinner guests.

Befitting the high profile of the event, there was an unprecedented number of dinner chairs. They were: William R. Rhodes, chairman, Citibank N.A. and senior vice chairman, Citigroup Inc.; Shin-Ho Kang, chairman, The Federation of Korean Industries; Jae-Chul Kim, chairman & CEO, Korea International Trade Association; Michael Ahn, president & CEO, LG Electronics, North American Headquarters; John B. Hynes, president & CEO, Gale International, New Songdo City; Dong-Jin Oh, president & CEO, Samsung Electronics America, Inc.; and James F. McCabe, CEO, Americas, Standard Chartered Bank.

The entertainment for the evening was provided by the renowned soprano Youngok Shin who offered an exquisite program of Italian operatic arias and Korean art songs.

Lastly, the evening ended on an extraordinarily uplifting high note when FKI Chairman Kang Shin-ho came to the podium and presented former President George H.W. Bush with a check for $10 million as a contribution toward Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund.

2004 Van Fleet Award Honoree

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2004 Van Fleet Award Honoree

 

BAN KI-MOON
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
REPUBLIC OF KOREA

 

Past recipients of the Van Fleet award have generally been distinguished individuals whose public service career had been completed. Included among these recipients are a former American president, a former secretary of defense, a retired four-star general, and a former chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, who received the award posthumously.

Tonight, we are presenting the Van Fleet award to a man who is actively serving in a key position at a time of great historical and political turbulence in Northeast Asia. We feel that this award is very much in keeping with the spirit of the man for whom the award is named. General James A. Van Fleet developed a deep admiration for the Korean people as he observed them coping bravely with the devastation of the Korean War. He recognized them as a people of action. It was this high regard for the Korean people that led him to establish the first incarnation of The Korea Society in 1957.

Tonight’s awardee, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-Moon, is clearly a man of action, who brings to his vital position a wealth of experience acquired during 34 years of service to his country. At a time when the regional relationships in Northeast Asia are in flux and Korea is emerging as a hub of the region, Minister Ban has been coping admirably with such issues as the multilateral talks designed to defuse the North Korean nuclear issue, changes in longstanding patterns of U.S. troop deployments and the highly charged issue, between China and Korea, of the basic identity of the ancient kingdom of Koguryo.

All of us in this distinguished audience tonight feel deeply reassured that it is Minister Ban Ki-Moon who is responsible for dealing with these complex issues. As members and friends of The Korea Society, it is our hope that he will accept the 2004 James A. Van Fleet Award as a kind of “battlefield decoration,” a token of our admiration for his achievements during a distinguished career in public service and his continuing contributions as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea.

Today, as the U.S.-Korea alliance continues to grow and prosper in a new century, President Bush is still remembered with great respect and affection by the Korean people for all that he contributed to this key relationship during his presidency.

 

 

 

2003 Van Fleet Award Honoree

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2003 vanfleet raymond-g-davis

2003 Van Fleet Award Honoree

RAYMOND G. DAVIS
GENERAL, (RET.)
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

General Raymond G. Davis has compiled a matchless combat record as a Marine Corps officer in the brutal Guadalcanal campaign of World War II, and as the commanding general of the Third Marine Division in Vietnam. During the Korean War, General Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as a battalion commander during the First Marine Division’s historic fight to break out of the Chosin Reservoir area in the frigid mountains of North Korea.

General Davis has been awarded numerous medals for heroism by a grateful United States government. His 33 years of active service as a Marine Corps officer ended with his retirement in 1972, after serving as the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.

Like General Van Fleet, for whom this award is named, General Davis came out of the Korean War with a special admiration for the Korean people. He has worked tirelessly to develop the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has worked to promote the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in Northeast Asia and has actively participated in meetings between American and North Korean officials in New York City.

Last year, with the cooperation of the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, General Davis visited the Chosin Reservoir area, as a part of the United States government’s effort to repatriate the remains of servicemen killed during the war. General Davis is working diligently to return to North Korea in the near future, with other Korean War veterans and their families, in an attempt to forge bonds of friendship between former enemies as well as assist in locating and repatriating those still buried in the formidable mountains of North Korea.

General Davis has brought the same dedication and intensity to civilian life that he demonstrated as an officer in combat. His contributions to Korea and to America, in peace and war, perfectly exemplify the spirit of the Van Fleet Award. It is most appropriate that this award is being presented to General Davis by the President of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Roh Moo-hyun.

 

 

 

YPN: Our future with AI A Conversation with Prof. Jeongki Lim

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field with the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. However, the possible consequences of AI are bifold. While it has enabled dramatic improvements by achieving quick and efficient results, it also raises fears of the unknown.

Check out our video release to view this engaging and thought-provoking interview with Professor Jeongki Lim, a leading expert in transdisciplinary design. In this interactive program with Professor Lim, he walked our audience through his career journey on how he landed on his current position and shared invaluable insights gained through his years of experience and research in the creative technology and design industry. Prof. Lim also explored how AI technologies have impacted creative industries and beyond, as well as the challenges and opportunities they have posed in shaping the future.

The discussion, followed by a networking session, included light refreshments for those attending the event in person.

 

 

Young Professionals’ Network
Our future with AI
A Conversation with Prof. Jeongki Lim

Thursday, April 27, 2023 | 6:30 PM (EDT)

 

VIDEO RELEASE

Monday, May 1, 2023

 


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

Join our membership program here!

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Jeongki Lim is Assistant Professor of Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design, The New School. His practice spans from launching new organizations in both private and public sectors to researching and teaching at the intersection of design and science. Before his academic career, he was selected for Google’s 30 Weeks Design Founder program for co-founding a company that placed the concept of design at the center of the business, which has manifested in product development, user experience, market strategy, and computational design. His other works have contributed to launching new strategic initiatives in the military, urban government, and technology consulting that still exist today. He currently serves in the leadership team of Parsons MPS in Fashion Management and has led the BBA in Strategic Design and Management program. He holds a B.A. in Individualized Studies and an M.S. in Applied Urban Science and Informatics, both from New York University. He is a regular speaker both in industry and academic events. His research focuses on computational creativity, complex adaptive systems, and learning science that can bring value to our understanding of human creativity and corporate innovation.

 

ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

Tae Young Woo is Co-Founder and CEO of Finestra, a healthcare data startup developing tools to make medical care more transparent and accessible to Americans. The company developed a search engine for medical bills and is quickly expanding across the United States.

Prior to health care tech, Tae Young started (and still owns) Blue Books Media, a Seoul-based publishing company that introduces industry leaders well-known in the English-speaking world to the Korean market. All of the books he published have been placed in the TOP 100 business book rankings in the country after release, and one he personally translated and published was ranked the #1 self-help book in the country and a TOP 3 national bestseller.

Tae Young is also a Founding Director of the Yoonjae Lee Foundation for Environmental Studies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit set up in honor of his late friend and college roommate who was a passionate inventor and scholar of environmental studies and technology tackling climate change. The Foundation aims to provide scholarships to the next generation of scholars dedicated to solving the climate crisis.

A Seoul native raised in southern California, Tae Young received his Bachelor of Arts from New York University and now lives in New York.