THE KOREA SOCIETY

Photo credit: Yonhap News “A multilayered story filled with pain and tears and longing.”—Booklist (starred review) In her absorbing and candid novel Hello Baby, Kim Eui-Kyung explores what women endure to become mothers. The novel features six women in their thirties and forties who strike up a friendship at a fertility clinic in Seoul and share their personal paths to motherhood via a group chat they name "Hello...

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  Leesle Hwang has built a distinctive fashion universe by reinterpreting Korean heritage through a modern lens. Her philosophy is rooted in the belief that “fashion comes to life not in a museum, but on the street.” Determined to transform time-honored traditions into living, breathing style, she reconstructs hanbok silhouettes, signature details, and unique textiles with contemporary materials, creating designs...

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Program Brief 2026 Armistice Day Reception In a reception commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement and celebrating the U.S.-ROK alliance, The Korea Society, in collaboration with the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) New York City Metro Area Chapter and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York, brought together veterans, policy leaders, and alliance...

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  Program Brief Critical Comparisons: Sanctions on North Korea vs. Iran In a discussion on the implementation and efficacy of international sanctions, Dr. Jonathan Brewer, Visiting Professor at King's College London and former Acting Coordinator of the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea, offered a nuanced comparative analysis of two of the world's most complex sanctions regimes. Drawing on his unique experience...

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  Program Brief New Thinking on Korea's Aging, Shrinking Society In a discussion on South Korea's low birth rate and aging society, Professor Youngtae Cho, Director of the Population Policy Research Center (PPRC) at Seoul National University, challenged conventional narratives surrounding South Korea's demographic decline. Rather than viewing a shrinking population as a critical crisis, Professor Cho reframed...

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  With a philosophy rooted in simplicity, precision, and balance, Chef Dongsik Ok has reframed traditional Korean comfort food through a minimalist and modern lens. His eponymous restaurant Okdongsik’s signature dish is an elegant yet deeply comforting pork broth, dwaeji gomtang. Since its launch in Seoul’s Seogyo-dong neighborhood in 2017, Okdongsik has earned critical acclaim and recognition with the Michelin...

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