Join us for an in-person program with former Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Korea Duck Koo Chung, also the Founder and Chairman of the NEAR Foundation (North-East Asia Research Foundation), as he recounts his time as a Deputy Minister of Finance during the 1997 IMF Crisis. Chung played a crucial part in Korea’s impressively rapid economic recovery as chief negotiator representing the Korean government with… Read More

Join us for this book talk with Dr. Aram Hur, who discusses Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia. At a time when nationalism appears to be stoking regional conflicts and democratic backsliding in Asia and beyond, Dr. Hur's book argues for the positive capacity of nationalism. The book received the 2023 Robert A. Dahl Award from the American Political Science Association for "scholarship of the… Read More

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, with a focus on North Korea’s quickly developing nuclear and missile deterrent, the maturing nuclear capabilities of the People’s Republic of China, the US-ROK Alliance’s evolving nuclear… Read More

What motivates interest among the South Korean population and national security expert community in the potential development of an indigenous nuclear deterrent? How likely is Seoul to go in this direction? And if it does, what are the costs, benefits, and implications for its economy, the US-Korea Alliance, the region, and the nonproliferation regime? Dr. Clint Work, Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), Dr. Lami Kim, College of Security Studies… Read More

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, resulting in the 20-year imprisonment of an American operative named John T. Downey. "Agents of Subversion is an innovative… Read More

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. This discussion is… Read More

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. Consequences of Korea's Compressed Modernity Thursday, February 9, 2023 | 7 PM (EST) The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017 Join our membership program here!… Read More

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, University of Missouri Assistant Professor Dr. Aram Hur, and Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy… Read More

South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup gives his New Year greetings. Marking the year 2023 as the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-Korea Alliance, Defense Minister Lee recalls our shared values and looks forward to continued cooperation to tackle shared challenges and protect the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. 2023 New Year Greetings to the Alliance from Lee Jong-Sup, ROK Minister of National Defense Tuesday, January 3, 2023 The… Read More

In advance of the Republic of Korea 2022 presidential election, the eighth since Korea’s democratization, The Korea Society invites experts in Seoul for a live webcast discussion with a forecast and impact analysis. Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Seoul/Tokyo bureau chief for The Washington Post, Karl Friedhoff, Marshall M. Bouton Fellow for Asian Studies at The Chicago Council, Jeongmin Kim, Lead Correspondent at NK News and NK Pro, and Dr. Katrin… Read More