The Korea Society

October 15, 2020 - Join us for this discussion on prospects for a peace regime and inter-Korean social integration with Frank Aum, United States Institute of Peace, Hannah Song, President & CEO at Liberty in North Korea, Rachel Minyoung Lee, former intelligence analyst for the U.S. government, and Joseph Kim, Human Freedom Initiative, George W. Bush Institute. How might the U.S. and South Korea cooperate with regional partners to pursue a long term peace process? How do generational dynamics and social changes in North and South Korea affect inter-Korean cooperation? This program is supported by a grant from the UniKorea Foundation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1431-new-views-on-korean-peace-regime-and-unification

October 8, 2020 - Trefoil or “three-leaved plant” is a stylized form found in artifacts and architecture across culture and time. Dr. Minjee Kim begins the story with her first encounter with a gold headdress ornament of the Balhae kingdom (698-926) and traces the migration of its trefoil form throughout the 4th-6th century across Asia. Then, she travels to France, where “fleur-de-lis” adorned French crowns, clothing, textiles, and furniture as a symbol of royalty, leading to its wide contemporary appropriation by many Western institutions. The journey ends with the long and rich tradition in Kyrgyzstan where the motif is still strongly embedded in various realms of material culture of the people. While offering a view on Korean artifacts within a wider context of material resonance in human history, Dr. Kim highlights the way these artifacts adorned the body and how the craftsmanship was employed to articulate the social hierarchy. For the video version of this program (including images and slides), go here

October 1, 2020 - Daniel Russel, Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Susan Thornton, Project Director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale University, join Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion on the upcoming US Presidential election, with an eye to US policy implications for Korea and Northeast Asia. This all-star session draws on the vast foreign service experience of both Russel and Thornton, who helped lead US policy respectively as Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1430-looking-toward-the-us-presidential-election-and-korea-and-northeast-asia-policy

September 24, 2020 - Listen to our conversation with Hee Seo, the first Asian ballerina to be named principal dancer - ballet's highest title - at the American Ballet Theatre, as she discusses her illustrious career and thoughts on the future of performing art. Her dancing and fluid line exude an unhurried purity that sums up all that is lovely about ballet. - The New York Times For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1425-a-conversation-with-hee-seo

September 17, 2020 - Join Alexander Chee and Ed Park in their conversation on Younghill Kang, the first Korean-American novelist and a pioneer of Asian American literature. As they discuss the life and career of Kang and his novel East Goes West, the two eminent writers reflect on the emergence of Korean American literature in the 20th century and Kang's legacy. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1423-east-goes-west-younghill-kang-his-life-and-works

September 16, 2020 - Join us for a discussion on challenges and opportunities for continued nuclear negotiations with North Korea, featuring Markus Garlauskas, former U.S. National Intelligence Officer for North Korea, Soo Kim, RAND, and Ankit Panda, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. What are the chances that North Korea denuclearizes and what can the U.S. and South Korea do to increase those chances? Should an interim deal with snapback measures be considered good progress, or should a comprehensive deal be pursued? For more information, please visit the link beow: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1422-prospects-for-diplomacy-with-north-korea

September 10, 2020 - USC Professor and Korean Studies Institute Director David Kang joins Senior Director Stephen Noerper to discuss progress and challenges in Korea-US relations. They weigh the fallout from the host nation support talks, shifts in joint military exercises, and priorities in US-ROK relations, with an eye toward invigorating the alliance seventy years since the start of the Korean War. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1372-us-korea-relations-defining-the-alliance-anew

August 12, 2020 - America's leading authority on BTS, K-Pop, and East Asian entertainment, Tamar Herman returns to the Korea Society with her book BTS: Blood, Sweat & Tears. BTS has conquered Western music charts and social media on their way to being the biggest band in the world. With record-breaking firsts and three Billboard No. 1 albums within a year, their music and messaging has gone on to transcend the limitations of language, geography, and genre. Going behind-the-scenes of today's biggest pop band and focusing on the members, the music and the fans, Tamar Herman brings the extraordinary story of BTS to life. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1412-bts-blood-sweat-tears-with-tamar-herman

July 27, 2020 - The Korea Society honors the service and sacrifice of veterans on the anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, signed on July 27, 1953. This live, virtual ceremony combines historic video with remarks from Korea Society President Tom Byrne, the Korean Consul General to New York, Ambassador Won-sam Chang, Korean War Veterans Area Commander Salvatore Scarlato, and Korean War Veteran and retired US Congressman Charles Rangel. Scarlato and Rangel will receive the James A. Van Fleet award on behalf of American veterans who served during the Korean War at the Korea Society upcoming annual gala. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1388-the-korean-war-at-70-annual-armistice-day-salute

July 22, 2020 - The Korea Society and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) are delighted to present Building and Protecting Your K-Brand in the YouTube Era. Over the last two decades, YouTube has demonstrated its versatility, achieving far more than the launch of successful careers for the likes of Justin Bieber and BTS. Businesses of all sizes increasingly adopt this highly effective yet affordable advertising platform as part of their marketing strategy to attract audiences and drive sales. With this backdrop, our upcoming seminar will explore various legal and business aspects of managing content on YouTube while building your K-brand on this rapidly expanding channel. Keri S. Bruce, Partner at Reed Smith LLP will lead our first session by examining relevant copyright, trademark and advertising law issues. She will also offer practical guidance on minimizing potential risks and seeking infringement remedies. In the second session, you will hear insightful perspectives and first-hand experiences

July 20, 2020 - Side by Side: Out of a South Korean Orphanage and Into the World weaves the stories of nine inter-country adoptees—selected out of 100 original interviews— as they recall their families of origin, their relinquishment to orphanages, and their adoptions and lives abroad. Starkly minimalist, Side by Side is composed entirely of intensely intimate, first-person narratives, filmed in Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York City, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. Glenn Morey has worked in film since 1981 as a writer, creative director, commercial and documentary filmmaker, including as an Executive Producer for the Mustapha Khan documentary film, House on Fire: Black America Responds to AIDS, featuring Julian Bond, Rep. Maxine Waters, Kweisi Mfume, Maya Angelou, and many other African-American leaders; awarded Best Documentary for the Houston International Film Festival, broadcast on PBS and selected for a number of international film festivals. As the CEO of the Morey Group of branding, adver

July 16, 2020 - As consumers continue to cut the cord, how will we define the future of TV? How does this paradigm shift change the future of advertising? Cathy Oh, Global Head of Marketing & Analytics at Samsung Ads, explores these topics in conversation with CeFaan Kim, reporter at WABC-TV Eyewitness News. Throughout her career, Cathy has worked at some of the world’s largest and most prestigious companies including Samsung, Apple and NBC Universal. If you are a tech aficionado, or would like to learn about what it's like to be a woman in tech and media, join us for this intimate fireside chat. The Young Professionals’ Night program consists of industry professionals who share their career experiences and advice with the audience. All professionals seeking to expand their careers are encouraged to tune in. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1415-marketing-in-a-digital-world

July 9, 2020 - First published in Pyongyang in 1988, Friend by Paek Nam-Nyong is one of the few North Korean novels that has reached an international audience. Professor Immanuel Kim, the translator of Friend and a specialist in North Korean literature and cinema, offers a glimpse into contemporary life in North Korea through this novel and other popular culture from Pyongyang. "a beguiling introduction to the everyday, with none of the rockets and military parades that the words “North Korea” often bring to mind" - The New York Times For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1399-friend-a-novel-popular-culture-of-north-korea

June 29, 2020 - Korean professional baseball has caught the eye of sports-deprived American baseball fans during the coronavirus pandemic. Join us for a conversation about the unique and appealing aspects of Korean baseball, with former MLB and KBO pitcher Chan Ho Park, former manager of the Lotte Giants in Busan Jerry Royster, Yonhap baseball correspondent Jee-Ho Yoo, and former U.S. Ambassadors to Korea and Korean baseball superfans Kathleen Stephens and Mark Lippert. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1410-korean-baseball-answering-the-call-for-sport-in-the-covid-era-with-chan-ho-park-and-jerry-royster

June 25, 2020 - The Society marks seventy years since the start of the Korean War with a tribute to those who served and sacrificed. Join for a special release featuring remarks by the Korea Society Board Chairwoman Ambassador Kathleen Stephens; General (ret.) Vincent Brooks, former Commander of the United Nations Command /Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea; Columbia University Law School Professor Jeong-Ho Roh; Korea Society President Tom Byrne; and Korea Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1387-the-korean-war-at-70-commemorating-the-start-of-the-korean-war

June 22, 2020 - Award-winning singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer Grace Kelly has built an incredible career in jazz, which includes the release of 13 acclaimed albums before entering her mid-twenties. In this Young Professionals’ Night webcast, Grace unpacks her stunning career in a chat with writer Will Friedwald. Join us as we dive into Grace’s musical journey -- from her first album release at the tender age of 12, to her performance at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, as well as winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest $20,000 Song of the Year Award for her song "Feels like Home", and more. Furthermore, learn how she is adapting as an artist in the time of COVID-19. Plus, we have a special treat: socially-distanced performances by Grace Kelly from her very own living room -- including a special rendition of Arirang! The New York Times on Grace Kelly: “…broad tone and tenacious flow on the alto saxophone, clearly in possession of virtuoso talents… impressive singing voice, flitting among

June 19, 2020 - Early on in his life, Kyungmoon Kim discovered that he had an exceptional palate. As he immersed himself in the world of wine, he leveraged his palate and his natural aptitude for memorization to build an extensive base of wine knowledge. In 2016, Kyungmoon Kim won the Master Sommelier Certification and joined the Court of Master Sommeliers; currently, there are only 247 Master Sommeliers worldwide. Now Kyungmoon Kim is expanding the horizon in the beverage world and taking on the mission to bring exciting artisanal soju from Korea to the U.S. Listen to the Master Sommelier’s unique story and his exploration of the world of wine, traditional Korean liquors, and cocktails. He will also offer a few tips on creating delicious cocktails at home. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1398-from-wine-to-soju-stories-from-the-master-sommelier

June 15, 2020 - Over the months journalists have worked tirelessly to provide reliable and up to date information on COVID-19. Timothy Martin, Korea bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, is among these journalists. His reporting has shed light on the outbreak in South Korea, giving U.S. readers an in-depth account of the situation in the country and the actions taken to stem the spread of the virus. In this webcast, Timothy speaks with AAJA - NY chapter president, Frank Bi, on his experience covering the coronavirus pandemic in South Korea. He also gives us a look into his career in journalism, and shares his advice for journalists entering the field. The Korea Society is excited to present this Young Professionals’ Night webcast in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association’s New York chapter. AAJA's New York chapter is the largest chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association with more than 770 members in New York and the surrounding region. Its mission is to advance the represe

June 11, 2020 - Harvard University visiting fellow and Sophia University professor Sandra Fahy joins senior director Stephen Noerper for a discussion of her latest work, Dying for Rights. Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy professor Sung-yoon Lee, who reviews the book in Korean Studies, joins the discussion. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1386-north-korean-human-rights

June 11, 2020 - South Korea’s impressive, timely and comprehensive strategy in controlling the spread of the coronavirus has earned praise from the director general of the WHO. In this webcast moderated by Korea Society President Thomas Byrne, Mr. Dae Joong Lee, Director of Development, Finance Division at the Ministry of Economy and Finance in South Korea, discusses how the country coordinated among ministries, agencies and the private sector in its response to the pandemic. The conversation will also examine the government’s fiscal measures taken to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1400-korea-s-campaign-against-the-coronavirus-pandemic-a-view-from-the-ministry-of-economy-and-finance