The Korea Society

March 31, 2022 - Sibling defectors from Pyongyang Seohyun Lee and Hyun-Seung Lee discuss their life in North Korea, their journey to escape, and their transition to life in the United States, alongside Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) President & CEO Hannah Song, in conversation with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. Hyunseung and Seohyun Lee are prominent North Korean activists and siblings. They're the children of Ri Jong-ho, a high ranking North Korean defector who worked for decades in “Office 39,” which generates revenue for the North Korean leadership. Hyun-Seung and Seohyun were raised in Pyongyang, educated in China, and escaped North Korea in 2014 with their family after witnessing a series of brutal purges by Kim Jong Un. They speak to their experience as millennials from Pyongyang and share the true nature of the Kim regime and the reality of life in North Korea. The event marks the anniversary of the February 2014 publication of the historic UN Commission of Inquiry report on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

This program is made possible by the generous support from the Korea Foundation.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1548-pyonghattan-escapees-from-north-korea-s-capital

March 29, 2022 - New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Kim shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang. Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home explores how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present.

In a conversation with Irene Yoo, Kim discusses his career in food writing and his debut cookbook.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1567-korean-american-food-that-tastes-like-home-with-eric-kim

March 22, 2022 - Womens’ Universities have emerged as premier institutions in higher education, amplifying womens’ voices from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. In the fourth installation of our Womens’ Leadership Series, please join us at The Korea Society to hear from Dr. Eun Mee Kim, President of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, and Dr. Sian Leah Beilock, President of Barnard College in New York City. They will share their experiences as presidents of two eminent women's colleges with long traditions in providing the highest-quality of liberal arts education, and they will also share their visions as thought leaders in new fields, new ideas and new technologies emerging in higher education in Korea and the U.S.

The conversation will be moderated by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, former U.S. Ambassador to Korea and Korea Society Board Chair. Thomas Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society will deliver special welcoming remarks.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1566-women-in-higher-education-a-discussion-with-dr-eun-mee-kim-dr-sian-leah-beilock

Recorded on Friday, March 18, 2022

March 15, 2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). In celebration of this remarkable milestone, The Korea Society invites ROK Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo for a conversation with Korea Society President Tom Byrne.

The discussion assesses the achievements of the first decade of the KORUS FTA and the broader effects it has had on the Korea-U.S. bilateral relationship. It also examines future prospects of the two countries’ trade relationship and the deepening of the economic partnership between the two countries, while also examining the evolution of the trade architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1564-interview-with-rok-trade-minister-han-koo-yeo

March 8, 2022 - Soo Hugh, an acclaimed producer/writer and executive producer of Pachinko, one of the most anticipated drama series of 2022, talks about her career in television and the journey of adapting the bestselling novel into a series. Hugh will also be joined by Ria Tobaccowala, with whom she has launched The Thousand Miles Project, an incubator program to help bring more API stories to cinematic life and jumpstart fruitful careers in the entertainment industry.

Pachinko, which premiers on Apple TV+ in late March, is based on the international best-selling novel of the same name. Epic in scope but intimate in tone, the series chronicles the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family. It begins with a forbidden love and crescendos into a sweeping saga that journeys between Korea, Japan and America to tell the unforgettable story of war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning.

The Korea Society Young Professionals’ Night program consists of industry professionals who share their career experiences and advice with the audience. It provides a wonderful opportunity for networking, and all professionals seeking to expand their careers are encouraged to come.

This program is made possible by the support from Yang Won Sun Foundation.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1561-the-showrunners-with-soo-hugh-and-ria-tobaccowala

March 7, 2022 - 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 Katz, Korea Society’s Van Fleet Nonresident Senior Fellow, join policy director Jonathan Corrado to discuss the implications of the vote for Korea, the U.S.-ROK Alliance and relationship, inter-Korean relations, and coordination on North Korea policy.

This program is made possible by the generous support from the Korea Foundation.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1559-korea-s-presidential-election-forecast-and-impact-analysis

February 24, 2022 - A Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) Live Seminar on the New Economy of Korean Peninsula featuring Korea Society President Tom Byrne as panelist.

Date & Time: February 24th, Thursday, 08:45–16:10 (KST)

Venue: Grand Hyatt Seoul, Seoul (Online).

Sponsor: Ministry of Unification.

Full length seminar is available at KIEP's YouTube page - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5AnUAeQKG8

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.kiep.go.kr/

February 23, 2022 - Join us for this discussion of Korean Smart Power, exploring opportunities and obstacles for Korea to leverage its cultural influence to advance its national interests, featuring Bernie Cho, President of DFSB Kollective, Jenna Gibson, PhD candidate at the University of Chicago, John Delury, Yonsei University Professor, and Victoria Kim, former LA Times correspondent, in discussion with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. In a wide ranging conversation spanning regions and industries, the panelists discuss the role of Seoul’s music, film, television, and education sectors in expanding Korean influence and prestige throughout its neighborhood and the world at large, as well as the impact this has for Korea’s diplomatic and geopolitical aims.

This program is made possible by the generous support from the Korea Foundation.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1552-korean-smart-power

February 17, 2022 - Riding the Korean Wave sweeping the world, the traditional Korean costumes have become increasingly visible in global media. In 2021, hanbok - the generic term referring to traditional style Korean clothing - was registered in the Oxford English Dictionary. In this comprehensive series of lectures, Dr. Minjee Kim, the preeminent scholar of Korean textile and fashion in the U.S., illustrates and elucidates hanbok in sartorial, socio-cultural, and historical contexts.

In the first lecture of the series, Dr. Kim discusses some distinctive qualities of women's hanbok in comparison with other dress traditions; terminologies of the components and their structural parts; colors, materials, and embellishments; and symbols and ideas behind design principles and ways of dress.

Minjee Kim is a historian and lecturer specializing in Korean dress and textiles, based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2001. She received her PhD from Seoul National University, and formerly taught at Jeonju Kijeon College and Seoul National University in Korea, and Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is a co-editor of Dress History in Korea: Critical Perspectives on Primary Sources (London: Bloomsbury, forthcoming).

YouTube video with slides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaMfaisyFlw

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1551-hanbok-a-new-lexicon-of-world-fashion-women-hanbok

February 15, 2022 - The role of medical doctors is important now more than ever in this pandemic era. The impact of influential Youtubers is also increasing, as the public heavily relies on the platform to obtain and share information. Yet it is rare to use both the titles of Doctor and Youtube creator to describe one person’s career like Dr. Jang’s. The Korea Society is excited to welcome Dr. Ezra Hangjun Jang, Internal medicine specialist and renowned host of the Youtube channel, “Dr. Ezra Hangjun Jang”. Dr. Jang has amassed a significant YouTube following with more than 525,000 subscribers, allowing for a substantial audience to learn crucial information from each of his videos. Join us as we listen to Dr. Jang’s insights on educating audiences through his Youtube Channel on healthcare matters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Jang will also highlight his career developments in becoming a doctor as well as a star Youtuber in the U.S. The discussion will be led by moderator Dr. John Yoo, Pediatric Dentist of Beam City Dental and host of the popular Youtube channels, JBRO and Dr. John Yoo. This program is made possible by the support from Yang Won Sun Foundation.

For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1558-a-medical-doctor-and-youtube-influencer-in-the-pandemic-era