The Korea Society

February 27, 2020 - Three of the most acclaimed restaurateurs in New York talk about the past, present and future of “Korean” restaurants in the city and beyond: Simon Kim of Cote; Jenny Kwak of Haenyeo; and Ellia Park of Atoboy & Atomix. Moderated by Matt Rodbard. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1349-beyond-32nd-street-korean-restaurants-of-the-moment

January 30, 2020 - This public roundtable dialogue explores recent changes and pathways for reform in the North Korean economy, with special focus on transitions and lessons learned in Cuba. Jaime Reusche, Vice President and Senior Credit Officer for the Sovereign Risk Group at Moody’s Investors Service and Peter Ward, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vienna and NK Pro analyst, join Korea Society President Tom Byrne to share insights and analyses. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1344-changes-in-the-north-korean-economy-roundtable

Long before he swept the Oscars with Parasite, Director Bong Joon-Ho visited The Korea Society to talk about his career and films in February 2010. Listen to the highlights from his conversation with Michael Atkinson.

February 7, 2020 - University of Connecticut History Professor Alexis Dudden explores recent history and possible overtures in Korea-Japan relations in conversation with Korea Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper. Exploring trade and historical disputes, as well as well as Washington’s past and potential involvement, Dudden, author of Troubled Apologies Among Japan, Korea and the United States, as well as a recent New York Times piece, examines signs of progress, possible offramps and continuing challenges. With the kind participation of the Columbia University Center for Korean Research. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1345-korea-japan-relations-looking-back-looking-forward

January 30, 2020 - North Korea challenges reporters’ efforts at providing clarity and revealing hidden dynamics given information gaps and a lack of access. Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll, NK News Podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot and freelance journalist and outgoing Asian American Journalist Association New York President Hannah Bae speak with Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado on how reporters overcome these obstacles to gain credible and durable insight. For more information, please visit the links below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1343-covering-north-korea https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest

December 5, 2019 - John Park, Korea Project Director at Harvard’s Kennedy School, joins Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion on Korea’s current relations with Japan, China and the United States. Concluding a year that saw discord between Seoul and Tokyo and a pause in Washington-Pyongyang dialogue, Dr. Park addresses next-steps on the Peninsula and prospects for dialogue, denuclearization and enhanced regional relations. This program enjoys the support of Columbia University's Center for Korean Research (CKR). For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1329-korea-s-regional-relations

November 21, 2019 - Retired General Vincent Brooks, former Commander of US Forces Korea/Combined Forces Command/United Nations Command, revisits the Korea Society for a discussion of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, to include the latest on the US-ROK alliance, North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, dialogue efforts, and confidence building. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1328-korea-security-update

November 15, 2019 - North Korea has warned that it will pursue a so-called “new path” if substantive progress isn't made in negotiations with the United States by the end of the year. But what's behind this deadline, and what should we expect in the coming months? To find out, Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado sits down with two experienced analysts for insights on timelines, sequencing, and the art of diplomacy. Dr. Jung Pak is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for East Asia Policy Studies. She previously held senior positions at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Annika Betancourt is a visiting fellow at Brookings and has experience with diverse aspects of the North Korea portfolio, including human rights, humanitarian aid and diplomacy from her time with the U.S. State Department.

October 30, 2019 - History plays a role in shaping current events all over our the world -- but it seems to be especially alive in Korea. Scholars and practitioners that work on the Korean Peninsula can all agree on the importance of learning lessons from the past, but that is where the consensus stops. Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo is an Associate Professor in International Relations at King's College London and author of the book US-North Korea Relations from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un. In this discussion with Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Pardo attempts to “see through the cycle” and attribute rational explanations to Pyongyang’s mercurial behavior, asserting that North Korea’s has used brinkmanship and bargaining to achieve its main goal, which he considers to be diplomatic normalization with the US.

October 24, 2019 - Author Seth Berkman discusses the release of his new book on South Korea’s women’s hockey team at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. In conversation with Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Berkman, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and SPIN and on ESPN, chronicles the tale of a group of young women who brought the Koreas closer in new ways. This program enjoys the support of Columbia University's Center for Korean Research (CKR). For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1324-a-team-of-their-own-how-an-international-sisterhood-made-olympic-history

October 17, 2019 - New generation scholars from Korea and China join Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion on developments in regional politics and security, North Korea’s denuclearization, and visions for the Korean Peninsula. This National Committee on American Foreign Policy event offers unique insights from young professionals for members and media. Speakers include: Dr. Jihwan Hwang from the University of Seoul, Dr. Jina Kim from the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA), Dr. Xiaoyu Pu from the University of Nevada, Reno, and Nan Li from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of American Studies. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1322-new-thinking-from-korea-and-china

October 11, 2019 - University of Colorado Boulder Visiting Assistant Professor Ivanna Sang Een Yi addresses P’ansori Mountain Pilgrimages: Land as Interlocutor in Contemporary Korean Oral Performance and Literature. In a presentation both spoken and sung, Professor Yi conceptualizes the contemporary practice of p’ansori san kongbu, mountain study, as a form of pilgrimage. A reception follows the lecture, the third in this annual lecture series encouraging new thought leadership on Korea in the United States. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1321-2019-sherman-family-emerging-scholar-lecture

October 10, 2019 - Join us for a fun evening to learn about - and taste! - the signature alcoholic beverages of Korea: Soju and Makgeolli: what makes them so unique and tasty, and how they are becoming ever so popular outside of Korea. Meet the young Korean Americans continuing and putting their own marks on the tradition. Alice Jun is a champion for authentic Korean food and drink, and has been brewing makgeolli since she was a child. She started Hana Makgeolli as a passion project, but due to overwhelmingly positive feedback she received on her makgeolli, she is building Hana Makgeolli as the foremost purveyor of artisanal Korean rice alcohol in the U.S. Daniel Lee introduced soju, the popular Korean spirit, to his friend at George Washington University, Maxwell Fine, some time ago in New York. The two decided to make their own without artificial sweeteners and other additives, as a sideline to their day jobs in finance and law. Named for the Manhattan block known as Koreatown, they introduced West 32 Soju

October 9, 2019 - Senior analyst Yang Xiyu, Senior Fellow at China’s Institute of International Studies, joins Society Senior Director Stephen Noerper for a discussion of China’s role on the Korean Peninsula, its relations with South Korea, recent meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and China’s commitment to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. An experienced diplomat, Yang was the inaugural director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Office for Korean Peninsula Issues. This program enjoys the support of Columbia University's Center for Korean Research (CKR). For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1320-china-korea-relations

October 3, 2019 - Harvard University’s William Overholt discusses the release of his new edited volume, North Korea: Peace? Nuclear War? with Society President Tom Byrne. Overholt tackles the range of approaches to North Korea, the interplay of development and security, leaders Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un, and challenges to alliance management. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1319-north-korea-peace-nuclear-war

Septermber 19, 2019 - Mr. Jihoon Rim, executive advisor and former CEO at Kakao and Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern School of Business, shares his experiences as the leader of Kakao, the most widely used mobile platform in Korea. His in depth insight is relevant for young professionals seeking to expand their networks and deepen their knowledge of the Korean mobile platform industry. Burgeoning entrepreneurs will also benefit from Mr. Rim’s experience as CEO. This engaging discussion is moderated by Ms. Minnie Roh, CUNY TV’s news correspondent on Asian American Life. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1318-a-conversation-with-jihoon-rim-former-ceo-of-kakao

September 12, 2019 - Hong Gildong, who is sometimes referred to as the Korean Robin Hood, is by far the most famous literary character from classic Korean literature. His story as a maverick outlaw, powerful magician, and a wise king is told in the Joseon dynasty novel The Story of Hong Gildong. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of miscomprehension about the origin and nature of the famous work, the complexity of which has only recently been explored by scholars. In this lecture, Professor Minsoo Kang will offer a detailed examination of the history and literary significance of the novel and reveal little-known facts behind its authorship. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1315-hong-gildong-the-invincible-and-righteous-outlaw-by-professor-minsoo-kang

September 12, 2019 - Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sheila Smith joins Korea Society Chairman Ambassador Thomas Hubbard for a discussion on the recent challenges to Korea-Japan relations posed by the dispute over Japanese export controls. Amid the growing discord, Smith and Hubbard weigh in on possible offramps and paths forward, as well as the nature of the US role in facilitating discussion among its two Northeast Asia allies. Co-sponsored with the Japan Society. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1317-korea-japan-relations-and-the-us-role

JULY 26, 2019 — NEW YORK —A ceremony to honor those who served in the Korean War took place on Friday, July 26, 2019, at 12 noon at the New York Korean War Veterans Memorial in Battery Park, New York. The event, which marks the 66th Anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, is hosted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan The Korea Society, which promotes awareness, understanding and cooperation between the United States and Korea. The ceremony will feature the unveiling of a plaque that shows the newly updated Republic of Korea figures for casualties, wounded and missing in action in the war that waged from 1950-1953. Since the creation of the New York Korean War Veterans Memorial in 1991, the original statistics have been dramatically revised. South Korea’s official count has grown to 137,899 dead, 450,742 wounded, and 24,495 missing, while on the American side, the U.S. government reports 36,574 American dead, 103,284 wounded and more than 7,800 missing. The creation of the

July 11, 2019 - Ten years since Wonder Girls and BoA became the first Korean artists to appear on Billboard's main U.S. music charts, K-pop is at the forefront of the increasingly globalized U.S. music scene. With BTS undeniably at the top of the music world and Blackpink making K-pop history by performing at Coachella, K-pop is no longer an incidental phenomenon but an integral part of American pop culture of 2019. In this talk, Tamar Herman, K-pop columnist for Billboard, reflects on the rise of K-pop in the U.S. during the last decade and ponders its future. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1304-a-decade-of-k-pop-korean-music-s-ascent-in-the-u-s