The Korea Society

October 8, 2025 - Join us for our second conversation with Seoul National University sociology Professor Chang Kyung-Sup who will discuss various challenges posed by South Korea’s “compressed modernity.” He writes that the same strategies and conditions that enabled explosive development and modernization in South Korea and other Asian societies also produced “existentially hazardous consequences in virtually all areas of public and private life, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles to sustained advances in the future.” And he argues that South Korea's dynamism flows from the methods that it utilizes to overcome such challenges. This program is a collaboration with the Society’s Policy Department and the Education Department.  Professor Chang is joined in conversation with education senior advisor Linda Tobash, policy director Jonathan Corrado, and policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre.  Paperback copies of Professor Chang’s newest book, The Risk of Compressed Modernity, are available for purchase online at a 20% discount using the code 20KSC. You can view our first discussion with Professor Chang in 2023 here.  This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate members and the Korea Foundation. Promotional support for this program is provided by The Institute of Social Sciences at Seoul National University (SNU ISS).  For more information, please visit the link below: https://koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2037-koreas-compressed-modernity-and-its-risks

September 23, 2025 - Chef, restaurateur, writer, and connoisseur of Korean fried chicken, Judy Joo has gained widespread acclaim for her vibrant approach to Korean cuisine. Now, she presents her latest collection of fresh, exciting recipes in K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less. K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less focuses on recipes that blend creative flair with accessibility, ensuring every mealtime is a success. Showcasing a variety of quick-to-prepare dishes alongside a selection of traditional recipes, K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less offers a solution for the adventurous foodie who’s strapped for time, ensuring that there’s truly a dish for every mood. Each recipe features clear, time-specific instructions, and Judy Joo will guide you through the process as you create delicious Korean treats in under 30 minutes. With K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less, it’s never been this easy to bring the essence of Korean cuisine into your home. In her conversation with Juju Chang, an Emmy® Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline,” Judy Joo will discuss her career and the latest book. For more information, please visit the link below: https://koreasociety.org/arts-culture/cuisine/2033-k-quick-with-judy-joo

September 18, 2025 - Drinking is an essential part of Korean culture, one that’s guided by a complex web of unspoken rules, deep tradition, and lots and lots of food. With Soju Party, food writer, chef, and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Orion Bar Irene Yoo has written the book on drinking like a Korean. She introduces the classic Korean alcohols and how Koreans typically like to drink them and serves up unique cocktail recipes featuring Korean-inspired riffs and nostalgic twists. Of course, you can’t drink without eating, and there are plenty of recipes for tasty anju (drinking foods). In addition to recipes, Yoo explores the history of Korean drinking, with illustrations explaining proper serving and drinking etiquette, drinking games, food pairings, and more. A book that promises late nights (don’t worry, there’s a section on hangovers!), this is a party on the page. In her conversation with Christina Chaey, Irene Yoo discusses her career and the first book. For more information, please visit the link below: https://koreasociety.org/arts-culture/cuisine/2036-soju-party-with-irene-yoo

September 18, 2025 - Join us for a discussion on the unseen resilience of North Korean female defectors. Kim Seonghui and Na Min-Hee provide powerful personal testimony, describing their life and experiences in North Korea, their escape, and their new life in South Korea. Human rights advocate and expert Kwon EunKyoung joins the discussion, which is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado. This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate members and the Korea Foundation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2040-the-unseen-resilience-of-north-korean-female-defectors

September 4, 2025 - A deadpan, wildly imaginative collection of stories that slices clean through the mundanity and absurdity of modern life, An Oral History of Atlantis is the newest collection of short stories from Ed Park, the author of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize–winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Same Bed Different Dreams. In this utterly original collection, characters question the fleetingness of youth and art, reckon with the consequences of the everyday, and find solace in the absurd, the beautiful, and the sublime. Throughout, Ed Park deploys his trademark wit to create a world both strikingly recognizable and delightfully other. All together, these fifteen stories have much to say about the meaning—and transitory nature—of our lives. And they are proof positive that Ed Park is one of the most insightful and imaginative writers working today. In this conversation with Mira Jacob, presented in collaboration with Yu & Me Books, Ed Park discusses his latest book. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/literature/2023-ed-park-an-oral-history-of-atlantis-with-mira-jacob

This discussion features Bryan Kim, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz known for his role in scaling Snap, Mike Kim from Third Prime focusing on vertical AI, Karen Moon, a two-time startup founder and innovation leader at Spangle AI, and moderator Danny Crichton from Lux Capital. They dive into the nuances of distinguishing hype from genuine growth in the AI sector. Insights on investment strategies, the evolution of tech founders, and the challenges faced by the Korean startup ecosystem make for a compelling exploration of today's venture capital landscape.

August 27, 2025 - The Korea Society and the Korean American Community Foundation’s (KACF) Associate Board are pleased to present Rooted in Giving: Leading Korean Voices in Philanthropy, a panel discussion featuring three Korean leaders working at the forefront of non-profit and philanthropy: Jeannie Park, Sue Kim, and Abraham Kim. Together, they will share their experiences and insights on what it means to lead with purpose, build strong communities, and drive meaningful change through service, advocacy, and giving. This panel will be moderated by Emil Kang, the Agnes Gund Visiting Professor of the Practice of Arts at Brown University and Former Program Director for Arts and Cultural Heritage at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.  The KACF Associate Board (AB) is a group of community-minded young professionals based in the New York Metro area who serve as ambassadors of KACF’s mission, helping to build awareness of issues of economic security and shape the next generation of Korean American philanthropy. KACF funds community-based non-profit organizations working to improve lives and transform communities in the Korean and Asian American communities in the greater New York area. KACF transforms and empowers communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and inter-community bridge building. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/corporate/2032-rooted-in-giving-leading-korean-voices-in-philanthropy

August 26, 2025 - Join us for a timely discussion on the highly anticipated first meeting between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Taking place after the agreement of a new trade framework on July 30, this meeting may address such diverse topics as: Korean investments into the US, Alliance cost sharing and modernization efforts, trilateral US-Korea-Japan collaboration, and coordination on North Korea. Expert panelists unpack summit expectations, outcomes, and implications. This discussion features Dr. Katrin Katz, The Korea Society's inaugural Van Fleet Nonresident Senior Fellow, and Josh Smith, Korea Bureau Chief for Reuters News Agency, in conversation with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado and program officer Chelsie Alexandre. This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate members and the Korea Foundation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2048-rapid-reaction-the-first-trump-lee-summit

August 13, 2025 - Join us for a discussion on the rising scale and sophistication of North Korea’s cyber operations with Mitch Haszard, senior threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, and Scott Kardas, geopolitical threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future. How does North Korea’s cyber activities fit into the Kim regime’s larger goals? How can the U.S., South Korea, and the broader international community respond to this threat? This program will follow the evolution and growing magnitude of the regime’s cyber operations and its attacks. The conversation will be moderated by policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre. https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/north-koreas-cyber-strategy https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/north-koreans-continue-to-use-foreign-technology https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/inside-the-scam-north-koreas-it-worker-threat The Korea Society thanks our corporate sponsors and individual members and the Korea Foundation for their generous support, which has made this program possible. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2015-north-koreas-evolving-cyber-strategy

July 25, 2025 - Join us for a conversation on the enduring legacy and impact of The Korean War and the U.S.-Korea Alliance. The Korean War Armistice Agreement, which remains in effect today, was signed 72 years ago on July 27, 1953.  The program opens with prerecorded remarks from Korea Society president and CEO Tom Byrne filmed at the base of the Korean War Memorial in Kissena Corridor Park in Flushing, Queens titled: Remembering ‘The Forgotten War.’  Introductory remarks are provided by Consul Choong-geon Lee from the Republic of Korea New York Consulate, Korean War Veteran Mr. Jack Foley, and Brigadier General (Ret.) Chris Stockel, NYC Metro Area chapter president of the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA). This program is produced in collaboration with KDVA. Following the introductions, author Dr. Michael Devine discusses his book, The Korean War Remembered: Contested Memories of an Unended Conflict (for sale here at 40% discount with the code 6AS23), which explores how conflicting “theaters of memory” in the United States, South Korea, North Korea, and China “have evolved over decades and how they continue to shape the domestic and foreign policies of the countries still involved in this unresolved struggle...” The moderator is policy program director Jonathan Corrado.  This program is also a collaboration with The Korea Society education department and is attended by participants from The Korea-America Student Conference (KASC18), consisting of 24 student members from undergraduate and graduate universities in both the United States and South Korea. This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate members and the Korea Foundation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/2021-remembering-the-korean-war