The Korea Society

June 15, 2021 - Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon discusses his new book Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World on its release, in conversation with Korea Society board chairwoman Ambassador Kathleen Stephens and with a welcome by Korea Society president and CEO Tom Byrne. This event is co-hosted with the Korea Economic Institute of America. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1501-resolved-uniting-nations-in-a-divided-world

June 10, 2021 - Nunchi is Korea’s superpower. A sixth sense for winning friends and influencing people, this time-honored skill helps you connect with others so you can succeed in everything from business to politics to love. In The Power of Nunchi: The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success, Euny Hong explains the practice of nunchi in a highly prescriptive guide for social success. Hong—whose “incisive and humorous” (New York Times Book Review) reporting on Korea is always necessary reading—explains how nunchi is a part of daily life in Korea, how a great deal of communication is based not on words but on the overall context of an interaction. Hong argues that it is what catapulted South Korea in half a century from one of the world’s poorest countries to one of its richest, coolest, and most technologically advanced. The Korean economic miracle has always been based on nunchi: the ability to “eye measure” other nations’ rapidly evolving needs, manufacture export products to meet them, and adjust plans based on the universe’s only constant—change. In everything from finding love to excelling at work, Hong’s simple, effective, and relatable guide to mastering nunchi will help you to open doors you never knew existed. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1497-power-of-nunchi-with-euny-hong

June 3, 2021 - Join us for this discussion about the dynamics of U.S.-Japan-Korea trade relations and regional economic integration, featuring Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler, Waseda University Professor Emeritus and Economic Research Institute for East Asia and ASEAN Senior Research Advisor Shujiro Urata, and Korea Development Institute and Johns Hopkins University Professor Wonhyuk Lim. How can the three countries overcome obstacles to cooperate on shared challenges to achieve prosperity and shape the economic rules of the road? What will the Biden administration mean for U.S. trade policy? This program is co-hosted by the Korea Society, the Japan Society and Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), with moderation by Korea Society president Tom Byrne, and an introduction by Japan Society president Joshua W. Walker. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1487-challenges-and-opportunities-for-u-s-japan-korea-trade-relations

Recorded June 1, 2021 - In our inaugural episode of the ‘President's Interview Series', we are pleased to invite Yongmaan Park, Chairman of Doosan Infracore for a conversation with The Korea Society’s President Tom Byrne. As one of the most successful and powerful business leaders in Korea and the world, Chairman Park will discuss his extensive career and leadership role as the Chairman of Doosan Infracore and former Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Chairman Park will also share his views and insights on key issues and challenges in the U.S.-Korea economic cooperation post pandemic. This interview will also provide a rare opportunity to hear Chairman Park’s personal story and vision of his life. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1495-a-conversation-with-chairman-yongmaan-park

May 25, 2021 - Believe it or not, BTS and Blackpink are not the entirety of Korean popular music. At the birthplace of K-pop, "idol" groups share the stage with the new generation of "trot" singers, power balladeers, hip-hop artists and indie bands. Music critic Youngdae Kim surveys the recent history of popular music in Korea and how it has evolved as K-pop exploded all around the world. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1500-from-ga-yo-to-k-pop

May 25, 2021 - Join us for this rapid response analysis on the first summit meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. In a discussion covering the latest trends regarding the U.S.-Korea Alliance, geostrategic coordination, North Korea issues, and COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, Korea Society president and CEO Tom Byrne is joined by former UNC/CFC/USFK Commander General (ret.) Vincent Brooks, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs George W. Ball Adjunct Professor Ambassador (ret.) Christopher R. Hill, and Dr. Peter J. Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1503-u-s-korea-summit-analysis

May 19, 2021 - Do you want to learn more about Covid-19 vaccines and the global vaccination effort? Please join The Korea Society for a conversation on COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution with Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and Tom Byrne, Korea Society President/CEO. Dr. Kim, who was named one of “The 50 Most Influential People in Vaccines” in 2014 by the vaccine industry organization Vaccine Nation, will share the importance of COVID-19 vaccines combating this prolonged pandemic. Dr. Kim will highlight the central role of IVI in accelerating safe and effective vaccines worldwide, provide the most up to date COVID-19 vaccine news, and remark on the challenges surrounding global vaccination. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1498-all-about-covid-19-vaccines-with-global-vaccine-expert-dr-jerome-kim

May 6, 2021 - Statues, paintings, and masks—like the bodies of shamans and spirit mediums—give material form and presence to otherwise invisible entities, and sometimes these objects are understood to be enlivened. Dr. Laurel Kendall explores how magical images are expected to work with the shamans and spirit mediums in contemporary South Korea and compares the use of these shamanic images with similar practices in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bali. The question of empowered images concerns not only what they are expected to do but how they are fabricated, marketed, cared for, disposed of, and sometimes transformed into art-market commodities and museum artifacts. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1494-sacred-images-and-magical-things

May 7, 2021 - University of Missouri Assistant Professor and Institute for Korean Studies Co-Director Aram Hur, the 2021 Sherman Scholar award recipient, speaks on May 6 at 3 PM to Korea’s Changing National Story and Democratic Future. Hur addresses Korean nationalism, a “rapidly fragmenting and changing” national story, and the danger of democratic rollback. Senior director Stephen Noerper describes Hur’s selection and address as “incredibly important given the costs of such fragmentation in Korea, but comparatively in the United States of late and by extension to a world seeing rollback in Myanmar, Thailand, Russia and elsewhere.” During the program, Korea Society President and CEO Tom Byrne introduces Hur, and inaugural Sherman Scholar Award recipient and Columbia University professor Katrin Katz presents her academic resume. Following Hur's presentation, USC Professor and Korean Studies Institute Director David Kang provides commentary, and Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado facilitates the audience discussion. The annual award and lecture, now in its fifth year, aims to grow US thought leadership on Korea for a new generation. The award is presented across disciplines and to emerging thought leaders, from Ph.D. candidates to junior professors and respective research or non-profit professionals. The award is made possible through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Sherman and family. You can view the presentations of former award winners here. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1482-sherman-family-korea-emerging-scholar-lecture-2021

April 27, 2021 - Join us as we welcome renowned businesswoman Angie Byun as she reflects on her career as a leader in the media, entertainment, and fashion industries. Learn insider secrets about her executive roles with Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Wired, and Golf Digest and how those experiences helped her land her current position as CEO at AB WORLD. The discussion will be led by moderator Asiah James, Director of Emerging Audiences at Condé Nast, followed by a Q&A session. 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. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1489-media-and-entertainment-spotlight-a-conversation-with-ab-world-ceo-angie-byun