The Korea Society

March 4, 2021 - Since the pandemic started, restaurant and food service businesses had to combine flexibility and ingenuity in order to survive. Constantly dealing with ever-changing regulations and restrictions, restaurateurs had to quickly pivot and develop new business models, including outdoor dining and shipping nationwide. Join us for a roundtable conversation with three Korean American restaurateurs in New York - Christina Jang of New Wonjo; Simon Kim of Cote; and Ray Park of Red Poke - as they discuss the challenges they face during the pandemic and the future of restaurants. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1470-restaurants-in-the-covid-19-era-a-roundtable

March 4, 2021 - Woodrow Wilson Center director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy Jean Lee converses with senior director Stephen Noerper on ROK-DPRK relations. They address impasse and opportunity between North Korea and South Korea and offer recommendations for US and other policy makers on peninsular realities and possibilities. This program is made possible thanks to support from the Korea Foundation. The Columbia University's Center for Korean Research (CKR) is a promotional partner for this program. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1464-new-developments-in-inter-korean-relations

February 26, 2021 - In the second episode of our Women’s Leadership series, we are pleased to welcome South Korean Minister for Trade Yoo Myung-hee for a conversation on her 25-year career in shaping the international trade infrastructure. As Deputy Minister for FTA Negotiations, and later Director-General for Bureau of Trade Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, Yoo Myung-hee has been at the forefront of numerous high-profile trade agreements, including the 2018 US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) and the 2019 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, Minister Yoo has been integral in reforming Korea’s trade policy to respond to the current crisis as well as providing an outlook on the future of multilateral trade after COVID-19. The first female trade minister for the Republic of Korea, Minister Yoo will speak on her accomplishments and challenges in the field of international trade and cooperation as well as remark on her candidacy for Director-General of the World Trade Organization as one of two final candidates. Moderated by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, former US Ambassador to Korea and Korea Society Board Chair, this discussion offers a unique opportunity to gain insight from two pioneering female leaders in the U.S. -Korea relationship. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1471-women-in-trade-a-talk-with-trade-minister-yoo-myung-hee

February 23, 2021 - Covid-19 increased online education platforms, replacing classrooms with computer screens all across the globe. This has left many teachers, students, and parents at the mercy of education and consumer technology. Susan Kim, CEO of Edmodo, an education technology company with over 100 million users worldwide, joins The Korea Society to discuss consumer technology, online education, and start ups in the modern age. Based on her multiple leadership roles including Google, eBay, and EatWith, she will give insights on business, start-ups, and the edtech industry and how it will shape the future. The discussion will be led by a moderator Sang Lee, President of Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs (KSE) and President and CEO of DarcMatter and Konstellation. The Korea Society is excited to present this Young Professionals’ Night webcast in partnership with the Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs (KSE) and Council of Korean Americans (CKA). KSE is a nonprofit organization seeking to cultivate and develop the technology startup ecosystem in the United States, particularly involving Korean-American and South Korean founded companies. The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) is a national nonprofit organization seeking to advance the national voice and influence of the Korean American community through collaboration and leadership development. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/item/1472-a-conversation-with-edmodo-ceo-susan-kim

February 18, 2021 - Join us for a discussion about scenarios for North Korean development and inter-Korean economic integration. Seoul National University economics Professor Byung-Yeon Kim, former World Bank economist and a consultant on Asian affairs Brad Babson, and NK Pro analyst Peter Ward join Korea Society President Tom Byrne in conversation. Together, they investigate what domestic reforms will be necessary to empower development and forecast potential roles for South Korea, the U.S. and the international community. Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado moderates audience questions. This program is supported by a grant from the UniKorea Foundation. This event is co-sponsored by the Columbia University’s APEC Study Center. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1456-pathways-to-a-brighter-future-for-north-korea-s-economy

February 4, 2021 - The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) executive director Greg Scarlatoiu and Bush Institute senior fellow Victor Cha join senior director Stephen Noerper for a discussion of human rights in North Korea and its placement on the Biden administration’s new policy agenda. The event marks the anniversary of the historic UN Commission of Inquiry report release. This program is made possible thanks to support from the Korea Foundation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1463-human-rights-and-north-korea-honoring-the-anniversary-of-the-un-commission-of-inquiry-report

January 28, 2021 - In our inaugural episode of The Korea Society's Women in Leadership series, we are pleased to welcome Ambassador Kathleen Stephens for a conversation on her distinguished career. Having extensive experience in international relations, Amb. Stephens, a decorated former U.S. diplomat, will share her special and deep connections to Korea. She will also highlight her involvement in promoting the U.S-Korea relationship as a former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Peace Corps volunteer, and current President of Korea Economic Institute and Chair of The Korea Society. Please join our inspiring interview with Amb. Stephens as she remarks on her challenges and progress in her glass ceiling shattering career, as well as her efforts to support and amplify women’s voices. The discussion will be led by a moderator, Vivian Lee, Emmy-winning TV journalist. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/special-events/women-s-leadership-in-the-u-s-korea-relationship/item/1462

January 26, 2021 - North Korea senior analysts Robert Carlin and Glyn Ford speak about the political and economic implications of the party congress with senior director Stephen Noerper. Stanford University’s Carlin and Track2Asia’s Ford provide critical insight on possibilities for change, impasse and next steps in this timely, newsmaker event. This program is made possible thanks to support from the Korea Foundation. The Columbia University's Center for Korean Research (CKR) is a promotional partner for this program. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1460-north-korea-s-eighth-party-congress

January 24, 2021 - 14-year-old Eun-hee moves through life like a hummingbird searching for a taste of sweetness wherever she may find it. Ignored by her parents and abused by her brother, she finds her escape by roaming the neighborhood with her best friend, going on adventures, exploring young love and experiencing everything that comes with growing up in a country on the brink of enormous change. Written and directed by Bora Kim and starring the extraordinary young actress Ji-Hu Park, House of Hummingbird delicately captures a turning point in a young woman's life. Bora Kim, writer-director of House of Hummingbird, joins the Korea Society for a director's talk. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1459-house-of-hummingbird-streaming-and-a-director-s-talk

January 13, 2021 - The Magical Language of Others is a powerful and aching memoir, a tale of deep bonds to family, place, and language. After living in America for over a decade, Eun Ji Koh’s parents return to South Korea for work, leaving fifteen-year-old Eun Ji and her brother behind in California. Overnight, Eun Ji finds herself abandoned and adrift in a world made strange by her mother’s absence. Her mother writes letters, in Korean, over the years seeking forgiveness and love―letters Eun Ji cannot fully understand until she finds them years later hidden in a box. In this incandescent memoir, E. J. Koh fearlessly grapples with forgiveness, reconciliation, legacy, and intergenerational trauma. Join us for an in-depth conversation with E. J. Koh about her memoir, poetry, and translation. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1455-the-magical-language-of-others-with-e-j-koh