The Korea Society

November 12, 2024 - Join us for a conversation with Stephen Biegun, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea. This discussion will examine past diplomatic efforts to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea, lessons learned, and future prospects. What are Mr. Biegun's takeaways from his summitry engagement with North Korea? Is it still possible today to pursue mutually acceptable waypoints within the confines of a grand bargain or should more modest goals be pursued? How do geopolitical shifts and hardening regional rivalries undermine the U.S. and North Korean interest in improving bilateral relations? How does the public discourse create reductive dichotomies between deterrence vs. diplomacy and human rights vs. humanitarian efforts? The moderator for this program is Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. The Korea Society thanks the Kim Koo Foundation, our corporate sponsors, and individual members 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/item/1873-expert-take-stephen-biegun

November 8, 2024 - Is South Korea on the verge of a nuclear breakout? Join us for a discussion about South Korea's nuclear option with Victor Cha, the president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the distinguished university professor at Georgetown University. Much of the speculation in Washington and Seoul about South Korea's nuclear ambitions has been informed by a handful of recent public opinion polls. This has created an echo chamber effect in Washington and Seoul where some experts have accepted South Korean nuclear ambitions as a reality. Using evidence derived from multi-question polling of South Korean strategic elites available to read here, Dr. Cha finds that concerns about a nuclear South Korea are exaggerated: 66 percent of South Korean strategic elites oppose nuclearization and confidence in the United States as a security provider remains strong. However, if the U.S. withdraws ground troops from South Korea or otherwise triggers abandonment fears, half of the strategic elites who presently oppose nuclearization would change their minds. This program is moderated by Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. This program is co-sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University and the Columbia SIPA Korea Focus student club. The Korea Society thanks the Korea Foundation, our corporate sponsors, and individual members 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/item/1875-breaking-bad-south-koreas-nuclear-option

November 7, 2024 - Join us for an expert discussion on the impact of intensifying competition on the U.S.-Korea relationship. How can the allies evolve together to face shared threats as geopolitical rivalries intensify in Northeast Asia? What is the role of trilateral U.S.-Korea-Japan collaboration? How should North Korea's increasing provocations and alignment with Russia and China be addressed? Featuring insights from Daniel Russel, Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI). It is moderated by policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre. The Korea Society thanks the Kim Koo Foundation, our corporate sponsors, and individual members 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/item/1877-expert-take-u-s-korea-relations-amid-geopolitical-competition-with-daniel-russel

October 29, 2024 - This program explores the historical and contemporary relationship between North Korea and Russia. How did the Kim Regime's relationship with the Soviet Union evolve during The Korean War, early Cold War period, and the Sino-Soviet split? How did triangular diplomacy with the People's Republic of China play a shaping role in the relationship? How should we characterize relations from the end of the Cold War period, including South Korea's Nordpolitik, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of the Russian Federation? Finally, how should we view recent developments, including weapons transfers, military cooperation, and policy coordination, in the context of the historical relationship? This discussion features historian Dr. Kathryn Weathersby and is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1872-expert-take-the-moscow-pyongyang-connection-then-and-now-with-dr-kathryn-weathersby

October 10, 2024 - Banchan, the shared side dishes that accompany a Korean meal, are often the real stars of the table, and it's time we celebrate them. From the kitchen of chef Caroline Choe, Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides offers 60 mouthwatering recipes for classic and modern banchan dishes. From namul (fresh vegetables) to buchimgae (pancakes), these tasty sides are proof that big flavor can be found in small bites. In this conversation with Marja Vongerichten, Choe discusses her first cookbook that shares her experiences, the global emergence and evolution of Korean American cuisine, and the importance of women's contributions to this movement. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1857-banchan-with-caroline-choe

October 4, 2024 - Join us for a special conference on U.S.-Korea relations produced in partnership with the East Asia Foundation (EAF) and the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP). This forum provides a venue for expert discussion on the security, diplomatic and economic dimensions of the U.S.-Republic of Korea relationship, and includes a bipartisan coalition from Korea's National Assembly. The program commences with welcoming remarks from former South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Korea Society president and CEO Tom Byrne, and NCAFP president and CEO Ambassador (Ret.) Susan M. Elliott. The security and diplomacy panel features critical insights from the National Assembly Member Kim Young-bae, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the PPP Ambassador Kim Gunn, Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Dean of Sogang University's Graduate School of International Studies Kim Jae-chun, and Director of the Korea Program at The Stimson Center Jenny Town. This session is moderated by Director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security at NCAFP Susan Thornton, who retired from the State Department after a 28-year diplomatic career focused primarily on East and Central Asia. The economics and trade panel features National Assembly Member Choi Hyung-du, Vice Chair of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, former ROK Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, and Albright Stonebridge Group Senior Counselor in the East Asia & Pacific practice Tami Overby. This session will be led by Korea Society President and CEO Tom Byrne. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1866-next-steps-for-us-korea-relations-key-diplomatic-and-economic-developments

October 2, 2024 - Join us for an engaging discussion with Peter Kahng, an expert on the intersection of global art markets and contemporary Korean art. As a lecturer at Stanford University specializing in "Global Art Markets in Asia," Peter Kahng will provide a unique perspective on the thriving contemporary art scene in Korea. Explore how Korean art movements, including the influential Dansaekhwa, have garnered international acclaim and how contemporary Korean artists are making significant waves on the global stage. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1860-the-rise-of-korean-contemporary-art-with-peter-kahng

October 1, 2024 - With the ever-growing need to understand ourselves and humanity as a whole, it is necessary to examine the concepts of morality, ethics and universal values as guiding principles of the human condition. With generous support from Y.T. Hwang Family Foundation, The Korea Society presents a Series on Ethics and Common Values. This series promotes the understanding of central themes of our human existence - morality, ethics, personal responsibility, compassion and civility - through a series of lectures by distinguished speakers and conversation with extraordinary individuals who exemplify the universal values in line with the mission of Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation and The Korea Society. The Korea Society and Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation is proud to present Minister Kyung-wha Kang, President and CEO of Asia Society, in a conversation with Ambassador (ret) Kathleen Stephens. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1858-y-t-hwang-family-foundation-series-on-ethics-common-values-a-conversation-with-minister-kyung-wha-kang

October 1, 2024 - How can the U.S.-Korea Alliance rise to the challenge of an increasingly complex and fraught geopolitical environment? As competing strategic triangles solidify in Northeast Asia, what new challenges and opportunities will arise for the U.S.-Korea relationship and peace and security in the region? This conversation seeks to see through the cycle to identify underlying trends, plot trajectories, and propose policy recommendations. Join us for a conversation with three thought leaders on the security and diplomacy of Northeast Asia: Seth Bailey, Director for the Office of Korean and Mongolian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Markus Garlauskas, Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and Rachel Minyoung Lee, Senior Fellow for the Stimson Center's Korea Program and 38 North. The discussion is moderated by Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. This program is produced in cooperation with the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1863-force-multiplier-the-u-s-korea-alliance-amid-strategic-competition

September 10, 2024 - South Korea's film industry is producing movies and original series eagerly anticipated by the global audience, and it is now arguably considered one of the few countries outside the United States to have captivated the world's hearts and minds through pop music, TV dramas, and film. Similarly, the exponential growth in the South Korean film industry has been mirrored by increasing interest from the press and academia all over the world. The South Korean Film Industry is the first detailed scholarly overview of the South Korean film industry, discussing topics from short films to popular television series that have engaged global audiences and exploring the major changes in South Korean film making and marketing, as well as the international popularity of South Korean films. Join us for a conversation about the South Korean film industry with three contributors to this new volume: Sangjoon Lee, Dal Yong Jin, and Jason Bechervaise. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1851-the-south-korean-film-industry-with-sangjoon-lee-dal-yong-jin-and-jason-bechervaise