Members' Newsletter | January 2026 Editor: Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE Happy New Year to all our corporate and individual members! 새해 복 많이 받으세요. Many Koreans traditionally start off the new year with a bowl of 떡국 (tteokguk), a simple rice cake soup. More than just a meal, the round slices of rice cake resemble coins, symbolizing prosperity, while the clear broth represents a clean slate to welcome the year ahead. Soup, more broadly, holds special meaning in...
about 1 month ago • 10 min read
Members' Newsletter | December 2025 Editor: Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE Welcome to December, to The Korea Society's corporate and individual members! The winter solistce, or Dongji (동지), is observed on December 22 this year and signifies not only the longest night of the year, but also a turning point: from this day on, sunlight returns and the calendar moves forward toward renewal. A tradition around this time of year is sharing a bowl of patjuk (팥죽), or...
2 months ago • 10 min read
Members' Newsletter | November 2025 Edited by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE Happy November to The Korea Society's corporate and individual members :) Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, is observed annually on November 11th to honor military veterans. The holiday traces back to the end of World War I, when an armistice between Germany and the Allied Powers took effect at “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” in 1918. In 1919,...
3 months ago • 11 min read
Members' Newsletter | October 2025 by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE Welcome to October, corporate and individual members of The Korea Society! We are excited to welcome a month of celebration and connection, both in Korea and here at The Korea Society. October marks the arrival of Chuseok (추석), or Korean Thanksgiving, one of Korea's most meaningful and widely-celebrated holidays. Falling on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, Chuseok is traditionally...
5 months ago • 12 min read
Members' Newsletter | September 2025 by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE As we step into the new season, South Korea observes the fall equinox with Chubun (추분), which this year falls on Tuesday, September 23 at 3:19 AM (KST). Chubun marks the moment when day and night are equal in length, reflecting a point of perfect balance in the seasonal cycle and underscoring the philosophy of yin-yang. A common expression associated with the season is “하늘이 높다” ("the sky is...
6 months ago • 9 min read
Members' Newsletter | August 2025 by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE To all our corporate and individual members — welcome to August! This month, Korea commemorates its liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule on August 15. One of the few national holidays celebrated in both South and North Korea, Liberation Day highlights the distinct values and narratives embraced by each nation. In South Korea, the holiday is known as 광복절 (Gwangbokjeol), or...
7 months ago • 7 min read
Members' Newsletter | July 2025 by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE Happy Fourth of July to all our U.S.-based readers! As many of us enjoy some classic combination of barbecues, beach visits, firework displays, and family gatherings to observe the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, South Korea will also be celebrating the enactment of an important document in its own history this month. Following liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, Korea...
8 months ago • 9 min read
Members' Newsletter | June 2025 by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE This June 3rd, South Korea will elect a new president to replace Yoon Suk Yeol. After the impeachment and removal of South Korea's former president from office, South Korea is advancing their presidential election date to this Tuesday, June 3rd. The former president declared martial law in December 2024, citing threats from "anti-state forces" and North Korea. His actions brought the country into...
9 months ago • 7 min read
Members' Newsletter | May 2025 by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer WELCOME MESSAGE Today marks the beginning of AANHPI Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the cultures, histories, and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. May was chosen to commemorate two key milestones: the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869, built in large part by Chinese immigrant labor, and the arrival of the first recorded...
10 months ago • 12 min read