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Members' Newsletter | March 2025
by Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer
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WELCOME MESSAGE
Happy March 1st Day!
March 1st Day, or 삼일절, is celebrated in Korea to commemorate the biggest national nonviolent demonstration of protest against foreign dominance in Korean history. In Seoul on March 1st, 1919, 33 activists read aloud the Korean Declaration of Independence, spurring over 2 million citizens to participate in 1,500 rallies against Japanese colonial rule. This day commemorates the transformative spirit of national unity that turned the tides for the Korean Independence Movement, and can be observed today just by celebrating Korean culture and heritage!
Along with four upcoming programs at The Korea Society this month, we are excited to launch a new student competition for our young entrepreneurs in the audience. Calling all currently matriculated students, applications for the 2025 Student Ideation Competition are open until mid-March. Don't miss the chance to win a grand prize of $1,000 and a travel stipend to visit the Startup Scene Annual Forum in NYC this April!
Read on for more information.
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IMAGE OF THE MONTH
by Thomas Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society
This month features another series of images on the new paradigm of growing investment links between the U.S. and Korea.
The top two panels show that not only is foreign direct investment (FDI) by Korean firms in the U.S. reaching new heights, but it is also reaching into a wider range of states across the nation. The job-creating benefits of the K-investment wave are building new constituencies which support a stronger economic relationship between the U.S. and Korea. The sources of these two images comes from a presentation made by the six-member ROK National Assembly delegation, led by Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, to The Korea Society on February 14, 2025.
The bottom panel shows that the U.S. has continued in recent years to lead the world as the top destination for inward foreign investment. South Korea did not even place close to the top ten, according to the IMF data. Historically, FDI has not played a significant source of financing for the Korean economy. However, a new trend has emerged in which new tech and media companies are ramping up direct investment in Korea. For example, multi-year pledges from Coupang, Amazon Web Services and Netflix add up to more than $10 billion through 2027. A hospitable regulatory environment will be crucial for such tech investment to boost innovation and job-creation in the Korean economy over the long run.
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UPCOMING EVENTS | FEBRUARY 2025
MEMBERS-ONLY
MEMBERS-ONLY GIVEAWAY!
LIMITED TIME OFFER: The entry form will close on Friday, March 7th at 12:00pm EST.
We're offering 5 Fandango codes for our members to view the highly anticipated new film Mickey 17, from acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho. Each code can be redeemed for up to 2 free tickets (maximum of $30 total).
Winners of the giveaway will be contacted directly on the movie's release date: Friday, March 7th. Please fill out the form below to enter the giveaway.
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ALL PROGRAMS
STARTUP SCENE: ENTREPRENEURS OF TOMORROW
STUDENT IDEATION COMPETITION
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Application Period: February 17 - March 16
The Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition is designed to encourage innovative thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit among Korean-American and Korean students enrolled in colleges across the United States.
This year, the participants are challenged to pitch their startup that addresses expanding education access, or improving disaster relief efforts.
Prizes: The top 3 teams will receive a monetary prize (1st place: $1,000), as well as a travel stipend to attend the Startup Scene Annual Forum in NYC on April 22, 2025.
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Scaling SaaS: The Art of Storytelling & Investor Strategy
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 6 PM (EST) | In-person & Livestream
Join us for an insightful session with John Sung Kim, a serial SaaS founder of Five9 (NASDAQ: FIVN), DoctorBase, and Jetbridge. He will share his expertise on launching SaaS startups, emphasizing how compelling storytelling can drive investor engagement, team-building and business growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn firsthand from John's entrepreneurial journey and discover the strategies that turn great ideas into thriving companies.
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Women in Food Business
Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EST) | In-person & Livestream
Meet Korean-American women running their own successful food and hospitality business and contributing their perspective and approaches to proactively change the industry. This panel features 4 business owners: Hannah Bae of Noona's Ice Cream, Julia Choi-Rodriguez of Vesta Chocolate, Alice Jun of Hana Makgeolli, Jee Kim of 8282. Also joining will be hospitality lawyer Vivian Chen, who represents many businesses and brands throughout New York City.
The moderator for this conversation is chef, artist, teacher and writer Caroline Choe.
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Korean Peninsula Update with the NK News Team
Monday, March 17, 2025 | 12 PM (EDT) | In-person & Livestream
Join us for a discussion on the latest developments in Korea, including domestic politics north and south of the 38th parallel, inter-Korean relations, US-North Korea developments, Russia’s role, and more, featuring team members from NK News, including Chad O'Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of Korea Risk Group, Jeongmin Kim, Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at Korea Pro, Colin Zwirko, Senior Analytic Correspondent for NK News, and Shreyas Reddy, Lead Correspondent at NK News.
This program is moderated by The Korea Society's Policy Director Jonathan Corrado.
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The Flow of Ink and Color: A Journey of Korean Ink Painting by Sunglim Kim
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EDT) | In-person & Livestream
Professor Sunglim Kim is an associate professor of Korean art and culture at Dartmouth College. She specializes in the material and consumer culture of the late Joseon period and women artists in modern and contemporary Korea. In this lecture, Sunglim Kim explores the history of ink painting in Korea, and examines its origin and development, both in the past and the present.
This conversation will be moderated by Jay Oh, Senior Director of Arts & Culture at The Korea Society.
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GALLERY EXHIBITION
2025 SPRING EXHIBITION
CHO IN HO | IN THE MANNER OF MAGNIFICENCE
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Exhibition Dates: January 23 - April 18
Rooted in tradition yet also contemporary, Artist Cho In Ho reimagines Korean landscapes through muk (black ink), transforming familiar locations into expansive expressions of space and time. His exhibition, In the Manner of Magnificence, is on view at The Korea Society.
The Korea Society Gallery is available by appointment only. Please contact info@koreasociety.org at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled visit.
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00am - 4:30pm
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KOREAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM
SPRING TERM
Registration for our Korean Language Program's Spring Term is currently open until April 4th, 2025.
For all future terms, as part of our updated membership benefits, we're pleased to offer a 10% discount on language classes to all members of The Korea Society (at the Individual Level or higher). Returning students from the previous term also receive a 10% discount for the term. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your skills!
Our 2025 Spring Term runs from April 7 through June 16. Click the link below for more information.
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KIM KOO PROFESSIONAL SERIES
KIM KOO PROFESSIONAL SERIES: 2025 SPRING SEMESTER
This month, the Policy Team initiates the 2025 spring semester of the Kim Koo Professional Series, with programs on: Charting Future Pathways for U.S.-Korea-Japan Trilateral Relations, Korea's Politics of the Vortex: 2025, and Acting and Activism with Celine "Minnie" Mills.
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PAST HIGHLIGHTS | FEBRUARY 2024
Check out last month's programs!
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Author Talks: Kim Suhyun & Anton Hur
In this episode of Author Talks on February 5th, Kim Suhyun discussed the English debut of I Decided to Live as Me. With charming illustrations and uplifting language, I Decided to Live as Me teaches you that by freeing yourself from the pressure of other people's expectations, you can focus on what truly matters: living not for anyone else, but for yourself.
This conversation is moderated by Anton Hur, who translated I Decided to Live as Me.
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Breaking Down the US-China Decoupling: Implications for Korea
On February 7th, we held a members-only roundtable for a discussion on the evolving US-China economic relationship and its implications for Korea. Speakers included Benjamin Qiu, US-China business expert and NYC-based lawyer, and Kenneth Wilcox, author of The China Business Conundrum and former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank.
This program is co-hosted by the Asian Affairs Committee of the New York City Bar Association, and moderated by Thomas Byrne, President and CEO of The Korea Society.
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Challenges for Korea’s Democracy
The Korea Society hosted a conversation on February 13th about the fallout from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and challenges to South Korea’s democracy with Kelly Kasulis Cho, Washington Post Breaking News Reporter, Andrew Yeo, senior fellow and the SK-Korea Foundation Chair at the Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies, and Daniel Sneider, lecturer in East Asian Studies at Stanford.
This program is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado and program officer Chelsie Alexandre.
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Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, and Longevity
As a Korean-American, Michelle Jungmin Bang grew up in a family of doctors, then spent years traveling, researching, and training in nutrition and preventative care to write and illustrate Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, and Longevity. In a conversation at The Korea Society on February 25th, Bang reflects on how we can eat for healing, live sustainably, reconnect with nature, form deeper relationships with the Korean concept of jeong (the warm, invisible connection between loved ones and places), and more.
This conversation is moderated by Kathleen Kim, NYC-based puppeteer and voice artist, as well as an Emmy-nominated producer.
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Author Talks: Lee Chang-dong
Lee Chang-dong is one of South Korea’s most celebrated and influential directors, known internationally for his films Burning, Secret Sunshine, and Poetry. Before turning to screenwriting and directing, Lee began his career as a writer of short fiction and novels. In the next episode of Author Talks on February 27th, Lee Chang-dong discusses SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES, translated into English for the first time by Yoosup Chang and Heinz Insu Fenkl. His work is a brilliant and unsettling collection that investigates themes of love, injustice, betrayal, and terror—on both an intimate and national scale.
This conversation is moderated by Jay Oh, Senior Director of Arts & Culture at The Korea Society.
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YOUTUBE SHORTS
Check out our past programs on The Korea Society's YouTube Channel. Subscribe today!
Thanks to our Media Program Associate Bradley Sheen, you can now see the best clips from our guest speakers on Youtube Shorts. Click on the most recent highlights shown here, or visit the page below for our full collection of shorts.
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CHECK OUT OUR MOST RECENT POST:
 Beijing, Moscow & Pyongyang's Playbook: Flattering Trump for Gain
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The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
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