U.S.–Korea Friendship Peace Concert for the Construction of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park

Sat, June 20, 2026 | 5:00 PM KST | Seoul Arts Center, South Korea

We welcome you to join the U.S.-Korea Friendship Peace Concert on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

This concert is a commemorative event organized by the Korea–U.S. Korean War Veterans Memorial Association to honor the sacrifices of young American soldiers who fought and gave their lives during the Korean War in defense of the freedom and peace of the Republic of Korea. This concert was conceived to help Korean society better understand and remember the significance of their noble service and dedication.

Ticket Prices:

• R Section: KRW 300,000
• S Section: KRW 250,000
• A Section: KRW 200,000
• B Section: KRW 100,000

Haus of K

Opens on: June 13, 2026 at 10am

Address: 345 Adams St., Brooklyn, NY 11201

Discover HAUS OF K, a first-of-its-kind destination celebrating the best of Korean beauty, culture, and innovation. Over the course of three months, visitors can explore curated K-beauty brands, immersive experiences, live entertainment, cultural programming, and Korean food and beverage offerings in a stunningly transformed Hana House in Brooklyn.

As the largest K-beauty activation ever presented in North America, HAUS OF K is supported by both government partners and many of the industry's leading beauty companies. The space has been reimagined by renowned Korean design firms, creating a vibrant cultural hub and premier event venue that will continue to serve the community long after the residency concludes.

Join us for this extraordinary showcase of contemporary Korea and experience firsthand the creativity, innovation, and global influence shaping Korean culture today.

The Korea Society 2026 Annual Gala

The Korea Society’s 2026 Annual Gala is the most prestigious event in the U.S.–Korea gathering in New York City each year, convening heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, cabinet officials, ambassadors, and cultural leaders under one roof to strengthen the alliance that shapes both nations. It is where this consequential partnership is celebrated, and the most important policy, business, and civic leaders contributing and shaping this alliance are recognized. For sponsors, it is the most visible platform elevating the U.S.–Korea relationship in New York City.

This year, the Korea Society is honored to announce the 2026 Van Fleet Award recipient is Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, in recognition of his visionary leadership and transformative contributions to the artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries — sectors central to the evolving U.S.–Korea economic partnership. The 2026 Van Fleet Award honors, for the first time, Huang’s historic and ongoing contribution to the U.S.–Korea bilateral alliance and the technology future they are building together.

Summer Auction

As a valued member of The Korea Society, we invite you to participate in our exclusive auction featuring exceptional items and experiences generously donated by leading Korean companies and dedicated partners who support our mission.

Highlights include:

• Korean Air round-trip ticket
• Himedi premium medical and wellness service
• Luxury accessories & specialty gifts

Explore the full range of auction offerings and join us in celebrating the organizations and partners that make our mission possible.

The auction closes next Wednesday at 5:00 PM EDT. Winning bidders will be notified directly following the close of the auction.

2026 Tribeca Festival - Two Featured Screenings

As a co-host of two featured screenings of the 2026 Tribeca Festival, The Korea Society is excited to share the code tf26koreasoc for members to receive 20% off ticket purchases.

SCREENING #1: VANISHING TRACKS​

Sun June 07 - 5:15 PM; Mon June 08 - 5:00 PM; Wed June 10 - 8:00 PM @ AMC 19th St.

Under the Zagros Mountains outside Shiraz, a family of Iranian nomads and their reticent sons investigate the disappearance of twelve sheep while navigating their flock through the modern city of poets in this dreamy documentary.

SCREENING #2: SEVEN O’CLOCK BREAKFAST CLUB FOR THE BROKENHEARTED​

Thu June 11 - 8:30 PM; Fri June 12 - 5:15 PM; Sun June 14 - 12:00 PM @ Village East by Angelika

South Korean romantic drama royalty Suzy and Squid Game star Lee Jin-wook star in this Seoul-set romance where two wandering souls navigate love, loss and the longing for closure.

American Ballet Theater: Summer Season

Join the American Ballet Theater from June 17 - July 18 for a Summer season that embodies the passion, artistry, and timeless beauty with a unique discount code for members of The Korea Society.

Select performances, featuring Korean artists:

​Onegin: 6/24E (Hee Seo); 6/27 M (Hee Seo)
​Sylvia: 7/10 M (Joo Won Ahn); 7/11 E (Hee Seo)

Enter code ABTPARTNER to receive a 25% discount for tickets:

• Orchestra Side
• Orchestra Prime
• Orchestra Side
• Orchestra Side

Critical Comparison: Sanctions on North Korea vs. Iran

Wed, June 17, 2026 | 5:00 PM (EDT) | In-person & Livestream

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Jonathan Brewer, Visiting Professor at King's College, London, on the differences, similarities, and trajectories of international sanctions on North Korea and Iran. In conversation with policy director Jonathan Corrado, Dr. Brewer discusses evolving UN Security Council sanctions, their utility within larger diplomatic frameworks, their implementation and circumvention, and North Korea and Iran's proliferation and financing strategies for their sanctioned programs. Dr. Brewer was Acting Coordinator of the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea and financial expert of the UN Panel on Iran.

2026 Emerging Design Competition Final Pitch

Fri, June 12, 2026 | 5:00 PM (EDT) | In-person only

The Korea Society invites you to the final pitching competition of Startup Scene: Emerging Design Competition — the most aspiring moment of Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, a program initiative dedicated to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs across the US and South Korean startup ecosystems. After a half-year journey from ideation to mentorship, our finalists will deliver a live pitch followed by a Q&A with the judging panel, showcasing ideas at the intersection of technology, design, and social impact that may very well shape tomorrow's economy. This program is proudly and exclusively supported by Hanwha Life.

New Thinking on Korea's Aging, Shrinking Society with Professor Youngtae Cho

Wed, June 10, 2026 | 7:00 PM (EDT) | Live webcast only

Join us for a virtual program exploring new thinking on Korea’s aging, shrinking society with Dr. Youngtae Cho, Director of the Population Policy Research Center and professor of demography at the School of Public Health at Seoul National University (SNU). Professor Cho's research interests include Korea’s low fertility, its fundamental causes and policy reactions, Vietnam’s new population policy, business demography, and population profiling. He is best known for his "Population as a Determined Future" thesis, which argues that while demographic shifts are predictable and inevitable, society can mitigate their impact through strategic adaptation. The discussion is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado.

📢 Korean For Travel Workshop

Tue, June 23, 2026 | 7:00 PM (EDT) via Zoom | $40 Registration

Planning to travel to Korea soon? In this fun and engaging workshop, you learn how to navigate around Korea. You will learn the basics of Hangul, how to introduce yourself, how to order in a restaurant, as well as how to say hello, thank you, excuse me in Korean and much, much more! The essential courtesy expressions will be also covered, while practicing practical travel phrases for ordering food, asking for items, and navigating everyday situations in Korea through interactive role-plays and activities!

📺 Korean Through Drama Workshop

Tue, June 30, 2026 | 7:00 PM (EDT) via Zoom | $40 Registration

This workshop is designed for adult beginner Korean learners who want to improve their Korean through authentic clips from When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다). We will build listening and speaking skills while learning practical everyday expressions and exploring Korean culture and society through themes such as family relationships, generational differences, gender roles, marriage culture, and parents’ love and sacrifice. This workshop is ideal for learners who can read Hangul and understand basic Korean expressions.

Privileged but Powerless: How North Korean Elite Grievances Reveal the Regime’s Greatest Weakness

Dr. Jieun Baek, author of “Privileged but Powerless: How North Korean Elite Grievances Reveal the Regime’s Greatest Weakness” joined us in conversation with policy director Jonathan Corrado to reveal a world of forbidden information, simmering resentment, and survival-driven masks, based on hundreds of hours of interviews with high-level escapees. Baek argues that the officials who seem most invested in preserving North Korea’s status quo may become its most dangerous disruptors, not for ideological reasons but because of simmering resentment and vanishing alternatives.

YPN: How to Balance Ambition & Passion

The Korea Society’s Young Professionals’ Network presented Balancing Ambition and Passion, a career panel about balancing personal passions on top of pressures from full-time professional careers. Guest speakers included Samuel Cho (J.P. Morgan Asset Management), author of Forge Through 40, and author Patricia Park (American University), author of Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic. This program was produced in partnership with the Asian American Dental Society.

Assessing North Korea's Developing Nuclear Program

We were joined by Sarah Laderman, Senior Analyst for Open Nuclear Network (a PAX sapiens program), for a discussion on the rollout of a recent series of reports examining North Korea’s nuclear program. In conversation with Policy Director Jonathan Corrado, Laderman challenged conventional wisdom regarding the DPRK's nuclear capabilities and described how the Kim Regime balances its fissile material supply against strategic weaponization demands. Laderman noted that by the end of 2034, North Korea could produce between 23–47 strategic warheads using plutonium and 173–228 tactical warheads using highly enriched uranium. She also highlighted a core policy dilemma: some of the most strategically valuable assets to eliminate are the hardest to remotely verify.

The Illusion of Pastness: Hanbok on Screen

Tue, May 19, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EDT) | In-person & Livestream

Dress historian Dr. Minjee Kim will offer fresh insights into Korean period costume as a visual and narrative language closely aligned with the development of plot and storyline. She will demonstrate how period costumes produce the “illusion of pastness” rather than the past itself, operating within a narrower range of sartorial possibilities, thereby negotiating historical accuracy, constructing stylized appearances, and translating dynamically into contemporary aesthetics.

This program is co-hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York.

Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Kim Koo’s Birth: Exhibition Opening & Presentation

Thu, May 28, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EDT) | In-person & Livestream

This special event marks the opening of the exhibition, Kim Koo: Dreaming of Peace Through the Power of Culture, and features a presentation prepared by The Association of Commemorative Service for Patriot Kim Koo. It also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Kim Koo Professional Series at The Korea Society.

The program will feature Dr. Han Kyung-Koo, who served as the Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and played a pivotal role in the 2026 UNESCO designation. Congratulatory remarks are provided by Kim Koo Foundation chairperson Dr. Kim Mee. This program is produced in partnership with The Association of Commemorative Service for Patriot Kim Koo and is made possible by the support of the Kim Koo Foundation.

Startup in Focus: AI Powering the Way We Live

The Korea Society was honored to host the return of the 2026 Startup Scene annual forum, "Startups in Focus: AI Powering the Way We Live." This year, the annual forum brought together founders, investors, and technology leaders shaping the next chapter of applied artificial intelligence, examining how AI is transforming the way we live, work, create, and make decisions across sectors.
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Featuring thematic panels on AI's expanding role in human-machine interaction, creative economies, financial infrastructure, and everyday consumer and knowledge tools. This program is supported by Hanwha Life.

35th Annual Van Fleet Memorial Golf Tournament

This year, The Korea Society returned to the renowned Baltusrol Golf Club to host the 35th Annual Van Fleet Memorial Golf Tournament on May 18, 2026.

We were delighted to welcome our sponsors, members, and friends for a lovely day of golf, networking, and competition. Throughout the tournament, participants enjoyed a beautiful day on the course while reconnecting with colleagues and strengthening ties within the Korea–U.S. community.

With thanks to our generous sponsors, in-kind donors, and partnership with the Korea Finance Society, we enjoyed a special celebration of the 35th anniversary of this longstanding tradition.

Okdongsik

In his conversation with Vivian Lee, Chef Dongsik Ok shared his insights on his career, food philosophy, and the restaurant industry. With a philosophy rooted in simplicity, precision, and balance, Chef Dongsik Ok has reframed traditional Korean comfort food through a minimalist and modern lens. His eponymous restaurant Okdongsik’s signature dish is an elegant yet deeply comforting pork broth, dwaeji gomtang. Since its launch in Seoul’s Seogyo-dong neighborhood in 2017, Okdongsik has earned critical acclaim and recognition with the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand distinction for eight consecutive years. Now an international brand, Okdongsik has expanded its presence beyond Seoul with locations in New York (Manhattan and Bayside), Honolulu, Tokyo, and Paris. The brand's ongoing growth focuses on small, highly curated spaces that prioritize consistency, quality, and operational discipline, and the chef's commitment and dedication is transforming Korean soul food into a globally recognized culinary category.

Closing the Korea Discount: Capital Market Reform and the Macro Outlook

The Korea Society and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) hosted a discussion on South Korea's capital market reforms. The keynote address was delivered by Namuh Rhee, Chairman of the Korean Corporate Governance Forum and a leading voice behind Korea's reform movement, after which followed a cross-border conversation with senior representatives from the Bank of Korea and two leading U.S. investment professionals on where the reforms stand, how Korea's macro landscape is reshaping its appeal, and what global capital needs to see next. Moderated by Mark Kim President, Korea Finance Society. Brought to you by the Bank of Korea, Korean Corporate Governance Forum, and Korea Finance Society.