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The Korea Society Members' Newsletter | October 2026
Published about 6 hours ago • 8 min read
Members' Newsletter | October 2026
Editor: Stephanie Hwang, Development Program Officer
WELCOME MESSAGE
Happy October, corporate and individual members!
This October 9th, South Korea celebrates Hangeul Day (한글날), honoring the creation of the Korean alphabet. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first observance of Hangeul Day in 1926, when scholars began commemorating the creation of Hangeul and its significance to Korea.
Before the creation of Hangeul, literacy in Korea was a symbol of the elite, limited to those who could dedicate years of study to master Classical Chinese. In the 15th century, King Sejong set out to democratize literacy - giving all people a means to communicate, share ideas, and strengthen social unity.
He introduced the newly created alphabet, Hanguel, intended to be intuitive to learn, read, and write. Hangeul is distinguished by the logic of its design. Its consonants reflect the shapes and movements of the mouth when producing sounds, while its vowels are built around three elements: a dot representing the sun, a vertical line representing humanity, and a horizontal line representing the earth.
Hangeul’s significance extends beyond literacy. During Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945), preserving the Korean language became an act of cultural resistance. The writing system helped sustain a shared language and identity through a period of profound hardship for Korea.
This Hangeul Day, we celebrate not only a remarkable linguistic achievement, but also the power of language to connect people, preserve culture, and strengthen a nation across generations.
Read on to discover programs and activities from The Korea Society this month.
Thank you for being a member of The Korea Society and for all you do to support our organization! Please help us connect with new members by spreading the word, sharing our programs, and providing this link to join our membership program.
Boston Venture Connect — Korea Edition brings a delegation of Korean AI startups to the heart of Kendall Square for a panel with representatives from local and global venture capital firms, startup presentations from both sides of the Pacific, and open networking with the Boston venture community at CIC's Havana Hall.
One afternoon, end to end.
1:45 PM - Doors open & networking
2:30 PM - Panel discussion: featuring representatives from local and global venture capital firms.
After the panel - Startup presentations & networking: featuring Korean AI startups and selected Boston & Cambridge startups.
Thu, October 29, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
Address: 881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019
On Thursday, October 29, Korean pianist Youl Sun will make his Carnegie Hall debut at Zankel Hall. The Gold Medalist of the 2024 Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, Youl Sun is an extraordinary young artist whose achievements are bringing him increasing international recognition.
The program features Debussy's Images, Liszt's complete Transcendental Études, and contemporary works by Korean composer Texu Kim and Gabriela Lena Frank.
As a special invitation to The Korea Society's members, The Bachauer is pleased to offer 25% off tickets to this performance. Simply use promotional code SCL57514 when purchasing tickets.
Students can also receive 50% off tickets by presenting a valid student ID at the Carnegie Hall box office.
Summit Artists Group is proud to present its inaugural project—a special performance, GUT: In Search of Life’s Seasons (굿: 삶의 계절을 찾아서), featuring Korea’s celebrated performer Jeongwook Park, at Carnegie Hall on November 22, 2026.
GUT is a spiritual and cultural tradition through which Koreans have long gathered to seek connection, healing, and well-being, while celebrating the strength of community. Through humor and satire, the triumph of good over evil, and wishes for hope, peace, and prosperity, this performance offers a joyful glimpse into Korea’s rich cultural heritage. Learn more here.
Summit Artists Group is pleased to offer The Korea Society's membership community 20% off tickets with promo code SAG57513
That Summer’s End is a collection of one hundred and six poems of self-reflection and exquisite beauty — a blend of Seon Buddhism and French Symbolism from one of South Korea’s most celebrated and influential poets, Lee Seong-bok.
As enticing as they are profound, Lee Seong-bok’s poems have made him not only a poet’s poet but a favorite of RM, leader of K-pop superstars BTS, whose support of his work on social media has brought him international attention.
In a conversation with Stine An, Lee Seong-bok and his translator Anton Hur will discuss his poetry and career.
Wed, October 21, 2026 | 5:00 PM (EDT) | In-person only
The forum is designed to provide a dedicated space for Korean Americans in the newsroom and throughout the news media landscape to connect, collaborate, and support one another.
5:00 PM - Registration
6:00 PM - Panel Discussions, Q&A
8:00 PM - Networking Reception
Panel 1 | Leadership and Influence in Changing Media Landscape
Hannah Yang, Executive Vice President, Chief Growth and Customer Officer, The New York Times
Steve Chung, CEO, The Block
Jennifer Moon, Journalist & TV Host
Panel 2 | AI, Trust and the Future of Newsroom
Juju Chang, Co-Anchor, ABC News Nightline
Angela Moon, Global Head of Breaking News, Bloomberg
MJ Lee, Senior National Enterprise Correspondent, CNN
ENVY: Why Wanting What They Have is the Key to Getting What You Want
Thu, October 22, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EDT) | In-person only
In the West, we’re told “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and taught to avoid this “deadly sin.” Meanwhile, in Korea, people publicly make social comparisons and express their envy. Drawing on how Koreans used their envy of Japan to transform a war-torn country into a pop-culture powerhouse, Dr. Stacy S. Kim teaches us that when we examine our envy, we can learn what we want, whom to emulate, and how to get it. Dr. Kim demonstrates how to convert unexamined reckless use of envy into a guiding force and powerful motivator.
In a conversation with Hyeseung Song, Dr. Kim discusses her new book and research.
Historically, companies treated tariffs, export controls, and sanctions as separate risks managed by different departments. Today, a single business decision can trigger overlapping consequences across all three regulatory frameworks.
For companies operating across US-Asia supply chains, this convergence creates increasingly complex and fast-changing exposure.
This webinar examines how tariffs, export controls, and sanctions intersect in practice, moving beyond siloed compliance checklists to identify where risks compound.
Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother with Esther Choi
We all know cooks whose fingertips seem to infuse every meal with deliciousness. In Korean, that magic touch is called sohn-mat, or “hand taste”―but you don’t have to be born with it. Esther Choi picked hers up from her halmoni, or grandmother, who used her hands for everything. In her hotly anticipated debut cookbook Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother, Choi offers delicious entry points to Korean and Korean-American cuisine, with foundational techniques alongside quick weeknight recipes and show-stopping traditional spreads. In her conversation with Eric Kim, Esther Choi will discuss her career and her debut cookbook.
The winner of the 2026 Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture Competition is Dr. Jae Yeon Kim!
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming public administration and public policy, but all too often, the discussion is dominated by the latest technological breakthroughs, rather than their potential utility in serving the public.
Join his lecture, as Dr. Kim argues that the primary challenges facing AI in government are human and organizational rather than technological.
Thu, October 29, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EDT) | In-person & Recorded Video
As the Korean War drew to a close and South Korea began to rebuild, American GI Roger Marshutz was stationed in Pusan to photograph U.S. reconstruction efforts. In his spare time, Marshutz also wandered the streets, documenting the daily life of Korean civilians.
📅 Exhibition Dates: September 17 - December 4, 2026
📅 Gallery Hours: Mon - Fri, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Two artists transform traditional materials–textile and paper–to explore themes of identity and memory.
Tai Hwa Goh creates intricate, layered installations from printed and cut paper, inspired by organic forms, landscapes, and the relationship between the interior and exterior.
Julia Kwon sews interpretive Korean textiles, specifically in the form of patchwork bojagi (Korean object-wrapping cloth).
To make a gallery appointment, please contact info@koreasociety.org at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled visit.
On September 28th at Cipriani South Street, The Korea Society 2026 Annual Gala brought together over 530 guests from business, government, technology, academia, and civil society in support of the partnership between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
The active participation of leaders in our community was the driving force behind this occasion, which we are proud to share generated a record-breaking revenue of over $3 million.
We were honored to present the 2026 Van Fleet Award to Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, in recognition of his pioneering leadership in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence, which form a cornerstone of the expanding economic and technological partnership between the U.S. and Korea.
CHECK THIS OUT: We sat down with 2026 Van Fleet Award honoree Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) for a conversation ranging from Mr. Huang's career, to NVIDIA's decades-long collaboration with Korean partners, and the future of the AI industry.
We are always looking to improve the quality of our organization's programs and content! If you have any feedback, suggestions, or ideas about how we can improve, email us at development@koreasociety.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization with individual and corporate members that is dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.
This monthly newsletter is designed to keep our community of members informed about our latest achievements, upcoming programs, and other exciting updates.
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