Korea Society in Seoul
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A few weeks ago I attended a great
outreach event hosted by the Korea Society here in Seoul. The Korea
Society is a private, nonprofit group based in New York City that promotes
awareness and understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of South Korea. Since this goal
dovetails with my own mission, I always enjoy meeting with them and attending
their events when possible. Their programs span policy, education, the
arts and much more. They even have a podcast series discussing everything
from the KORUS FTA to K-Beauty! (Link: http://feeds.koreasociety.org/tkspodcasts)
The Korea Society has a long
history. According to their website:
The
Korea Society traces its roots to 1957 when a group of prominent Americans,
under the leadership of General James A. Van Fleet, who commanded the U.S.
armed forces in the final phase of the Korean War, established the first
nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the promotion of
friendly relations between the people of the United States and Korea
"through mutual understanding and appreciation of their respective
cultures, aims, ideals, arts, sciences and industries."
I
enjoyed nice conversation with guests at the Korea Society event
Discussing current political and economic issues
Thomas Byrne is the current President,
having joined in August last year. He has a background in finance and a
long-time interest in Korea, when he served here for three years as a Peace
Corps volunteer many years ago. He is energetic and committed to the
organization and, under his leadership, the Korea Society is expanding its
outreach and engagement.
At the event, General Scaparrotti gave a
great overview of the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula. I also
gave remarks about the current political and economic environment and this
great Alliance our two countries have. Other notable attendees included
General Walter (Skip) Sharp, Former Ambassador to the ROK, Thomas Hubbard – who
is the Chairman of the Board of the Korean Society, Chairman of CJ Cheiljedang
Corporation Sohn Kyung-Shik, and Director of Fila Sport Lee Dong-Shik. It
was great to see everyone!
With General Scaparrotti and Former
Ambassador Hubbard at the Korea Society event
For more information on the Korea
Society, you can visit their website www.koreasociety.org.
