In marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Korean War, The Korea Society salutes the late Richard Kim, as Penguin Classics re-releases his National Book Award-nominated The Martyred. Kim’s first novel is a critically acclaimed bestseller about the Korean War, and was later made into a play, opera, and film. Book Cafe: The Martyred […]
Award-winning author, editor and photojournalist Brenda Paik Sunoo presents images from Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies and the Sea. Jeju Island’s sea women, or haenyeo, scour the sea floor as their maternal ancestors did, harvesting seaweed, octopus, sea urchins, turban shells, and abalone. Driven by economics, these women divers plunge more than 20 […]
Enjoy a meditative performance of changgo, a traditional hour-glass drum, adapted for p’ungnyu, the classical ensemble music of Korean nobility and central theme of The Korea Society’s 2011 traditional music series. P’ungnyu also refers to an elevated state of leisure in which one can better appreciate poetry, music, and companionship. Percussionist Lee Chun-seung performs a […]
Enjoy a meditative performance of changgo, a traditional hour-glass drum, adapted for p’ungnyu, the classical ensemble music of Korean nobility and central theme of The Korea Society’s 2011 traditional music series. P’ungnyu also refers to an elevated state of leisure in which one can better appreciate poetry, music, and companionship. Percussionist Lee Chun-seung performs a […]
Ben Ryder Howe, formerly of The Paris Review and a contributor to The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and Outside, discusses his recently published memoir, My Korean Deli. Howe describes the trials and triumphs of his Korean-born wife’s decision to repay her parents’ self-sacrifice by buying them a store. My Korean Deli follows the […]
Join Eric Rhee, producer, and Marja Vongerichten, host and wife of world famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, for an evening of conversation and a behind the scenes look at The Kimchi Chronicles. Through visits to markets and homes around the Peninsula, the 13-episode show—to air on PBS—explores traditional Korean cuisine, markets, and popular tourist destinations. Green […]
Winner of “Best New Narrative Director” at 2011 Tribeca Film Festival! The Tribeca Film Festival presents the New York premiere of the much-anticipated The Journals of Musan, co-hosted with The Korea Society. Director Park Jung-bum’s debut tells the story of a North Korean defector forging a new life in South Korea. The film took the New Currents Award […]
During Korea’s drive for economic modernization, commercial artists created goods and advertisements that were visually appealing and richly detailed. After the war, Korea transformed itself economically, yet rapid growth was accompanied by dramatic social changes and political concerns surrounding authoritarianism. By the late 1980s, Korea had embraced democracy and a newly prosperous society clamored for […]
The Korea Society presents Dong Jin Kim, author of Crusader for Korea, a biography of Dr. Homer B. Hulbert (1863-1949), a “hidden hero” of Korean independence. The publication is the culmination of years of effort by the author to secure a proper place in Korean history for the accomplishments of foreigners, such as […]
Traditional Korean quilt technique requires keen attention to detail, patience, and dedication. With the arrival of the modern sewing machine, traditional quilting largely disappeared, yet master Kim Haeja remains steadfastly committed to the traditional ways of her craft. Designated Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 107 by the Korean government, Haeja Kim shares life’s […]
