Beyond the Korean Wave: Abraham Kim on Diplomacy, Culture, and the Future of U.S.-Korea Relations

K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty - the Korean Wave has put Korea on the map in ways few could have predicted a generation ago. But Korea has always been on the map. Long before BTS and Squid Game captured the world's attention, the relationship between the United States and Korea was already one of the most consequential partnerships in the world - spanning diplomacy, security, trade, technology, and a people-to-people connection that runs deeper than most Americans realize.

In Episode 10, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Dr. Abraham Kim, President and CEO of The Korea Society, about what lies beneath the cultural moment - and why investing in the U.S.-Korea relationship matters more now than ever, as that relationship expands beyond Washington and New York into communities, classrooms, and people-to-people connections across the country.

Abraham is the first Korean American to lead The Korea Society in its nearly 70-year history. His path here reads like a masterclass in building toward purpose - from political risk analyst at the Eurasia Group and CSIS, to leading the Korea Economic Institute of America and the Mansfield Center, to building the Council of Korean Americans into a national force for civic engagement and leadership development, before arriving at The Korea Society in January 2026.

Together, Dorothy and Abraham explore:

• What the U.S.-Korea relationship really looks like beneath the surface of the Korean Wave - and why it matters for diplomacy, security, business, and culture
• Why The Korea Society is investing in next-generation leaders who will carry the U.S.-Korea relationship forward for decades to come
• What Abraham's own career path taught him about identity, purpose, and what it means to build bridges between communities and nations
• Why civil society organizations play a role in international relations that governments simply cannot - and what The Korea Society does to complement governmental efforts

This episode connects to the Do Good on Purpose Giving Circle, where you can directly support The Korea Society and its mission to build lasting understanding and cooperation between the United States and Korea.

🤝 Support The Korea Society through the Do Good on Purpose Giving Circle: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/LjPhN5M/Do-Good-on-Purpose-Giving-Circle

🔗 Connect with Dorothy Stuehmke:
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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome to the Do Good On Purpose podcast, where you can listen to leaders discussing solutions to the most pressing challenges in our world, and where you can also support them by donating through the show's Giving Circle through the link in the show notes. Think of a giving circle as giving together, combining what each of us can contribute so that we give bigger, we give better, and we make a much greater impact than any one of us could ever make alone. If you've streamed K-drama, sung along to K-pop, or reached for a Korean beauty product lately, you're part of a global phenomenon that has put Korea on the map in ways few could have predicted a generation ago. But here's the thing Korea has always been on the map. Long before BTS and Squid Game and Glasskin routines captured the world's attention, the relationship between the United States and Korea was already one of the most consequential partnerships in the world. It spans nearly 70 years of shared history, profound security ties, deep trade and investment relationships, extraordinary cultural exchange and people-to-people connection that has only grown stronger with each passing generation. K-pop and K-drama opened a door, but what's behind that door? Diplomacy, a security alliance, economic partnership, the Korean American community, and the complex realities of the Korean peninsula. It's a story most of us have only begun to understand. This episode is also deeply personal for me. Earlier in my career, I had the privilege of serving as a US diplomat, working on US Korea relations, both North and South, including being part of free trade agreement negotiations with South Korea and humanitarian aid to North Korea. That experience gave me a profound appreciation for just how important the Korean peninsula is to the U.S., to the world, and how much the quiet, consistent work of building understanding, trust, and connection between our nations truly matters. My guest today is Dr. Abraham Kim, president and CEO of the Korea Society, and the first Korean American to lead the organization in its nearly 70-year history. Abraham brings more than two decades of experience in foreign policy, leadership development, and cross-cultural bridge building, having led the Council of Korean Americans, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, and the Korea Economic Institute of America before arriving at the Korea Society. What stands out the most about Abraham is his belief that genuine understanding between nations is built not just in government halls or diplomatic channels, but in classrooms, cultural exchanges, business partnerships, and the quiet, consistent work of civil society organizations like the Korea Society. On today's episode of the Do Good On Purpose podcast, we explore what lies beneath the cultural movement, what the U.S.-Korea relationship really means for diplomacy, security, business, and the Korean-American community, and why investing in that relationship matters more than ever. Dr. Abraham Kim joins us now. Dr. Abraham Kim, thank you so much for being on the Do Good on Purpose podcast. I can't tell you how excited I am to have you here with me today. Korea is such an important country in the world. Korea is on the map in exciting ways, and it also holds a really, really special place in my heart. I'm of Korean descent. So are you. And I have a background in working for the Korea Society. And so I'm so excited to have you here today. You're the CEO and president of the Korea Society. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Thank you very much. Thank you for having me, Dorothy.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

I'm I'm really excited to talk to you about what the Korea Society does in this moment. You know, I worked at the Korea Society about 20 years ago. Uh, the Korea Society was formed and launched almost 70 years ago. Um, there's a lot that's happened over the past 20 years, over the past 70 years. And so can you talk to me a little bit about what the Korea Society's mission is today and why it's so important today, as it was 20 years ago, as it was 50 years ago?

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Well, the Korea Society was originally founded 70 years ago, as you mentioned, by a gentleman by the name of General James Van Fleet. And he was an important general, four-star general that uh was a part of the Korean War. And when he returned back from the Korean War, um uh he felt that there was an important need for Americans to continue to not only learn about uh what had happened on the Korean peninsula, that most people had no idea where Korea was at the time, but also to continue to have this friendship between the peoples of Korea and and the United States. And so the purpose of the Korea Society, as its original mission was, was to help Americans better understand and be informed about Korea and continue that friendship and partnership. And so that mission, uh central mission, has not changed over the last uh 70 years, and it continues to be an important part of the Korea Society and its purpose here uh in the United States. And so today, of course, Korea is a different place than it was many decades ago. It is a vibrant, developed country with uh leading technologies, with uh culture being an important part of its external outreach to the world, as well as its economic uh uh dynamism and power, right? And then we all see it and feel it every day in our consumption and so forth. So, what is the Korea Society's role in that is that any kind of relationship, any kind of alliance needs continuous building of creating of understanding and educating both sides, both in Korea and the United States, about the growing relationship, the importance of this relationship, and how the uh alliance is maturing over that time. And so the Korea Society's purpose today is to educate the current and new generation about this relationship. Um, we are an American organization. Again, our original principle was to share and continues to be to share about that to a broader American audience. Um we do that on Korea as well and constantly serve as an educational source and a resource to Koreans, but also uh connecting leaders, leaders between Americans and Korean leaders, both in in government and and in business, as well as civil society and uh being a liaison uh between all of these different communities to ensure that, again, friendships continue to grow and those partnerships continue to strengthen over time.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Thanks for that overview. I read in the Chosenilbo that you, when you were younger and people asked about your heritage and you told them you're you're Korean, of Korean descent, they would say North Korean or South Korean, right? And and I got that a lot too growing up. And all of that to say that, you know, there's so much more depth to our relationship, the US's relationship with Korea. There's just so much happening in Korea right now that's so dynamic, right? People now ask me, what are the latest K-beauty trends? What K-beauty products should we be using? What K, you know, what K-pop music should I be listening to? What K-drama should I watch? There's just so much happening in Korea that I think people are paying attention to because of sort of the cultural explosion, really. Talk to me a little bit about what it takes to really build genuine understanding between two nations with that sort of new cultural focus in mind now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

No, it's a great it's a great question. I I think um for two countries, two nations with rich histories on both sides, uh, and rich culture and society, I think it it it's important to look at each country holistically, right? Both from a political uh but also economic business and cultural, as you referenced. And so the complexity of learning about each other and ultimately it's about learning about people, right? And people are very complex uh with its societies and cultures and and traditions and values and so forth. And so I think it's important that you know both sides learn all the different aspects, the human aspects, and how do we develop those relationships over time? And so, yes, there is the security challenges on the Korean Peninsula, the North, the tensions between North and South Korea, that's an important part of the country, but that's not the only part of the country, right? That's uh and so now all this cultural boom that you've referenced, as well as, again, as I talked about the technology, the business, economics, also food and and and film and all these different things, I think Americans are getting more and more exposed on what what makes Koreans Koreans. And so and that's exciting. And and so it and the Korean Society plays an important role to help facilitate that, uh, whether it's at uh the highest levels of leadership in in in business or or government or civil society, all the way down to the classrooms for students, college students. And and so it's just there's a there's so so much richness uh and so much history together as well between the United States and Korea, and uh constantly teaching that, constantly encouraging people to explore that uh as a part of what we do, and uh, and that's the exciting aspects of this uh relationship.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

Yeah, that's so well said. Thank you. I want to talk a little bit about um the human element that you're talking about that you that you raised. So the Korea Society is a nonpartisan nonprofit, right? And you you mentioned that you're operating sort of at the intersection of business, foreign policy, economics, culture, all of these things at the same time. And, you know, what role do you think an organization like the Korea Society plays in international relations and fostering a deeper understanding in a way that governments maybe just can't do on their own? Like how do you how do you complement and sort of step in where governments can't?

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Sure. Yeah, so I think governments, uh their role obviously is uh, you know, they they cover important aspects of the relationship, whether it's diplomatic, uh, whether it's uh security, whether it's trade, economics. These are very official uh aspects of the relationship, things that are uh very um uh important in creating institutions around these relationships. But we know that there are formal aspects of relationships and informal aspects of relationships. And the informal aspects are are oftentimes where civil society plays uh an important role. Because uh governments are everything has to be documented, everything is official, and everything is very public. There are things that where the civil society, the informal parts of this relationship we can play where certain conversations and learnings need to be in private or uh honest conversations need to be had. And so I think where we play an important role is not only in the you know engaging each other and learning more in depth, and as well as learning more um in private ways where we can learn before they become public. Um, but also I think we play an educational too, where where we're we are constantly teaching, informing, being a resource to both sides of leadership, again, both in government or business or civil society. And we are constantly also informing the general public, right, about these relationships and and and what is important. And so I think being a democracy, for example, one of the important aspects of uh a healthy democracy is having an informed constituent, right? Informed voters and informed uh citizens who are also playing an important role in establishing uh relationships between uh two countries. And so so civil society, we play this whole deepening that relationship and all the informal long-term building and learning between two communities. And so for us, uh being here in in the New York City area, that's our immediate audience that we continue to inform. And as you know, there's a lot of business activities with all the civil society activities here, and it's a global city where there's a lot of exchange and interchange going on here, and we are able to play an important role, role there. We play a role in in Washington, D.C. as well, and across the country. And so we're taking the message of the importance of this relationship from coast to coast, from Atlanta to LA to Seattle and and and Chicago and so forth. And so so we're able to have a farther reach. We can reach farther down into areas that areas of education and culture and arts and so forth, where oftentimes governments just don't have the resources or the reach, or just they're focused so much on the top-level formal aspects of the relationship that they just don't have the resources. And that's where we play a role and complement, as you say, uh, in this uh effort to strengthen the relationship over time.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

That's great. Thank you for that. We're gonna get into your vision and you know what you're planning in terms of really kind of getting into these more local communities across the US and and bringing Korea there and enhancing the relationship there as well. But I first want to talk about you because you are the first Korean American president in the Korea Society's nearly 70-year history, and that's a remarkable accomplishment. And congratulations on that. Thank you. What does it mean to you personally? And what do you hope it signals for the broader Korean American community here in the U.S.?

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Well, first of all, it's a great honor to be the first Korean American, ethnic Korean in this role during the 70-year history of the Korean society. I think quite frankly, a lot of people in the uh in the community were surprised that to hear that I was I am the first Korean American. Uh, but I I think I think what this uh signifies is a certain level of um maturity within the Korean American community. I'm I'm a I'm a second generation Korean American, meaning I was born here in the United States and was educated here and and so forth. And and I think more and more Korean Americans in my generation are uh taking on leadership roles, whether it's in civil society like this, or in business or government or or education or any number of fields. And and I think it's important that Korean Americans do take leadership, not just, you know, of course, in mainstream areas, but also in areas of US-Korea relations. And uh and I have been in foreign policy for most of my career, and really coming to Korea Society is um uh really an apex opportunity where it's being a public face for uh the US-Korea relation and being Korean American. And I think being Korean American, uh obviously uh my my parents are from Korea and they immigrated here, and so there is a I guess a heartfelt um pride as well as uh you know happiness, I guess, in terms of being able to serve in this kind of role. But also I think more and more Korean Americans um need to be in this space of U.S. Korea because we are a bridge, we are bicultural, and we have an understanding on both sides of this relationship because we have been exposed to both cultures, both heritages, and uh both societies. And so being able to communicate effectively, but also being able to create understanding between these two communities, that sometimes you know they there are misunderstandings, and we are able to help facilitate those relationships, but also create greater understanding. So uh so I think I think that's you know, it's all that's all very significant and and also but one thing I I do mention, even though I am the first Korean American in this role of the Korean society, the U.S. Korean relationship is far larger and far broader than just Korean American community. We are uh Korean American community is an important part and should take a leadership role, but you don't necessarily have to be ethnic Korean to be involved in the U.S. Korean relationship. It is something far broader, and I think more and more people from all walks of life uh should be involved and and actively engage and also um really enjoy the you know the the the richness of this relationship.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

So thank you for that. And you know, you've got such an impressive background. Uh Columbia University, Harvard, you were at the Eurasia Group, uh, the Korean Economic Institute of America, the Mansfield Center, the Council of Korean Americans. It's it's huge what you've done. And now you're leading the Korea Society at this moment. Um what has that journey professionally taught you about the relationship between identity, purpose, and leadership?

SPEAKER_01 17:58

It's it's well, first of all, I I've never planned my life this way. So it just happened. I think I think looking back post hoc is often looking back, it's often 2020 visions. Like of course I had figured it out this way. But in fact, I think I think the most important part for me uh was that you know, there life is not linear and you can never plan for it, but always be open for opportunities and be open to um uh things that, you know, doors that are opening to you. And so uh I think for me, that's really the story of my life, is just jumping into these opportunities that were presented. And I and and for me, I guess there's a common theme here where I was involved with a lot of leadership development work and constantly looking to how to help leaders, how to support leaders, how to make help leaders become more effective in in what they do, both from a professional standpoint, but also from a personal standpoint, and also later in life, really understand the importance of mental health of leaders as well. And so a lot of the work that uh I eventually became a part of has been uh helping these leaders, whether it's in government, lead government or business and civil society, and uh and also uh investing in in in part of that is really investing in people, the importance of people and leaders, leaders are people too. And and through that uh engagement, through investing in others, through mentoring, being mentored as well myself and supporting those above as well as those are that are coming behind the pipeline of leaders, it just opened up opportunities for me to continue in that work. And so the all the uh organizations that I've been involved in in my roles in the past have had this flavor of leadership development and of others and also investing in others. And and those opened up opportunities and doors for me to continue that work in other fields, and now here at the Korea Society, helping not only a general audience, again, understanding about the US Korea relations, Korea, uh, and so forth, but also investing in the next generation of leaders who will be shaping the US career alliance and relationship. And so that's what I'm really excited about, and uh, that's what I continue uh to thrive and really enjoy doing, but hope it hope to contribute in that space uh moving forward as well.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

So thank you for sharing that because I think it's so important when people get to know a nonprofit that they understand who the leader is and how they got to where they are and what they believe in, because they're not only going to get behind what the nonprofit is doing, but they should really get behind the leader too. And so thank you for sharing your journey and what's important to you in building the next generation of leaders. So why don't we talk about that a little bit? Um can you talk to us about your vision? You're you're there now for a few months, you've got this vision, you're at this really sort of pivotal moment in US-Korea relations and sort of the cultural explosion that's happening there. How do you see taking forward the Korea Society in this moment?

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Well, I I think I think where I see the Korea Society's future is actually in the space of leadership development and building a community around the US-Korea Alliance and the relationship in all of its aspects, not just the public policy, diplomatic space with the business, but also in arts and culture, in in education, in all these different areas. And because Korea Society is so multi dimensional and interdisciplinary in its approach, we are able to do that in bringing all these different communities together. And so my my vision is as actually as I mentioned uh in a in prior part. Of our interview is that the US Korea Alliance is changing and it's changing in dramatic ways. Where, like we shared before, just even I would say, you know, 10, 15 years ago, uh, when you ask people about Korea, there was very, very not a lot of knowledge behind what Koreo, where Korea is or what it's about, and so forth. But that's changed dramatically, as we already talked about, things like K-pop and K-drama to food, to Samsung LG technologies in our homes, in our pockets, with our phones, to uh to semiconductors and AI in the future and and and so forth. So, really, Korea has become so many different parts of aspects of our of our daily lives as well as the future of this country and the globe. And so this whole idea of educating and creating awareness around US, Korea or even Korea is actually in many parts of the world, is um is already pretty saturated. And and in fact, there's a lot of other organizations jumping into the Korea space, whether it's education or arts and culture or policy and so forth. Uh in DC, there's so many think tanks now that are covering Korea and the security situation or business economics, you know, a lot of trade and a lot of investments coming in from Korea. So the question is, is for an organization like the Korea Society that's been around for 70 years, which has been covering all these different areas, you know, what what what do we do in a an increasingly crowded space? And what is our unique value proposition as business, as business consultants would ask you, right? What is your unique value proposition? And I think for us, uh, because of our long history, uh, because of our access to top leaders, and because of our understanding across multiple disciplines, I think our next phase of this, as I mentioned before, is really about community building and how do we develop leaders around this? Because I think a lot of the work we've been doing is just pushing out information, but not this engagement with the community, working with the community as well as developing uh learning together with the community. And so, and and the alliance, as we've mentioned before, matures, changes over time. And so we need continues to have leaders in this space. And so the Career Society, I think, has a new, I wouldn't say a new role, but uh a kind of a new purpose aside from just public education, is how do we develop leaders? How do we become that bridge of creating edge, deepening that education, but also deepening relationships and understanding? As you, as you know, and as everyone knows just reading for newspaper headlines, uh, our whole globe is going through a transition right now, especially our foreign policy relationships as the United States with other countries. And and and through that process, uh, there continuously needs to be uh communication and understanding. And so what we're doing on that front is uh one is uh creating more private conversations where leaders can have uh honest conversations about how we can work through problems and issues together and challenges, but also how do we work together to take advantage of new opportunities, such as, you know, the you know, we're going through this technological revolution right now with with uh artificial intelligence and blockchains and you know many different areas. And these are areas that US Korea leaders can work together and and both countries are on the cutting edge. And how can we work together to continue to uh develop these spaces and create mutual benefits to both countries and also trade? And we're also important partners in developing uh these areas. So we as Korea societies, how do we create the platform so these top leadership conversations can be can happen? The other interesting development that's been happening as well is as some of your listeners might know, uh Korea committed $350 billion of investment into the United States, uh to various industries from shipbuilding to semiconductors to energy development and so forth. And a lot of these investments from Korea are going into areas of the United States that historically have not had a lot of experience with, for example, in places like southeast parts of the United States, such as you know, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and so forth, as well as places like Texas and Indiana and so forth, not the traditional places where you do find a lot of Korean, like LA or New York or so forth. And so uh with these increasing presence of Korean companies and Korean leaders and Korean American communities growing in in these areas like the Southeast and Texas and so forth, there needs to be uh some uh bridge building and also educating of the community, but also educating of Korean leaders and communities that are going to these spaces. Because quite frankly, I mean, America is not a monolithic country either, right? There are Southern cultures and Texan cultures and Massachusetts culture and New York culture and so forth. And so if if if uh Koreans uh working together with Americans in these spaces and investing a lot of resources and building companies and building communities together, uh there needs to be understanding. And so we are moving into these spaces as well, the Korea Society, in terms of how do we better inform local communities about Korea, how do we invest in schools and teach them about U.S. Korea provide resources in these spaces, do talks, but also how to inform uh local leaders and business leaders that need to now engage with with Korean companies. Um and also, you know, there are differences in corporate cultures as well. And as in Korea, you know, there's a there's an expression called Pali Pali, which is fast, fast, and Koreans like to do things so fast. And sometimes it's a little bit can come across a little bit abrasive uh as well, I think, in some communities. But at the same time, how do we help uh Korean managers and executives and and engineers and and and and workers who are going into these places to understand about the local culture and and and the people there? And and in fact, uh, you know, Korean culture and and many of these community cultures in the South, uh, for example, have many similarities in terms of valuing uh community, valuing family, valuing uh valuing barbecue uh as uh an important part, I think are all uh an important role that the Korean society can play as these economic areas are developing, as political relationships are growing, and and we can uh add tremendous value in these spaces. So that's those are some of the areas that we are exploring in addition to our traditional work of educating the general public about the arts and culture and whatever the latest current events are, but also just being more targeted and and and focused on these areas where Korea is appearing, perhaps for the first time in the United States as an economic force, but also people are are moving there and and now living side by side with Americans in these spaces.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

This is so exciting. You know, when you think about how the Korea Society started, as you talked about at the beginning of the conversation, and creating ties at sort of the highest level, country to country, to now kind of moving into more kind of local spaces to build those, that understanding and those ties. So you're talking about leadership to leadership understanding, but then people-to-people understanding, as you were saying, which I think is so important, especially as you said, these companies are in many, in many cases going into these communities, maybe for the first time. And there's so much more to the relationship and to Korea beyond just K-pop and K-dramas. And that's a window into it. But how do you go a step further and create sort of the environment and the understanding so that those relationships can really thrive? And at the same time, to your point around next-gen leadership for the for the people in those communities who are going to work for those companies, for those Korean companies that are being invested in these local communities, how to prepare them to enter and work alongside Koreans who are coming into these, into these communities. I think it's it's a smart move and you know, exciting, really exciting. So I'm really excited to see how this all unfolds. So, what I want to ask you next is you've talked a lot about what's happening between the US and South Korea, right? And and what you're doing in terms of your programming and your vision. Can you talk a little bit about North Korea and your thoughts on that and and how the Korea Society plays a role, if at all, in that space?

SPEAKER_01 31:00

North Korea obviously is, has been and continues to be a challenge on the national security front for US Korea Alliance as well as the region. We have 28,500 American men and women in the military and uniform still based in in Korea. And and they've been there to help continue to ensure the security of the peninsula as well as uh be be a part of the important security alliance and commitment uh to the region as well. And so Korea, North Korea uh developing its nuclear weapons as well as its conventional threat to the region uh is very much alive today as it has been over the last 70 plus years. So, but nevertheless, that does not mean that we should not continue to learn about what's going on in North Korea as well as helping to work with, again, civil society, international civil society, as well as inform the general public about and also encourage policy conversations about how to uh de-escalate uh the tensions on the Korean Peninsula. And so the Korean Society plays an important role in that and facilitating some of these conversations, whether it's at the official level or unofficial level among academics or business leaders or even just common citizens who are concerned about not only the national security threats, but there are uh human rights concerns, there are economic development concerns, there are all any any number of uh issues. I think uh, you know, part of my career, um I was uh part of an organization called the Eurasia Group, which is a political risk firm, as well as I've been working in the think tank world. And and so one of the things that we've always said about North Korea is that it has the blessing of geography, we always say. What that means is that because it's in a such a sensitive area of the world where you have literally uh the with the US forces in Korea, you have you know, you have LinkedIn the the largest, the most powerful country in the world connected, you are engaging the second largest economy of China, you have Japan, you have South Korea, and it's growing. And North Korea is like, and then you have Russia as well, just to the north. So you have all the major powers uh globally, and you sit right in the middle of that neighborhood, right? And so, and having all of those countries engaged and concerned about the condition within your country as well as the the security threat that North Korea uh presents, you have the world constantly tied in. And so, and and I think and understanding how that does leave the global environment, the global geopolitical situation very vulnerable to what's going on to North Korea. And I think uh educating uh all the various citizens in the region as well as the United States about why this issue is important, why we need to continue to invest our time and attention is an important part of what we do because it is a part of what is foundational to the U.S. Korea Security Alliance as well as uh the future of all these countries in in that region. And so our role has been, again, educating, facilitating conversations, as I mentioned before, training leaders who are can bring new ideas and helping to de-escalate the situation there. Uh, but also how can we also uh find out new ways to help North Korean people who are ultimately are the ones that are suffering uh under a very authoritarian, totalitarian system. And uh and and and and so our role has been just constantly to just to educate, to facilitate, and also to develop leaders. So that's that's that's been our role over the last 70 years, and we continue to play that role uh into the future.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

Thank you for sharing that. I think not a lot of people realize that we do have troops there, and we've had troops there since the end of the Korean War. Um and it's uh significant partnership on that front, right? The alliance. And so thanks for sharing that and pointing that out. And also talking a little bit about how you as an organization are continuing to stay true to your mission and facilitate the flow of information around, you know, just educating the broader public and facilitating a deeper understanding of um what's happening in the region as it relates to North Korea and de-escalating in some cases, right, through track two dialogue, things of that nature. So, you know, having worked in North Korea, having worked there uh through USAID as a Food for Peace officer and having been there, you know, and and spent significant time in the region, it's it's so important to continue to share and to continue to just keep information flowing as much as we can because it is and continues to be such a delicate situation. So thank you for for sharing how the the Korea society plays a role in that. So, what gives you hope in this moment? You did talk about sort of the state of the world and you know, at the same time, there's a lot of exciting things happening in South Korea, and you're in this role. And what gives you you hope?

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Well, I mean, I I think first of all, uh, what gives me hope is actually because I do get to work with a lot of young people, I think uh, and uh the energy and excitement and the new thinking they bring to the table uh as as I'm working in the kind of the leadership development and the mentorship space, uh especially looking into you know who will be carrying the baton, right, so to speak, uh in the next generation of this work. I think I think that's very exciting. I think also uh what is hopeful as well is that there is a lot of change occurring, right? And and and there is change in not only the technology front, but also changes going on in Korea and in the United States. And and you know, some of it's very positive, encouraging, some of it's you know, not so good at times. I but I think the opportunity for for to move forward and everything that we assumed in the past is actually being up for question simply because of you know things like uh, you know, I guess I I'm still learning about artificial intelligence, but you know, what what does that bring? How that's going to change our society. I think it is creating a lot of nervousness, but also when change and these things happen, there's there could be opportunities, right? New opportunities that have not been presented to ourselves uh in the past, or or even just the boom and the cultural transformation uh that's occurring in in Korea, for example, as well, and and and how that's reaching the far reaches of the globe as well, and what kinds of effects that might have, both positive and I guess there are challenging aspects, but and so so the world is constant is is constantly turning and changing. And so I I'm hopeful. I'm I'm I'm an optimist, but I guess uh I'm inherently optimistic, but uh but also so I I think those are things that keep me hopeful for the future and and and seeing the energy in our young people as well. So so those are those are those are some things that that are are keeping me keeping me hopeful. And and also that there's new thinking and there's new new ways of trying to solve problems are constantly uh in the mix, right? In the discourse that we're all engaged in here. So I'm looking looking ahead.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

That's great. So next gen, I keep hearing next gen and leadership, and that's certainly it's definitely a part of your vision, and and I I'm really excited to see how that manifests. Um I have been to your new office uh and the expanded space and the art gallery and just the the feel of the whole place is uh so inviting and so open, and just the the energy there is um is palpable. So I'm I'm really excited for you as you take on this this new chapter at TKS. And I'll say one last thing. The Korean classes that you're offering, when I was at the Korea Society uh and I I took a couple of classes here and there, um, they were not K-pop, K-drama inspired. So um for people who are really looking to learn Korean today and and travel there, and um I think it's a really fun way to package a class. So I think that's that's exciting. I can I can see how you're you're really kind of building in that next gen lens into all aspects of your programming. So congratulations on that. So one last question, we're coming to the end, and that is if people feel inspired to support the Korea Society through the do good on purpose giving circle, what would their donations support?

SPEAKER_01 40:14

Yeah, I well, first of all, thank you. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to your donors. Um I think, I think uh as we've talked about throughout this interview, I think it is about the next generation. How do we invest in young leaders and emerging leaders who will become uh the influencers, the change makers, the people who will be bringing new and creative ideas into areas of uh whether it's diplomacy or civil society engagement or or business and economics. And so we're spending quite a bit of resources and time in and investing in in uh college students and high school students and young professionals and and providing uh these opportunities for them. And and also uh so a lot of the work and a lot of the investments that are going in uh that we are spending and also from our community is in these spaces of education. And beyond just the New York City area now, where as I mentioned before, we are going into areas that have not traditionally had deep history with Korea. So, how do we take Korean uh culture and education and learnings to places like Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, and so forth? And I think these kinds of what we call public diplomacy or engagement at the local level are absolutely important, uh not only because it it's good for just promoting kind of learnings and and understanding, but also we want to help Americans become global citizens as well, right? And and and the world is impacting all areas of the country. And and uh things like a Korean investment and culture are coming into these areas and to understand that and to create bridges and and also how do we invite these communities to Korea as well. And and actually some of the programs that we do are exchange programs. We bring Americans to Korea as well as a part of our general programming. And so so I think uh contributions from our your community would go toward that, toward how do we expand that understanding, expand those educational opportunities, expand the minds of our our young people, our young leaders who will also be shaping our our our national relationships. And so so that's what we hope that uh your your listeners would be not only excited about, but inspired by and also uh would love to invest in as well. So Dr.

SPEAKER_00 42:46

Abraham Kim, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm so excited for your appointment at the Korea Society and this vision that you've outlined and everything that you're looking to do with the next generation at leaders and positioning them to really take on the reins to advance US-Korea relations and understanding at the highest levels and locally as well across the United States. So thank you so much for being with me.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 43:19

Thanks so much for listening to today's episode on the Do Good on Purpose podcast. And if today's conversation inspired you, please consider supporting the work through the Do Good on Purpose Giving Circle, which is linked in the show notes. And if you really enjoyed this episode, please subscribe. Share it with someone who believes in building a better world because change rarely happens by accident. It happens when people decide to do good on purpose.