Category: Archived Events

November 7-9: Korean Culture Week at the Kennedy Center

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The Second Annual Korean Culture Week at the Kennedy Center

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. is proud to present the Second Annual Korean Culture Week at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, November 7-9, 2017. This three-day event will take American audiences on a journey spanning ancient Korean folk culture to the dynamic contemporary arts of today, through a diversity of richly textured live performances.
Tuesday – Wednesday, November 7 – 8 at 6:00 p.m. daily 
Millennium Stage at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566
FREE ADMISSION
Thursday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Terrace Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Ticket Purchase HERE
Information
Korean Cultural Center: 202-797-6343
Kennedy Center: www.kennedy-center.org or 202-467-4600
Tuesday, November 7 at 6:00 p.m.
Balance & Imbalance and Bow Control by the Bereishit Dance Company
Contemporary Dance Performance
The acclaimed Seoul-based Bereishit Dance Company approaches Korean traditional culture from a contemporary view: keeping the fundamental value of things, as opposed to simply borrowing or transforming them. Balance and Imbalance juxtaposes the dancers alongside drummers and singers of the traditional Korean vocal storytelling genre pansori, while sport meets dance in the rigorous male duet Bow Control, inspired by the Korean tradition of archery.
The company is known to display an amazing sensitivity towards space and rhythm, offering performances delivered with kinesthetic clarity and power. Bereishit Dance Company has extensively toured internationally including shows at at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Dance Salad Festival in Houston.
Wednesday, November 8 at 6:00 p.m.
World Music Ensemble E-do
Traditional and Modern Korean Music Performance
World Music Ensemble E-Do is an ensemble of six talented musicians who combine traditional and contemporary rhythms with consummate ease. The group’s name comes from the first name of King Sejong the Great, a towering figure during Korea’s ancient Joseon Dynasty. The philosophical background for E-Do’s music is to create music for the modern era that can be enjoyed by all and to share it freely in Korea and beyond.
E-Do presents audiences with the traditions of Korean traditional music, known as gugak, as well as modern Korean music, along with an engaging mix of traditional and modern instruments, highlighting the beauty and balance of traditional Korean music. The group’s works include original songs based on traditional music as well as fresh interpretations of traditional repertoires.
Thursday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Modern Ballet Work By the Kim Yong-geol Dance Theater
Contemporary Ballet Performance
In the modern ballet Work, the celebrated Kim Yong-geol Dance Theater turns traditional ballet on its head by deconstructing its fundamentals and recreating the art form as a thoroughly modern physical, visual, and auditory experience for today’s audiences. As iconic ballet practice bars are dragged into the rafters, clanging with sound, dancers practice and perform to live music and dramatic lighting that reveal the core emotion of ballet’s physical language. As is often the case in modern Korean arts, this performance also offers a two-way interaction. Live music is performed to the sensitive movements of dancers, with both artists feeling the piece together and exuding a natural synergy. Details HERE.

October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2017: Community Art Workshop with Artist Ik Joong Kang

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The Korean Heritage Foundation is hosting a free, four-part Community Art Workshop, as part of Artist Ik Joong Kang’s “They Are the Future” public art project. The purpose behind each workshop is to provide participants with knowledge about community art and to motivate them to contribute to community cultural activities.

Mr. Ik Joong Kang is internationally recognized for creating major public artworks using multiple 3″ x 3″ canvases to bring attention to the plight of people and struggling societies around the world. He will personally be leading the 2nd workshop on October 14.

 

RSVP

 

1. Discovering a Self-Identity: “I, No One Knows”

Saturday, October 7 @3:30-4:30 pm

Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton, VA

 

2. “The Story of My Mother”

Saturday, October 14 @4:00-5:30 pm

Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton, VA

 

3. Discussion about the DC Metro Area: “How Did I Get Here?”

Saturday, October 21 @11:00-12:30 pm

Westover Branch Library Meeting Room, 1644 N McKinley Road #3, Arlington, VA 22205

 

4. Creating a Cultural Identity: “They Are the Future” – Who Are “They?”

Saturday, October 28 @2:00-3:30 pm

Westover Branch Library Meeting Room, 1644 N McKinley Road #3, Arlington, VA 22205

November 6: How Do You Solve a Problem Like North Korea?

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November 6, 2017
9:00AM to 12:00PM EST
Hayek Auditorium, Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20001-5403
Confirmed speakers include Bill Richardson, former Governor of New Mexico and North Korea negotiator; Joe Cirincione, President of the Ploughshares Fund; Suzanne DiMaggio, Senior Fellow at New America and Director of a U.S.–North Korea dialogue; Eric Gomez, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute; Joshua Pollack, Editor of The Nonproliferation Review and Senior Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies; Michael Auslin, Williams-Griffis Fellow in Contemporary Asia, Hoover Institution; Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; John Glaser, Director of Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute; Ted Galen Carpenter, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; and Rajan Menon, the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Chair in Political Science, City College of New York.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and its high rate of ballistic missile testing have propelled the “hermit kingdom” to the top of America’s foreign policy priorities. Denuclearization of North Korea has been a U.S. foreign policy goal for years. To achieve this goal, the Trump administration has opted for a pressure campaign that relies heavily on economic sanctions and displays of military might to force Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons program. This pressure has not produced any noticeable change in Kim’s calculus or behavior. Moreover, two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in July give North Korea the capability to hold U.S. cities at risk with nuclear weapons.

What are the implications of North Korea’s recent gains in nuclear and missile capabilities for the future of U.S. strategy toward North Korea? What is the state of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies? What are the prospects of diplomatic negotiations with Pyongyang? Should the United States pursue a different strategy toward North Korea in light of Pyongyang’s improving nuclear capabilities, perhaps including revising its alliance with South Korea? The Cato Institute will host two panels and a keynote address by former governor Bill Richardson to examine these critical questions.

Further details on additional speakers and panel topics will be available in the near future.

If you can’t make it to the event, you can watch it live online at www.cato.org/live and join the conversation on Twitter using #CatoFP. Follow @CatoEvents on Twitter to get future event updates, live streams, and videos from the Cato Institute.

September 22: GWIKS Summer Study Abroad Panel

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The 2017 GWIKS Summer Study Abroad Panel began with an information session delivered by program instructor Prof. Jisoo Kim who gave a brief overview of the program’s aims and goals. The theme of this year’s summer program was “Exploring the Two Koreas”. Students visited various sites in South Korea to explore and use Korea as a lens to explore topics such as identity, division, reunification, and economic difference. Students were able to trace transnational processes of modernization, imperialism, colonization, and neoliberalism as they relate to Korean identity and culture. Prof. Miok Park, also a program instructor, attended the event to greet the audience and welcome back program participants, some of whom were inspired to join the program after taking one of her courses. Exchange students from South Korea were also invited to mingle with GW students interested in Korean studies.

Participants of the two-week program returned to present their research based on their experience in South Korea. The panel consisted of three exceptional students: Stephanie Sanders; Eric Rowe; and Noel Elizabeth Jiyu Xie. Stephanie’s presentation “Education and power in the Koreas” focused on how education was used in the two Koreas. Using social transformation theory and social reproduction theory as a theoretical framework, Stephanie compared the impact of education in both South Korea and North Korea. Stephanie noted that while education has greatly empowered the lives of South Koreans, it can also be used as a tool of political propaganda as was the case during the Chun Doo-hwan regime and in the everyday life of North Koreans. Eric’s presentation “Resilience: The Story of Korea” focused on the various sites he had visited, many of which he associated with the resilience of Koreans. Places such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, the War Memorial of Korea, DMZ, and the Constitution Court of Korea represent Korea’s history of resilience and perseverance, of difficult times and the strength to rebound. Finally, Noel’s presentation “The Culturalization of Politics and Power” took a critical theory approach in order to examine issues regarding human rights, gender gap, and liberal communism in relation to large conglomerate companies such as LG and Samsung. In addition, Noel points various social practices and phenomena to demonstrate how soft power currencies operate in South Korea.

 

At the end of their presentations, each panelist shared how the Study Abroad Program had strengthened their interest in Korean studies and how they would incorporate their experience into their future studies and careers. Afterwards, Prof. Jisoo Kim presented an award for best research paper to Eric Rowe for his paper “The Relevance of Sports in North Korean Politics”. The event concluded with a reception where all attendees were able to engage in conversation about their mutual interest in Korean studies.

The GWIKS Summer Study Abroad Program is open to all current graduate and undergraduate students at the George Washington University who are interested in pursuing Korean studies. For more information, please visit https://gwiks.elliott.gwu.edu/summer-study-abroad-program/.

 

Written by  Soo-Jin Kweon

book cover with American flag styled into an Asian dragon; text: Winning the Third World by Gregg Brazinsky

October 31, 2017: Winning the Third World Book Launch

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Winning the Third World:
Sino-American Rivalry during the Cold War

with Professor Gregg Brazinsky

Part of the Elliott School Book Launch Series

Tuesday, October 31, 2017
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM
The Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E Street, NW, Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
Washington, DC 20052

Copies of Professor Brazinsky’s book will be available for purchase at the event.

Winning the Third World examines afresh the intense and enduring rivalry between the United States and China during the Cold War. Gregg A. Brazinsky shows how both nations fought vigorously to establish their influence in newly independent African and Asian countries. By playing a leadership role in Asia and Africa, China hoped to regain its status in world affairs, but Americans feared that China’s history as a nonwhite, anticolonial nation would make it an even more dangerous threat in the postcolonial world than the Soviet Union. Drawing on a broad array of new archival materials from China and the United States, Brazinsky demonstrates that disrupting China’s efforts to elevate its stature became an important motive behind Washington’s use of both hard and soft power in the “Global South.”

Gregg Brazinsky is deputy director of GW Institute for Korean Studies and associate professor of history and international affairs at the George Washington University. He specializes on U.S.-Asian relations. He is also the author of Nation Building in South Korea: Koreans, Americans, and the Making of a Democracy.

Link to Sigur Center for Asian Studies page.

or RSVP here.

October 6: United States – Korea Free Trade Agreement: A Policy Forum

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Friday, October 6, 2017 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (EDT)

Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2044
45 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20515

United States – Korea Free Trade Agreement:
A Policy Forum
South Korea — the world’s 12th largest economy — is an economic powerhouse 20 percent the size of California. Its economy ranks just below that of Russia, but it is smaller in size than Japan. Revitalized after the war, South Korea has become increasingly democratic and is a major pillar of U.S. defense strategy in the far east.

The United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) secured the framework of U.S.-Korea trade and investment.  For the U.S. services sector, KORUS is the “gold standard” among U.S. trade agreements, and as such it may serve as the basis for future agreements.  Nonetheless, there are others who hold that KORUS disadvantages the United States and who do not support its renegotiation.

This policy forum, organized by J. Robert Vastine, Senior Industry Fellow, Center for Business and Public Policy, will explore the pros and cons of KORUS.

Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute will offer introductory framing remarks, followed by a panel discussion moderated by J. Bradford Jensen, Senior Policy Scholar, Center for Business and Public Policy, and McCrane/Shaker Chair in International Business, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Panelists include:

  • Wendy Cutler, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute
  • David J. Salmonsen, Senior Director of Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation
  • Brad Smith, Chief International Officer, American Council of Life Insurers
Additional panelists to follow.

 Lunch will be provided.

Register here.

_________________________________________________

This seminar is part of the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy’s Georgetown on the Hill series at which we convene policymakers, academics, and industry experts to discuss important economic policy issues of the day.

October 5: A Revolutionary State: North Korea’s Support of Non-State Actors

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Thursday, October 5, 2017

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

KEI Conference Facility

1800 K St NW | Suite 300

 

A Revolutionary State: North Korea’s

Support of Non-State Actors

During the Cold War, North Korea fomented revolutionary fervor by training and providing military equipment to communist guerillas and anti-colonial liberation movements. After the collapse of the Communist Bloc, North Korea turned its attention to assisting Islamist militants, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. This commitment to assisting non-state actors opened spaces for the Kim family regime to sell weapons, earn hard currency, and undermine the United States. However, Kim Jong-un has largely shifted away from Pyongyang’s traditional support for non-state actors, suggesting his policymaking decisions are guided by principles different from those of his father and grandfather.

KEI invites you to join us for a discussion on the history of North Korea’s relations with non-state actors, how Kim Jong-un’s approach diverges from past practices, and what this means for addressing proliferation concerns.

Featuring:

Benjamin Young

PhD candidate in East Asian history

The George Washington University

Moderated by:

Kyle Ferrier

Director of Academic Affairs and Research

Korea Economic Institute of America

 

To RSVP for this event, please click here

America’s Real Strategic Interest in East Asia: Where Does North Korea Fit?

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America’s Real Strategic Interest in East Asia:
Where Does North Korea Fit?

Presented by

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim

Chairman,Good Friends and The Peace Foundation

Lost in the midst of the recent series of missile and nuclear tests and belligerent rhetoric from all sides is the fundamental question of where North Korea fits into America’s long-term, overarching strategic interest in East Asia.

Based on his extensive experience in human rights and humanitarian aid work in North Korea, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim proposes a fresh, alternate interpretation of the North Korean “threat” that may lead to a solution that addresses the strategic equities of key players while ensuring peace and security of those living in the Korean Peninsula.

September 25, 2017 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Rayburn House Office Building Room #2226 

45 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20515

About the Speaker

The Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, a respected Buddhist monk and activist, began humanitarian assistance to North Korea immediately after the 1995 flood when the famine situation arose. He has published reports on the ‘North Korean Food Crisis,’ ‘North Korean Refugees Situation’ and ‘Comprehensive Reports on the Human Rights Issues in North Korea.’ He is the chairman of The Peace Foundation in Seoul, which supports policy research and analysis aimed at Korean unification and humanitarian issues in North Korea. He concurrently serves as the chairman of Good Friends for Peace, Human Rights, and Refugee Issues. Venerable Pomnyun is also chairman of the Join Together Society, an international relief agency with offices worldwide, including in North Korea. He has worked extensively to supply humanitarian aid to famine victims in North Korea and defend the human rights of North Korean refugees in China. He is also a Zen master with the Seoul-based JungTo Society, which he originally established in 1988 to facilitate self-improvement through volunteerism.

For questions, contact Ji Kim (goodfriendsusa.jihyun@gmail.com).

 

Korean Cultural Center – 5th Showcase of 2017 Season OnStage Korea

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Hyunju Lee Dance Company

in collaboration with Laban Movers,
Media Artist MOON, and Textile Artist Kumjoo Ahn

The Global Arts Project

– Dynamic Korean Dance: Traditional to Cosmopolitan

*Opening Showcase by Korean Traditional Arts Foundation(KTAF)

Friday, September 22 at 8:00p.m.

Venue: The Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre at GWU

 800 21st St. NW Washington, DC 20052

Tickets: Free with RSVP Here!

[Contact]

E-mail: infodesk@koreaembassy.org

Phone: 202-797-6343

 

For more information, click here.

Also check out their FB page.

September 22, 2017: Summer Study Abroad Program Panel

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GWIKS Summer Study Abroad Program Panel

Join the GW Institute for Korean Studies for an informational session about the GWIKS Summer Study Abroad Program, and hear from the previous year’s participants as they present about their experiences, followed by the chance to mingle and get to know some exchange students from South Korea.

September 22, Friday
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Light refreshments will be provided after the panel.
The Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E st. NW, Room 505
Washington DC, 20052
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