Thomas J. Byrne joined The Korea Society as President in August 2015. Since June 2023, he had also taken the role of “Honorary Ambassador,” appointed by the minister of MOTIE under the auspices of KOTRA/Invest Korea, to help promote trade and investment ties between Korea and the U.S. Byrne comes to the Society from Moody’s Investor Services, where he was Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, spokesperson, and Director of Analysis for the Sovereign Risk Group in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, based in Singapore. Prior to that, he was the Senior Economist of the Asia Department at the Institute of International Finance in Washington D.C. from 1984 to 1996. Byrne has an MA in International Relations with a concentration in international economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced international Studies and a BS in Biology from State University of New York at Stony Brook. Before his graduate work, he served in South Korea for three years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Byrne teaches as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in New York City and at Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. As president, he has written opinion articles published in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg View, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, The National Interest, and Reuters Breakingviews.

Jiyoung Suh is the Vice President at The Korea Society, where she leads fundraising activities, corporate programs, special events, and external affairs. With over a decade of service to the Society, Jiyoung has held various roles, including Senior Director of Development, Director of Special Events, and Development Officer. Her extensive experience encompasses all aspects of development and event management.

Before joining The Korea Society, Jiyoung served as a Manager at The Beautiful Foundation NY (aka NY Nanum Foundation). She earned her Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Diplomacy from Ewha Womans University.

Before joining the Korea Society, Jay Oh has worked in publishing and non-profit art organizations in Greensboro, N.C., Minneapolis, and New York. She holds a B.A. in art history from Smith College and an M. A. in art history from Williams College.

Linda Tobash is the Korea Society Senior Advisor for Education. Prior to joining the Society, she was senior director of policy, knowledge and data at World Education Services and was director of university placement services at the Institute of International Education, overseeing US graduate placements for sponsored international students including Korean Fulbrighters. She also served as director of admission and director of continuing education programs at LaGuardia Community College, CUNY and has been an adjunct lecturer at the New School for Social Research, New York University, Columbia University, and CUNY. She holds an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before her graduate work, she served in South Korea as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Linda has been active in numerous professional associations. She is a founding member and served as Vice President of Professional Development for The Association of International Credential Evaluation Professionals. She has served in many NAFSA: Association of International Educators leadership positions as well as on the Board of TESOL (Teachers of English to speakers of other languages). She is currently a Friends of Korea Board member.

Seho Kim, as the Senior Creative Director of The Korea Society, assumes a multifaceted role that overseeing the organization's visual identity, ensuring the impeccable quality of creative projects, and leading efforts in communication and interactive design. His diverse responsibilities extend to managing the Society's web, print, and mobile/PC strategies, conducting screening processes, and serving as a distinguished representative for matters related to media and communications. Before his tenure at The Korea Society, Mr. Kim had a prolific career, contributing to projects such as Freelance artist for UNICEF, W Hotels the Store, gallery exhibitions and illustrating the extensive multi-paneled children's book, "Go for Kids." In 2002-2003, he shared his expertise as a part-time faculty member at Parsons School of Design/New School University. His academic journey saw him earn a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Parsons School of Design/New School University, where he stood as the esteemed student commencement speaker in 2003. Throughout his illustrious career, Seho Kim has garnered numerous accolades for his excellence in communications design, including the 2018 and 2020-2023 ARC Awards, the 2007, 2008, and 2017-2022 Vision Awards, the 2006 Inspire Award, the 2006 Spotlight Award, the 2006 American Design Award, and the 2006 and 2005 Magellan Award, all of which underscore his exceptional contributions to the field of communications design.

Chelsie Alexandre is the Policy Program Officer at The Korea Society. She works with the Director of Policy to develop and implement events that address issues shaping the dynamics of U.S.-ROK relations, the Korean peninsula, and Northeast Asia. Before joining The Korea Society, Chelsie received a Fulbright Research award to conduct research in South Korea on the role of middle power countries in the Korean peace process with Korea University’s Peace and Democracy Institute. During her time in Seoul, she also briefly reported on domestic Korean affairs for The Diplomat.

Prior to her current role, Chelsie was a Partnerships Coordinator at the New York City-based nonprofit, The Concordia Summit, and she worked as a Legal Analyst at the global law firm Kobre & Kim. Chelsie also had previous experience as a research Intern at The Korea Society. She graduated with a B.A. in Politics from Princeton University, with minors in East Asian Studies and Diplomacy.

Prior to returning to The Korea Society as Consultant, Kloe Jungmin Byun was Special Events Coordinator at the Society. She managed corporate memberships and special events taking a hands-on approach to building stakeholder relationships, strategic planning, and budgeting. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BS in Economics and minors in Visual Communications and Studio Art. During her junior year of college, she studied finance at the University of Commerce Luigi Bocconi in Milan. In 2010, Ms. Byun earned her MA in the History of the Art Market and Connoisseurship at Christie’s Education, New York.

Rachel Bang is The Korea Society's Arts and Culture Programs Associate. Rachel is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of various arts and culture initiatives within the organization. She also works to conduct research related to arts and culture, identifying potential partners and collaborators, and helping to build relationships! She holds a B.A. in Psychology and minor in Korean Culture and Studies.

Hyunjung (Helen) Cho joined The Korea Society team in December 2020 as the Financial Controller.  She has more than 25 years of finance experience including accounting, business process, budgeting and financial reporting in non-profit, retail, and bio-tech industries.  Prior to joining The Korea Society, Helen held a Controller position for more than 12 years and an Accounting Manager for 4 years at The Partnership for New York City.  She holds a master’s degree in accounting from University of Colorado Denver and bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Colorado Boulder.  She is a certified public accountant registered in Colorado.

Amanda Grant is The Korea Society's Education Program Officer and is the Coordinator of the  Society's Korean Language Program. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Asian Languages and Literature.  It was during this time that she began her academic career in Korean Studies. Following her BA she was awarded a Fulbright English Language Teaching Assistant grant to South Korea where she served from 2018-2020. Upon her return, she entered the University of Hawai'i where she honed both her academic and Korean language skills with her research on inclusive teacher education for LGBTQ+ students in South Korea conducted and written in Korean and received an MA in Korean for Professionals. 

Stephanie Hwang is The Korea Society’s Development Program Associate. Along with providing general support to the Development Team, she is responsible for managing individual membership and programming the Young Professional Network. Prior to joining The Korea Society in 2023, she worked in Publicity and Marketing at Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Stony Brook University, and tutors high-school level English on the weekends.

Jamie Joo is the Development Program Officer at the Korea Society. She is responsible for managing corporate membership and coordinating special events for the organization. She also fulfills the role of Executive Assistant to President Thomas Byrne. Before joining The Korea Society, Jamie served as an Operation Specialist in the United States Navy. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering Technology with a specialization in Avionics from Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology.

Eunjung Kho is the Director of Administration / Assistant Controller at the Society. She graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a BS in Accounting. During her years at Binghamton, she served on the Executive Board of various Korean-American groups—as a Secretary, Fundraiser, and Design Editor—that promoted and planned social, educational, and cultural events for Koreans, Korean-Americans, and students on campus. She was the Secretary for Korean-American Student Association, and the Magazine Design Editor and Secretary for Han Perspective, the only bilingual publication group on campus to provide news, opinions, reviews, and arts with a focus on Korean and Korean-American culture.

Sojeong is the Director of Corporate Program. Working with the Senior Director of Development, Sojeong manages the corporate program with a focus on startup business in America and Korea. Her program shines a light on the dynamic startup scene in Korea and America, helping to connect successful startup pioneers with aspiring entrepreneurs. Sojeong has extensive experience in fundraising and in managing youth leadership and community development programs. Prior to her current role, she was a Program Officer at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, The Beautiful Foundation NY (aka Nanum Foundation), and The Korea Society. She holds a B.A. in English Education from Ewha Womans University, an M.A. in Political Science from Seoul National University, and an M.I.A. (Master of International Affairs) from the University of California, San Diego. She enjoys translating Korean essays and short stories. During the Covid lockdown, she discovered the joy of running and aspires one day to run a full marathon.

Micala Shaffer is The Korea Society’s Communication Officer. She is responsible for developing and executing the organization’s communications strategy, coordinating program promotions, fostering relationships with media personnel, and managing grant proposals and reporting. She first joined The Korea Society as Communication Intern in 2021 after graduating from University at Albany with a B.A. in East Asian Studies, double major in Globalization Studies, and a minor in Korean Studies. Prior to joining The Korea Society full time, she worked as the receptionist at the law office of McAdam & Fallon.

Bradley D. Sheen is the Media Program Associate at The Korea Society. With a strong background in media production and a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, he collaborates closely with the Creative Director and IT Director to create engaging multimedia content, including video production, editing, and graphic design. His role also involves updating program webpages, ensuring a dynamic online presence for the organization.

As the Society’s  IT Director, Peter Stuehmke is proficient with technologies such as network administration, database administration, Web 2.0 technologies, and audio-visual production. Prior to joining the Society in April 2006, Peter Stuehmke worked in a variety of technology, support, consulting, and media-design positions. Mr. Stuehmke graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2005 with a BA in philosophy and a minor in engineering science.

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