2018 Annual Dinner

Keynote Speaker

H.E. Harry Harris
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

Van Fleet Award Honoree

Sohn Kyung-Shik
Chairman
CJ Group

Master of Ceremonies

Juju Chang
Co-Anchor
ABC Nightline

The Plaza
Fifth Avenue at Central Park South, New York City

Reception 6:00 PM | Dinner 7:00 PM

Black Tie, Traditional Attire

Contact Angela I. Rhyee for any inquiries.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Keynote Speaker
H.E. Harry Harris
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

Ambassador Harry Harris was nominated by President Trump on May 23 and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 28 as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Ambassador Harris commanded the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), now known as the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), from May, 2015 to May, 2018. He is the first Asian-American to hold four-star rank in the U.S. Navy and the first to head USPACOM. Prior to USPACOM, he commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Other operational commands include the U.S. 6th Fleet, Striking and Support Forces NATO, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1, and Patrol Squadron 46.

From 2011 to 2013, Ambassador Harris served as the representative of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of State. In this role, he traveled to over 80 countries with the Secretary and participated in most of the Secretary’s meetings with foreign leaders. He also served as the U.S. Roadmap Monitor for the Mid-East Peace Process.

Ambassador Harris’ personal decorations include the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, three Navy Distinguished Service Medals, three Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and the Air Medal. He received the Republic of Korea’s Tong-il medal in 2014. He has also been decorated by the governments of Australia, France, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Ambassador Harris was born in Japan and reared in Tennessee and Florida. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978. He holds master’s degrees from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He also did post-graduate work at Oxford University and completed the Seminar 21 fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ambassador Harris’ father served in the U.S. Navy, and was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. He was stationed in Korea and Japan after World War II until he retired in 1958. Harris’ mother was Japanese. She moved to Tennessee with her husband and young son in 1958 and became an American citizen in 1974.

Ambassador Harris is married to Ms. Bruni Bradley, herself a career Naval officer.

Awardee

Van Fleet Award Honoree
SOHN Kyung-Shik
Chairman
CJ Group

Mr. SOHN Kyung-Shik is Chairman of the CJ Group, one of Korea’s most innovative conglomerates. He also serves as Chairman and CEO of CJ Corporation and CJ CheilJedang Corporation. Since 1994, Mr. Sohn has led CJ’s successful efforts to spread Korean culture and content worldwide. Founded in 1953 as Korea’s first sugar manufacturer, CJ has grown into a global lifestyle brand that provides consumers with a diverse array of products and services through its businesses in food and food service, bio technology, retail and logistics, and entertainment and media.

On February of 2018, Mr. Sohn was appointed as the Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation (KEF), an organization dedicated to building a collaborative relationship between management and labor. Prior to serving as head of KEF, he was the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry from 2005 to 2013. He also remains as the Chairman of the Korea-Russia Friendship Association since 2010 and the Korea America Friendship Society since 2008.

Mr. Sohn continues to be recognized as a major contributor to the development and promotion of Korea. In honor of his contributions, Mr. Sohn has been awarded the Order of Civil Merit – Mugunghwa Medal by the Korean government in 2013. He was the recipient of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2017, a prestigious award presented by the Japanese government for his contributions to strengthen economic relations between Japan and Korea. In 2011, Mr. Sohn received the Order of Do’stlik from the Uzbek government in 2011, commemorating his role in promoting friendly relations as a global leader.

Mr. Sohn has completed the Business School Advanced Management Program at Seoul National University and received his Masters of Business Administration at Oklahoma State University. Mr. Sohn also holds a Bachelors of Law from Seoul National University.

Master of Ceremonies

Master of Ceremonies
Juju Chang
Co-Anchor
ABC Nightline

Juju Chang is an Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America” and “20/20.”

Chang has been recognized for her in-depth personal narratives set against the backdrop of pressing national and international news. Her exclusive television interview with transgender solider Chelsea Manning, after seven years in prison, explored issues of national security leaks and LGBTQ military service. Her profile of former firefighter Pat Hardison – after a groundbreaking face transplant – highlighted the crisis of organ donation. Additionally, Chang anchored a special edition of “Nightline,” “Consent on Campus,” from Penn State which tackled complex issues surrounding sexual assault.

Chang has also covered major breaking news for decades for ABC News, including Superstorm Sandy, the Orlando nightclub massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing. She has traveled around the world to report on global issues including a three-country trip through Central Africa on the front lines against Boko Haram in the latest on #bringbackourgirls, and to Honduras for “Femicide: the Untold War,” an eye-opening look at rampant violence against women.

Chang has profiled newsmakers like Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, former Vice President Joe Biden and Oprah Winfrey as well as entertainers like Chris Pratt, Channing Tatum, and Nicki Minaj. Her extensive feature reporting covers parenting dilemmas, digital addictions and social media moguls like Dude Perfect and Esther the Wonder Pig.

A former news anchor for “Good Morning America,” Chang joined ABC News as an entry level desk assistant in 1987 and rose to become a producer for “World News Tonight.” Her first on-air job was reporting for KGO-TV in San Francisco. After a year in Washington, D.C. covering the White House, Capitol Hill and the presidential election for NewsOne, she co-anchored the overnight show “World News Now.” Chang’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including multiple Emmy’s, Gracie’s, a DuPont, a Murrow and Peabody awards.

Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Northern California, Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a B.A. in political science and communication. She is married to WNET President and CEO Neal Shapiro and together they have three sons. Chang is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding board member of the Korean American Community Foundation.

Entertainment

Musicians from NYO Jazz by Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall launched NYO Jazz in 2018, building on the success of its National Youth Orchestra of the USA, created in 2013. Each summer, the finest young jazz musicians ages 16–19 from across the United States come together to form NYO Jazz. Selected through a comprehensive audition process, these remarkable musicians engage in a rigorous two-week training residency in New York with world-class jazz masters.

Following its residency, NYO Jazz performs at Carnegie Hall before embarking on a tour to some of the world’s great music capitals. The musicians serve as dynamic music ambassadors as they share this uniquely American musical genre with people around the globe. NYO Jazz’s critically acclaimed debut tour in 2018, led by virtuoso trumpeter Sean Jones and featuring Dianne Reeves as special guest, took the ensemble to the London’s Cadogan Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Edinburgh International Festival and Berlin’s Konzerthaus, among others. In 2019, a tour to Asia, with anticipated stops in China and Korea, is planned.

Korea Society appreciates the collaboration and participation of Carnegie Hall

SUPPORT LEVELS

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM

DINNER COMMITTEES

LEADER - $100,000
• 20 guests for VIP reception
• 20 guests in premium seating

BENEFACTOR - $50,000
• 10 guests for VIP reception; 10 guests for general reception
• 10 guests in priority seating; 10 guests in preferred seating

PATRON - $30,000
• 4 guests for VIP reception; 6 guests for general reception
• 10 guests in preferred seating

In addition to above benefits, Dinner Committees will receive recognition from the podium; full-page ad, corporate profile, and photo and bio of corporate representative in the dinner program book; listing on our website.

TABLE SPONSORSHIP

SPONSOR - $20,000
• 10 guests for dinner
• 2 guests for VIP reception; 8 guests for general reception
• Half-page ad; corporate profile with photo of corporate representative in the dinner program book

DONOR - $15,000
• 10 guests for general reception and dinner
• Half-page ad; corporate profile in the dinner program book

All table sponsors will be acknowledged on our website and in the dinner program book.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS

PATRON COUPLE - $5,000
• 2 tickets for VIP reception and preferred seating
• Acknowledgement on our website and in the dinner program book

PATRON - $3,000
• 1 ticket for VIP reception and preferred seating
• Acknowledgement on our website and in the dinner program book

CONTRIBUTOR - $750
• 1 ticket for general reception and dinner

ADVERTISEMENT

Full-page in the dinner program book - $10,000
Half-page in the dinner program book - $5,000

Cancellations after September 8 will not be accepted.

The Korea Society is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

For further information or to register, please Angela I. Rhyee or at (212) 355-7033.