The Annual Dinner on September 22nd was a wonderful celebration of The Korea Society’s 65th Anniversary. It brought together a community which values the multifaceted bonds between the Korean and American people. Korea Society Board Chair Ambassador Kathleen Stephens and Korea Society President and CEO Thomas J. Byrne welcomed all our guests to the gala. Emmy Award winning anchor and reporter Vivian Lee skillfully moved us through the gala program as Master of Ceremonies.
Van Fleet Award Ceremony
The Society was truly honored to recognize the Poongsan Group and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as its prestigious Van Fleet Award recipients for 2022, in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to enhancing the U.S.-Korea relationship. Chairman and CEO of Poongsan Group Jin Roy Ryu and President and CEO of CSIS John Hamre personify the depth of commitment to the relationship that General James A. Van Fleet had in mind when he started The Korea Society in New York City in 1957; Chairman Ryu and President Hamre accepted the award on the behalf of their respective organizations.
Special Remarks
The Honorable George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, made a surprise appearance. His keynote address underscored the importance to the U.S. of fostering close ties with South Korea and he expressed his deep affection and admiration for Chairman Roy Ryu and President John Hamre.
Musical Performance
Grammy and American Music Award winner Kenny G’s jazz saxophone performance livened up the evening.
VAN FLEET AWARD HONOREES
| Poongsan Group |
Center for Strategic & |
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Accepted by |
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Jin Roy Ryu |
John J. Hamre |
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| Chairman and CEO Poongsan Group |
President & CEO and Langone Chair |
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| in American Leadership | ||||
| CSIS | ||||
Fifth Avenue at Central Park South
New York City
Reception 6:30 PM | Dinner 7:30 PM
PERFORMANCE
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| Kenny G Saxophonist |
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MASTER OF CEREMONIES
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| Vivian Lee TV journalist & Correspondent Asian American Life |
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Awardees
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Accepted b
y
Poongsan Group
Accepted by
Jin Roy Ryu
Chairman and CEO
Poongsan Group
In 2001, Mr. Jin Roy Ryu succeeded his late father and founder of Poongsan Group, one of the largest manufacturers of copper products and munitions worldwide, as Chairman and CEO. He has also served and continues to serve as a Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Vice President of the Seoul Forum for International Affairs (SFIA).
Mr. Ryu supports a number of philanthropic and educational organizations as a member of the Board of Trustees of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation and the Board of Governors of the PGA Tour's First Tee Program. In 2015, Mr. Ryu collaborated with the PGA Tour to host the President’s Cup Golf Tournament in Korea and chaired the Tournament Organizing Committee. Domestically, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Pearl S. Buck Foundation and the Seoae Memorial Foundation which was established in honor of his grandfather thirteen generations prior, the most celebrated Confucian scholar and statesman of sixteenth century Korea.
In 2005, the Korean Government awarded Mr. Ryu the Order of Industrial Merit, the Gold Tower Award. In 2012, Mr. Ryu received the Order of Civil Merit, the Moran (Peony) Medal for his distinguished service and steadfast efforts to enhance Korea's visibility and participation in the global community.
Mr. Ryu remains actively connected to his alma mater, Seoul National University, and co-chairs the University’s Social Responsibility and Contribution Committee.
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Accepted by
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
Accepted by
John J. Hamre
President & CEO, and Langone Chair in American Leadership
CSIS
John Hamre was elected president and CEO of CSIS in January 2000. Before joining CSIS, he served as the 26th U.S. deputy secretary of defense. Prior to holding that post, he was the under secretary of defense (comptroller) from 1993 to 1997. As comptroller, Dr. Hamre was the principal assistant to the secretary of defense for the preparation, presentation, and execution of the defense budget and management improvement programs. In 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appointed Dr. Hamre to serve as chairman of the Defense Policy Board, and he served in that capacity for four secretaries of defense.
Before serving in the Department of Defense, Dr. Hamre worked for 10 years as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During that time, he was primarily responsible for the oversight and evaluation of procurement, research, and development programs, defense budget issues, and relations with the Senate Appropriations Committee. From 1978 to 1984, Dr. Hamre served in the Congressional Budget Office, where he became its deputy assistant director for national security and international affairs. In that position, he oversaw analysis and other support for committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Dr. Hamre received his Ph.D., with distinction, in 1978 from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., where his studies focused on international politics and economics and U.S. foreign policy. In 1972, he received his B.A., with high distinction, from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, emphasizing political science and economics. The following year he studied as a Rockefeller fellow at the Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
PERFORMANCE
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Kenny G
Saxophonist
The sound of Kenny G’s saxophone is instantly recognizable. The award-winning saxophonist is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75-million records and 1.5 billion streams. The jazz icon has also accumulated a staggering 24-award nominations throughout his almost 50-year career and has taken home a Grammy Award, American Music Award, NAACP Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards. His biggest album was 1992’s Breathless – which sold a staggering twelve million copies in the United States alone. In addition, his 1994 Christmas release Miracles: The Holiday Album ranks as one of the most successful holiday albums ever – with sales over eight million copies. Seven of his singles have hit the Top-40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and he has been ranked as one of the most-played artists in the Adult Contemporary format – with nine top ten singles. Kenny G has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business during his legendary career, ranging from Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Smokey Robinson, Katy Perry, Weezer, Whitney Houston, Kanye West and The Weeknd among many others. His latest release, New Standards, the title of his 19th studio album, fifth for Concord Records and first since 2015’s Brazilian Nights, could well be used to describe his four-decade body of work, a vision of jazz that helped launch both a musical genre and radio format. After director Penny Lane’s critically acclaimed HBO/MAX documentary, Listening to Kenny G – which humorously reconsiders the purist critical backlash to his music – and a solo performance on Kanye West’s Grammy-winning Jesus Is King album, it’s safe to say that Kenny G’s popularity is still growing strong.
Master of Ceremonies
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Vivian Lee
TV journalist & Correspondent
Asian American Life
Vivian Lee is an Emmy-winning TV journalist. She is currently a correspondent for the syndicated Asian American Life, a news and lifestyles magazine program produced by and airing on CUNY TV in NYC.
She anchored and reported for NY1 for 13 years on issues of vital local and national interest, including Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, Pope Francis’ historic visit to the US, and Hurricane Sandy. Vivian also hosted an arts and culture show, “Spotlight New York,” focusing on the creative landscape of the five boroughs.
Along with anchoring continuous live coverage of major breaking news stories, she reported for 25 years from the field on breaking news stories of the day.
Vivian’s career in New York started at WNBC in 2002, where she was a general assignment reporter for six years. Before that she was CityTV Toronto's Parliamentary Correspondent in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. She graduated with honors from Carleton University’s prestigious journalism program, and after stints as a reporter in Halifax and Ottawa, became evening news anchor in Calgary, Alberta. Before covering national affairs in Ottawa, she filed in as anchor and reported for CityPulse News.
Vivian has received numerous awards recognizing her industry and community contributions, including the 2019 Lifetime Engagement Award from the Korean American Family Service Center in New York, and a 2020 Emmy Award for her story on Joe’s Pub in Manhattan.
Vivian has participated in numerous Korea Society efforts, including emceeing its annual awards dinner and moderating several panels with dignitaries and experts over the years, such as Former UN Assistant Secretary-General Kyung-hwa Kang, Former U.S. Ambassador to the ROK Kathleen Stephens, and Dr. Marie Jhin, author of Asian Beauty Secrets.
She lives in New York with her husband and two daughters.
Table Sponsorship and Individual Ticket
DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM
DINNER COMMITTEE
LEADER - $100,000
• Recognition from the podium as Dinner Committee
• 10 guests for VIP reception; 10 guests for general reception
• 10 guests for dinner in premium seating; 10 guests for dinner in priority seating
• Full-page ad; corporate profile with photo and bio of corporate representative in the dinner program book
BENEFACTOR - $50,000
• Recognition from the podium as Dinner Committee
• 10 guests for VIP reception
• 10 guests in priority seating
• Full-page ad; corporate profile with photo and bio of corporate representative in the dinner program book
PATRON - $30,000
• Recognition from the podium as Dinner Committee
• 4 guests for VIP reception; 6 guests for general reception
• 10 guests in preferred seating
• Full-page ad; corporate profile with photo and bio of corporate representative in the dinner program book
In addition to above benefits, Dinner Committees will receive
• recognition by level on the event webpage, promotional emails, social media, and a large screen aside the stage in the event room.
• Year-round recognition in the Korea Society’s Annual Report
TABLE SPONSORSHIP
SPONSOR - $20,000
• 2 guests for VIP reception; 8 guests for general reception
• 10 guests for dinner
• 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 SPONSORS BENEFITS INCLUDE:
• Recognition by level on event webpage, promotional emails, social media, and a large screen aside the stage in the event room.
• Year-round recognition in the Korea Society’s Annual Report
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT AND TICKETS
PATRON COUPLE - $6,000
• 2 tickets for VIP reception and preferred seating
• Acknowledgement on our website and in the dinner program book
PATRON - $3,500
• 1 ticket for VIP reception and preferred seating
• Acknowledgement on our website and in the dinner program book
CONTRIBUTOR - $1,000
• 1 ticket for general reception and dinner
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ADVERTISEMENT
Full-page in the dinner program book - $10,000
Half-page in the dinner program book - $6,000
Table Sponsorship and Individual Patron ticket registrations must be confirmed by September 1, 2022 to be acknowledged in the dinner program. Cancellations after September 9, 2022 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 on sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, please contact Yun Park or by phone at (212) 759-7611.
SUPPORTERS
65th Anniversary Dinner Sponsors
(as of September 9, 2022)
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| Patron | ||
| Dr. David Steel | ||
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| Hajin Lee & Michael Chung | ||
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| Dr.Ho Youn Kim Chairman of Binggrae Corporation Ltd. Founder of the Kim Koo Foundation |
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| Additional Supporter | |
| Alex Chi | |
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| In-Kind Contribution | |
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| Special Acknowledgement | |
| Young H.T. Cho Chairman of Donghwa Cultural Foundation and SWPK Art Gallery President of Anthrop-J Investment Group, LLC |
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| Henry Do President & CEO POSCO America Corp. (POSAM) |
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| Thomas Holt, Jr. Chairman Holt Logistics Corp |
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| Cynthia & Anthony Kim | |
| Jae Kim President – Southeast U.S. Korean Chamber of Commerce Senior Manager, Korea-U.S. Leader – Aprio, LLP |
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| John J. Moon & Hee-Jung S. Moon | |
