About Our New Look

           Our original logo (left) was designed by Sejong Society founder Stafford Ward.  Joining symbols from the American and South Korean flags, it reflects the nature of the U.S. - Korea alliance: cooperation defined by both harmony and balanced contrast.  Our new logo (right), designed by Eunice Choi,  is an updated version of this concept with a sleek, contemporary feel and an increased emphasis on the proactive movement and thinking that will be required to move U.S. - Korea relations forward in the 21st century.

Officers of the 2008-09 
Sejong Society Board:
 
James Conner President

Daewoo Lee

Jiyoung Song

Alice Suh

Grace Chung

Sarah Kwon

Christian Oh 

Aileen Chang

Justin Collier

 Christopher Hale

Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Director of Programming

Director of Communications

Director of Fundraising

Director of Marketing/Recruiting

Newsletter Coordinator

 Chairman

 
What is the Sejong Society?

      The Sejong Society of Washington, D.C. is a non-partisan, all-volunteer, and 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that is dedicated to helping young professionals learn more about Korea and U.S. policy towards the Korean Peninsula.  Our goal is to inspire the next generation, regardless of political and career affiliations, to become Korea and Northeast Asia specialists.
Mission Statement
      The objective of the Sejong Society is to prepare the next generation of American specialists on Korean affairs to think critically about U.S. foreign policy towards North and South Korea. The Sejong Society also aims to educate future specialists on the history, culture, and society of Korea.

      The Sejong Society is also in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) U.S.-Korea Institute.



Three-Pronged Strategy


            The Sejong Society has a three-pronged strategy in helping to create the next generation of Korea specialists:
  • To expose its members to Korean culture, history, and society.
  • To understand how U.S. foreign policy has been, and is currently, conducted towards the Korean Peninsula.  U.S. foreign policy in general will also be examined.
  • To stress leadership skills for both the government and private sector, which entails leadership values, ethics, and community service.  Leadership is emphasized since the objective of the Sejong Society is to create the next generation of Korea/Northeast Asia specialists who may become future policymakers.
Who is Sejong?

        The Sejong Society is named after the legendary Korean king, King Sejong the Great, who reigned during the Chosun Dynasty (1392 – 1910), and invented the hangul Korean alphabet in 1446. Incidentally, King Sejong died on May 18, 1450. Over 550 years later, we commemorated the achievements of King Sejong by launching the Sejong Society on May 18, 2006.


"Sejong [the Great] was the inventor of the Korean alphabet, and the creator of the first think tank in human history."

-- Dr. Katy Oh Hassig (June 22, 2006)

To learn more about King Sejong, please click here.

What We Do
Lecture Series
      Distinguished experts on Korea and/or Northeast Asia are regularly invited to share their experiences and thoughts on Korean history, culture, and society, and on U.S. policy towards both North and South Korea.

Cultural Presentations
     The Sejong Society hosts cultural presentations including South Korean films and documentaries that exemplify Korean society and the “Korea Wave” phenomenon.   Korean traditional performances are also sponsored.

Networking & Happy Hours
    The Sejong Society aims to connect our members to other young professional organizations that focus on foreign policy.  This is often done through happy hours or other social functions.


Learn more about our founder in the short film "Seoul Brother" on YouTube.


For general inquiries, please email sejongsociety@sejongsocietydc.org.