San Francisco —Korean Center, Inc. (KCI) & the Intercultural Institute of California (IIC) is presenting in co-sponsorship with the World Affairs Council, the Center for Pacific Rim, the Japan Policy Research Institute, and the Nautilus Institute, the first lecture of the North Korea: Human Face program series. Peter Beck, a Pantech Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center, will be delivering the kickoff lecture. This will be Mr. Beck’s debut lecture at KCI. He recently authored an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal on North Korea.
This lecture will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Korean Center in San Francisco at 6pm with a 7pm reception with Korean refreshments. See www.iic.edu and www.koreannet.org.
About guest speaker Peter Beck:
Peter M. Beck is the Pantech Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Asia Pacific Research Center. He also teaches at American University in Washington, D.C. and Ewha University in Seoul. He also writes a monthly column for Weekly Chosun and The Korea Herald. Previously, he was the executive director of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and directed the International Crisis Group’s Northeast Asia Project in Seoul. He was also the Director of Research and Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute in Washington. He has served as a member of the Ministry of Unification’s Policy Advisory Committee and as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown and Yonsei universities.
Previously, he was a columnist for the Korean daily Donga Ilbo, an instructor at the University of California at San Diego, a translator for the Korea Foundation, and a staff assistant at Korea’s National Assembly and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has published over 100 academic and short articles, testified before Congress, and conducted interviews with the world’s leading media outlets. He received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, completed the Korean language program at Seoul National University, and conducted his graduate studies at U.C. San Diego’s Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.
About the North Korea: The Human Face:
North Korea: The Human Face is an educational, non-partisan lecture series committed to generating dialogue in the Bay Area on the topic of humanitarian aid and human security in North Korea. The program’s goal is to provide a forum that will heighten knowledge, promote critical thinking, and provide opportunities for our audience to interact with academic and professional specialists working on these issues.
This lecture series moves beyond the conventional discourse on North Korea and discusses real solutions to the country’s humanitarian problems. By doing so, this will help create a better understanding of the humanitarian situation in North Korea, demonstrate how humanitarian work is making a positive impact, and inspire more students, professionals, and scholars to become involved in initiatives furthering humanitarian aid and human security in North Korea.
About the Korean Center, Inc.
KCI is the only comprehensive community service organization in San Francisco dedicated to serving the Korean American community as well as promoting cross-cultural exchanges in recognition of today’s global society. KCI accomplishes this through educational programs and cultural offerings that cultivate Korea’s rich cultural and historical legacy. It has been KCI’s task to share its distinct resources with the public, thus contributing to the fabric of San Francisco, an international city known for its cultural richness.
KCI works to deliver its programs in collaboration with other agencies that represent today’s multiethnic and global environment. The organization also aims to assist Korean Americans realize their full potential through education, training, and cultural and social services. KCI strives to advocate the rights and interests of immigrants in the Bay Area as well as serve as a cultural focal point for the community.
Through the Intercultural Institute of California, KCI’s on-site subsidiary organization, visitors may enroll in Korean Language classes, take ESL classes, or check out books from
Wu-Jung Library’s extensive collection of books on Korean history, culture, politics, and even leisure reads on Korean cooking and the most current best sellers translated in Korean.
