Sejong Cultural Society - Benefit Luncheon (Sat, Sep 6, 2025)

The Sejong Cultural Society (President: Gye Young Park), a leader in Korean-American cultural exchange based in Chicago, will host its 22nd Anniversary Benefit Luncheon at 11 am on Saturday, September 6, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (9599 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL).

The event will feature a keynote address by Professor Sam Richards of Penn State University, titled “Hallyu and The Future of and Korean Culture.” He is a renowned sociologist known for predicting the global success of BTS and for his widely viewed lectures on YouTube, followed by hundreds of thousands worldwide.

The Sejong Cultural Society has been at the forefront of promoting Korean culture in the United States through its music and writing competitions and sijo education programs. More recently, it has successfully launched international initiatives such as the proclamation of World Sijo Poetry Day and the Sijo Summit.

Tickets and reservations are available through Eventbrite (bit.ly/45qesKf) until September 1. For more details, visit www.sejongculturalsociety.org/benefit or email SejongCulturalSociety.benefit@gmail.com.

The Sejong Cultural Society promotes awareness of Korea’s cultural heritage in the U.S. by engaging younger generations through contemporary creative and fine arts. When we launched our program in 2004, our goal was to reach students—both American and Korean American—who might not naturally seek out traditional Korean music or literature. To bridge this gap, we introduced Korean themes through Western instruments and English-language writing, making the culture more relatable and accessible.

Each year, 1,000–1,600 students submit sijo poems and essays to our writing competition, while 100–200 young musicians participate in our music competition. We’ve commissioned over 160 original compositions based on Korean themes, and developed extensive Sijo (Korea's Poetry Form) teaching resources for schools. Our programs—writing, music, composition, and Sijo education—serve as a gateway to spark curiosity and build lasting cross-cultural understanding.

Thank you to Dr. Lucy Park for sharing this announcement!