Stories Summoned in the Music: Listening to the New York Philharmonic Perform in Pyongyang
Donna Lee Kwon | August 11, 2008
Editor: Thomas P. Kim
On February 26, 2008, the New York Philharmonic made history as the first American orchestra to ever perform in North Korea. The Philharmonic chose their own musical repertoire and played in the East Pyongyang Grand Theater where the hosts constructed a brand new acoustic soundshell as requested by their guests. The North Korean government broadcast the concert live with no accompanying political commentary. International news media, many of which were on hand to witness the events, declared it a historical moment and a sign of détente between two governments whose animosities have endured since the founding of the DPRK. As the last divided nation to persist beyond the Cold War, Korea remains a symbol of a larger political and ideological struggle. As such, this concert resonated throughout the world, leaving behind echoes that will likely be interpreted and re-interpreted for years to come.
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Reunification: Building Permanent Peace in Korea
Alumni House
University of California, Berkeley
Friday, October 10, 2008
9:00 AM to 5 PM
In partnership with U.C. Berkeley's International and Area Studies, Institute of East Asian Studies, and Center for Korean Studies, the Korea Policy Institute will hold a national summit on the reunification of Korea and the role of the United States in this historic peace process. Held at the U.C. Berkeley Alumni House, the conference will bring together scholars, policy experts, and community advocates from the United States to exchange ideas, network, and establish a U.S.- Korea policy agenda for the post-Bush Administration era.
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Interview with Ha-Joon Chang, Professor of Economics at Cambridge University, on Free Trade and the U.S.-Korea FTA.
Interviewed by Christine Ahn | Published August 1, 2008
Ha-Joon Chang has taught in the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, since 1990. He has consulted for numerous international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. He has published eleven books, including Kicking Away the Ladder, winner of the 2003 Myrdal Prize. 
In 2005, Chang was awarded the Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought, whose previous recipients include Amartya Sen and John Kenneth Galbraith.
Chang's book, Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism, is among a number of prominent books that have been targeted by the South Korean military in a systematic effort at censorship. more >
