What’s in a Club? Korean Society
By: LAUREN KIM
Every Monday evening at 6:15 p.m., within the chandelier-lit halls of Wetherall, Korean Society (KS) regulars gather around laden plates of dinner to catch up on their eventful weeks. Led by seniors Garrett Paik, Allison Kim, Christine Chung and upper Jonathan Jeun, Korean Society welcomes any student interested in the community, regardless of any Korean heritage. Some regular members of Korean Society include preps Minjae Suh, Roxanne Park, lowers William Soh, Hillary Yoon, Lianna Yang, uppers Ella Kim, David Kim, Jayson Tung, Abegail Byun; and seniors Thomas Yun and Anika Tsai. Whether it be poking fun at interim co-head and lower William “Mr. Lat Spread” Soh, or ranking their days on a scale of one-to-ten (with an average that gradually declines as the term continues), KS-ers consistently look forward to every dinner together.
One standout event with KS this year was the Korean takeout dinner one Friday night, where with the help of our faculty advisor, we ordered the best that Korean cuisine has to offer from Sue’s Korean Kitchen. Over paper plates of bulgogi, tteokbokki, galbi, and more, attendees not only witnessed an entertaining onion-eating challenge between David Kim and Yun (with D. Kim emerging victorious), but also listened to Yun’s wise words regarding the best time to indulge in Korean food (lunchtime, with copious amounts of tooth-brushing after). Topics in conversation ranged from complaining about physics tests to divulging into everyone’s favorite ajumma fit. The delicious night ended with Soh taking initiative with the cleaning-up process, and showing off his dish-washing prowess.
Another event for members was a trip to a KBBQ place near Boston in April, of which only the most dedicated KS-ers were invited to attend. Taking charge of social media, Yoon and Yang documented the barbecue dinner on the Korean Society Instagram page (with the handle @ks_exeter), with some mouth-watering dishes featured. Members even paid a visit to a local H-Mart after purchasing sought-after delights such as jjapaghetti instant ramen, Pocky Sticks, and shrimp crackers.
However, as many members would agree, the true highlight of Korean Society lies with the weekly meetings over dinner. Beginning at 6:15p.m., members grab their dinner and join A. Kim and Paik at their table, as Jeun unfortunately often fails to make a timely appearance. Speaking of timely appearances, member attendance may vary over each week, inciting Paik to keep a diligent attendance record for members (which hopefully isn’t being kept that diligently). Yet, no matter the attendance grade, the entertaining flow of conversation definitely attracts many members to continue dining with Korean Society, week after week. One recurring topic is a possible Korean Society mandoo-making event (an idea courtesy of Ella Kim), while other times members have brought up the tense Korean-Japanese relations and an examination of Korean army culture. One dinner may result in a height comparison between our co-heads, while in another a contest of the steady Korean ‘archer’ hand. It is definitely clear that even one dinner with Korean Society will result in guaranteed enlightenment.
Not only are the in-person interactions in this society top-notch, but the online presence KS-ers maintain is truly commendable. The Instagram page both features highlights of all four of our wonderful co-heads, and also keeps vigilant track of daily rankings. Follow to witness not only the amazing photos of Paik, but also the creative filters Yang implements on almost every member. Korean Society happens to boast a ridiculously lengthy email chain, dating back to early September. A few weeks ago, when Paik sent out an email asking members to decode an anagram for a special prize, Outlook notifications went haywire as numerous emails were sent to the chain in an instant, resulting in an impressive chain of 16 emails.
All in all, it is only fair to conclude that Korean Society is one of the standout clubs at the Academy, maybe even the best. Whatever an exemplary affinity space consists of, Korean Society definitely possesses every quality, whether it be dedicated members or exciting events. Regardless if you have any connection to Korea or not, we KS-ers are open to any members, and welcome you to join us at our dinners in Weth.
