Cipriani South Street
10 South St, New York, NY 10004
Reception 6 PM • Dinner 7 PM
New York’s Premier U.S.–Korea Gathering
The Korea Society’s Annual Gala is the most prestigious event in the U.S.–Korea gathering in New York City each year — convening heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, cabinet officials, ambassadors, and cultural leaders under one roof to strengthen the alliance that shapes both nations. Every year, it is where this consequential partnership is celebrated, and the most important policy, business, and civic leaders contributing and shaping this alliance are recognized. For sponsors, it is the most visible platform elevating the U.S.–Korea relationship in New York City.
Learn more about The Korea Society
2026 Van Fleet Award Honoree
JENSEN HUANG
Founder • CEO
NVIDIA
This year, the Korea Society is honored to announce the 2026 Van Fleet Award recipient is Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, in recognition of his visionary leadership and transformative contributions to the artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries — sectors central to the evolving U.S.–Korea economic partnership. Jensen Huang co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 and invented the GPU in 1999 — the breakthrough that built the foundation of today’s AI evolution. His deep and sustained partnerships with SK Group, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, Naver, LG Electronics and Doosan — plus his support of Korea’s vibrant startup and AI research ecosystem have made South Korea an indispensable partner in global AI infrastructure. The 2026 Van Fleet Award honors, for the first time, Huang’s historic and ongoing contribution to the U.S.–Korea bilateral alliance — and the technology future they are building together.
View BioJensen Huang
Founder and CEO
NVIDIA
Jensen Huang founded NVIDIA in 1993 and has served since its inception as president, chief executive officer, and a member of the board of directors.
Since its founding, NVIDIA has pioneered accelerated computing. The company’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics, and ignited the era of modern AI. NVIDIA is now driving the platform shift of accelerated computing and generative AI, transforming the world's largest industries and profoundly impacting society.
Huang has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering and is a recipient of the Semiconductor Industry Association’s highest honor, the Robert N. Noyce Award; the IEEE Founder’s Medal; the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award; and honorary doctorate degrees from Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University, National Taiwan University, and Oregon State University. He has been named the world’s best CEO by Fortune, The Economist, and Brand Finance, as well as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Prior to founding NVIDIA, Huang worked at LSI Logic and Advanced Micro Devices. He holds a BSEE degree from Oregon State University and an MSEE degree from Stanford University.
Eva Pilgrim
Anchor, Inside Edition
Eva Pilgrim is a veteran journalist who is currently the anchor of the #1 syndicated newsmagazine in the country, INSIDE EDITION. Prior to that she spent a decade at ABC News. Her reports could be seen across multiple ABC News programs and platforms, including “20/20,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline” and “World News Tonight with David Muir.”
At ABC News, Pilgrim reported on a wide range of breaking news stories and events, including the 2020 and 2024 elections, the Alex Murdaugh trial, the Charlottesville rally, the murder of George Floyd, and multiple hurricanes.
Pilgrim was born in Seoul, South Korea, into a military family and grew up moving around the world. She attended the University of Florida and the University of South Carolina.
Juju Chang
Co-Anchor, ABC News Nightline
Juju Chang is a multiple Emmy® Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America,” “20/20” and “IMPACT x Nightline” on Hulu.
Chang’s decades-long career is notable for her in-depth personal narratives set against the backdrop of pressing national and international news. After the rise of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during the pandemic, Chang co-anchored the ABC News Live special “Stop the Hate: The Rise in Violence Against Asian Americans” and the “20/20” special “Murder in Atlanta” following an Atlanta mass shooting.
Chang has done extensive reporting on true crime stories she’s followed for decades for both “IMPACT x Nightline” and “20/20.” This includes Chang’s coverage of intimate partner violence and criminalized survivorship in the Nikki Addimando murder trial featured in “20/20: Kill or Be Killed?,” her report on the twisted story of the notorious serial killer and the fallout with his family in “Deadly Smile: The Happy Face Killer,” the new evidence and support for the brothers serving life sentences for killing their parents in “Menendez Brothers: Monsters or Victims?” and many more.
Chang’s award-winning report “Trans and Targeted” on violence against transgender women of color caps a series of her stories on LGBTQ+ issues. Chang has won multiple GLAAD awards and conducted exclusive television interviews with transgender soldier Chelsea Manning and Lia Thomas, the transgender UPenn swimmer whose case highlighted the debate over trans athletes.
She has reported on mass shootings and gender-based violence, including a trip to Honduras for “Femicide: The Untold War” and through Central Africa on the front lines against Boko Haram and#bringbackourgirls.
Chang has profiled newsmakers and celebrities from Joe Biden to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Her extensive feature reporting covers parenting dilemmas, digital addictions and social media moguls like Dude Perfect and Selena Gomez.
A former news anchor for “Good Morning America,” Chang joined ABC News just after college as an entry-level desk assistant in 1987 and rose to become a producer for “World News Tonight.” After reporting for KGO-TV in San Francisco and the ABC News affiliate service NewsOne in Washington, D.C., she co-anchored the overnight show “World News Now.” Chang’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Emmys and Gracies, as well as a DuPont, a Murrow and a Peabody. In 2017, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Front Page Awards.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Northern California, Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communication. She is married to WNET President and CEO Neal Shapiro and, together, they have three sons who identify as “50% Korean and 100% Jewish.”
Chang is a board member of 92NY, a founding board member of the Korean American Community Foundation and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. For her work in the AANHPI community, Chang has received numerous honors, including the Justice in Action Award from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Performers
Stephanie Jae Park
Award-Winning Broadway, Film, and Television Actress & Vocalist
Stephanie Jae Park is a New York City–based actress, vocalist, and recording artist, born and raised on Guam, whose career spans Broadway stages, symphony halls, luxury venues, recording studios, and on-screen roles in film and television. She currently stars as Catherine Parr in the Broadway company of SIX.
A Lucille Lortel Award nominee for her performance as Haydée in Monte Cristo, Stephanie is also known for portraying Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton on Broadway. Her other Broadway credits include the original Broadway companies of War Paint and the Tony Award-winning revival of The King and I. On screen, she has appeared in Netflix's Black Rabbit, the feature film The Nanny, the award-winning web series The Blessing, and the acclaimed film Pen, Again.
A classically trained soprano, Stephanie has been featured in concert at Carnegie Hall, with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony San Jose, the Jacksonville Symphony, and other leading orchestras across the country. She also performs as a solo concert artist in cabarets and luxury venues around the world.
Beyond the stage, Stephanie is a sought-after recording vocalist whose voice can be heard on major studio film and television productions under NDA, commercial recordings, and original music releases. She is the co-founder of Saffron Lips Studios, where she develops new music and collaborates with artists across the entertainment industry. Stephanie is honored to lend her voice in support of organizations that strengthen communities through education, opportunity, and the arts.
More at stephaniejaepark.com and @stephanieslaypark.
Marcus Choi
Broadway, Film, and Television Actor & Grammy-Nominated Vocalist
Marcus Choi is currently playing “James” in the six time Tony Award winning show Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway. He previously toured with the Philip Company as George Washington in Hamilton. Broadway credits include original companies of Wicked, Flower Drum Song, Allegiance and The Times They Are A-Changin’. Revival companies of Miss Saigon and Sweet Charity starring Christina Applegate. Select TV and film: The Last Mrs. Parrish starring Jennifer Lopez, Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai, Luke Cage, The OA, FBI, Chicago PD, Blind Spot, Homeland, The Last Ship, and The Fosters.
You can find him on socials @marcuschoi11.
Schedule
Monday, September 28, 2026
6:00 PM - Reception
7:00 PM - Dinner
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsoring The Korea Society’s 2026 Annual Gala strategically places your organization at the center of the vital U.S.–Korea alliance during a significant period of this relationship. Your contribution honors Jensen Huang, supports the critical mission of America’s leading U.S.–Korea institution, and guarantees your organization’s presence among key leaders driving bilateral engagement in technology, business, diplomacy, public policy, national security, culture, and education.
Individual Tickets & Acknowledgement
Individual Tickets Are No Longer Available
All sponsorship registrations must be confirmed by Friday, September 4, 2026, in order to be acknowledged in the dinner program. Cancellations of all gala tickets and sponsorships received after Friday, September 4, 2026, will not be accepted.
Cancellation requests received on or before September 4, 2026, will be eligible for a refund, less a non-refundable processing fee. The processing fee will be retained by The Korea Society regardless of when the cancellation request is made.
The Korea Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The non-tax-deductible portion of each ticket is $550 per person. IRS regulations currently prohibit the use of a Donor Advised Fund grant to pay for all or any portion (whether tax-deductible or not) of the admission price for attending an event. For donations made from Korea, we can issue a donation receipt that can be used for tax purposes in Korea.
