Adoptee Hub to hold third session on adoptees dealing with ICE
2026-02-01 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Chicago)
Immigration attorney Greg Luce, founder of the Minnesota-based Adoptee Rights Law Center, will be the featured speaker in a zoom event geared for international adoptees, to be held Sunday, February 1, noon to 1:30 p.m.
The session, the third of four planned sessions sponsored by the Twin Cities-based Adoptee Hub, is intended to inform international adoptees, citizens and non-citizens, of their Constitutional rights under the law, particularly in light of the recent immigration crackdown by ICE in the Twin Cities.
Luce’s practice concentrates on helping individual adoptees with citizenship, access to birth records, and other legal issues associated with adult adoptees. He also works to build and join coalitions to reform and standardize adoptees’ rights and to promote citizenship for all adoptees.
The series is designed to inform and educate adoptees and to allow adoptees to access resources they need, and to stand together, especially in Minnesota, during a stressful time.
The event is free; preregistration is needed to get the meeting link. More information will be available at the website: www.adopteehub.org/events.

Lunar New Year event at Arbeiter Brewing
2026-02-07 12:00 - 22:00 | Arbeiter Brewing Co., 3038 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
A Lunar New Year celebration with a special community focus will be held at Arbeiter Brewing on Saturday, February 7, noon to 10 p.m.
In the Korean calendar, it is the Year of the Fire Horse, representing courage, community resistance, resilience and endurance. The Korean-owned brewery posted on its website noted that the characteristics of the Fire Horse are appropriate due to the ongoing resistance of Twin Citians against the excessive force of federal immigration troops.

The event will include vendors such as artist/activist Sean Lim, Myonghee Kimchi, and Project Huson (a project to support a trip to Korea for children of Korean adoptees, initiated by JangMi Arts)
There will be a Korean drumming performance by JangMi Arts at 3 p.m. and a performance by Conner Lee at 4 p.m., who combines rock, pop and jazz with arrangements of traditional music to explore his heritage.
Arbeiter has produced a few new microbrews in honor of the new year, such as Hibiscus Tokki, a Korean rice lager with hibiscus; and Gochujang Stout, a sweet stout flavored with Korean-style fermented pepper sauce.
Karaoke (known as noraebang in Korean) will be sponsored by AK Connection, an organization of adult adoptees.

Ways to stay safe from ICE for adoptees
2026-02-08 12:00 - 14:00
A free virtual session entitled Ways to Stay Safe and Reduce the Risk of Detainment by ICE will be held Sunday, February 8, noon to 2 p.m.

This is one in a series of zoom sessions, with local expert speakers, intended for Korean and other Asian adoptees to inform them about issues involved in the current Operation Metro Surge, where many legal residents and citizens have been illegally detained by ICE and other Department of Homeland Security troops.

Other upcoming sessions are Navigating Life in Korea (Sunday, February 15, 6 to 7:3o p.m.) and The Korean HANA Center: Resources for U.S. Citizens and Legal Immigrants (Sunday, February 22, noon to 2 p.m.).

The sessions are structured to invite conversation and strengthen community during a stressful time.

The series is sponsored by Adoptee Hub, a Twin Cities resource and service organization for Korean and other international adoptees.
Registration is required on the website in order to receive a link.

New film on adoptees and birth searching to be screened at U of Minnesota
2026-02-10 17:30 - 20:00 | Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, 310 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
The new documentary film K-Number, directed by Seyoung Jo will be screened at a free event open to the public on February 10.
The film describes and follows several Korean adoptees in Korea, zeroing in on one woman who returned to Korea from the U.S. several times to do birth family searching. It examines the adoption process, the lack of post-adoption services for adoptees, and the problems and corruption that persist in the international adoption program. It follows adoptees who have expended time, money and emotional energy in dealing with the dysfunction of the system.
A Q and A session with the director will follow the screening.
The event will be held at the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, located in Pillsbury Hall (see map link).
It includes a dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. Registration is appreciated for planning purposes, but walk-ins are also welcome. Parking validation is available for attendees (for University-affiliated parking facilities only). Information on parking and directions to The Hub can be found here. There is also some (city) metered street parking in the neighborhood.
This event is co-sponsored by the Asian American Studies Program, Dr. Rich Lee, the Center for Race, Indigeneity, Disability, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, AK Connection, the Immigration History Research Center, and the Department of German, Nordic, Slavic and Dutch.
For questions on this event, please email: aa**@*mn.edu

Free session on navigating life in Korea
2026-02-15 18:00 - 19:30
A free virtual session entitled Navigating Life in Korea: F4 Visa ( will be held Sunday, February 15, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

This is one in a series of zoom sessions, with local expert speakers, intended for Korean and other Asian adoptees in light of the current Operation Metro Surge, where many legal residents and citizens have been illegally detained by ICE and other Department of Homeland Security troops.

This session in the series will cover issues involved in living and working in a Korea through an F4 visa, which allows anyone born in Korea to return to work or attend college or other training with a special visa.

Other upcoming sessions include The Korean HANA Center: Resources for U.S. Citizens and Legal Immigrants (Sunday, February 22, noon to 2 p.m.

The sessions are structured to invite conversation and strengthen community during a stressful time.

The series is sponsored by Adoptee Hub, a Twin Cities resource and service organization for Korean and other international adoptees.
Reservations are required on the website in order to receive a link.

Free virtual session on resources for citizens and legal immigrants
2026-02-22 12:00 - 14:30
A free virtual session entitled The Korean HANA Center: Resources for U.S. Citizens and Legal Immigrants will be held Sunday, February 22, noon to 2 p.m.

This is one in a series of zoom sessions, with local expert speakers, intended for Korean and other Asian adoptees in light of the current Operation Metro Surge, where many legal residents and citizens have been illegally detained by ICE and other Department of Homeland Security troops.

This session will include staff from the HANA Center of Chicago, which reaches out with resources, language learning, citizenship classes, immigration reform advocacy and many other resources for a wide spectrum of immigrants in Chicago.

The sessions are structured to invite conversation and strengthen community during a stressful time.

The series is sponsored by Adoptee Hub, a Twin Cities resource and service organization for Korean and other international adoptees.
Reservations are required on the website in order to receive a link.

Insun Park and the Generals to perform at Cedar Cultural Center
2026-02-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, United States
Insun Park and the Generals, a South Korean band that blends rock, Korean traditional music and Korean mask dance (talchum) rhythms, will perform at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis for one show on Wednesday, February 25.
Insun Park stands out as one of the few women who are masters of the Gangnyeong Mask Dance. The talchum tradition has traditionally been dominated by men, but Park has been designated as an National Intangible Cultural Heritage asset of South Korea (Number 34).
She leads a quartet of musicians who perform a unique blended style of ancient performing art and contemporary sound. They include Donghyuk Seo (composer/guitar), Hyunmo Yang (drums), Johyun Kim (taepyeongseo (Korean folk reed instrument) and flute),and Hahyungki Baek (bass guitar).
The band’s approach offers a fresh perspective on Korea’s musical heritage and makes the traditional mask dance accessible to new audiences. Park is a leading force in shaping the future of Korean traditional performing arts.
Headiners Insun Park and the Generals will be joined by Black Widows, a surf-punk-psyche band from Minneapolis. The Black Widows have toured nationally and internationally, and have a full-length album Creatures of the Night, coming out this spring.
The Korean Institute of Minnesota, a Saturday culture and language school for children and adults, located in Minneapolis, is the cultural partner for this event. The Korean American-owned Minneapolis micro-brew pub Arbeiter Brewing is also a partner.
Doors open at the Cedar Cultural Center at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets $27.81 for general admission are available at the link.

AK Connection holds Seollal (Lunar New Year) event
2026-02-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Pearl Park Recreation Center, 414 E. Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55419, United States
AK Connection, a Minnesota-based organization by and for Korean adoptees, will hold a Seollal (Lunar New Year) event to welcome the year of the Fire Horse. The event will be on Saturday, February. 28, 1 to 4 p.m. at the Pearl Park Rec Center in Minneapolis.
The event will include a Korean lunch, Korean-themed activities, crafts, and games, and a drumming workshop at 3 p.m. by members of Shinparam Korean drum troupe.
Registration encouraged, but walk-ins will be admitted. Tickets are available (pay what you can, or $10). For questions, please email: ev****@**********on.org

Immigration and citizenship rights event set
2026-03-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Arbeiter Brewing Co., 3038 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
A free/pay-what-you-can event, Unite for Adoptees’ Rights with Adoptees United, designed to help adoptees and their families deal with issues of legal documentation and citizenship, will be held Sunday, March 22, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Arbeiter Brewing Company in Minneapolis.
The event will feature a talk by Greg Luce, a lawyer with a specialty in adoptee citizenship rights. He is the executive director of Adoptees’ United, and also founded his own adoptee-driven practice, the Adoptee Rights Law Center, located in Minneapolis.
All intercountry and domestic adoptees, adoptive families, and allies are welcome, with a livestream available on AK Connection’s YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person. A brunch will be served at the event.
The event is co-sponsored by Adoptees United and AK Connection, an organization of adult Korean adoptees and allies in the Twin Cities.
The attached link is a ticketing site with a description of the event. It includes registration and an opportunity to donate to defray costs.

Sejong Cultural Society free zoom book club
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:00
The Sejong Book Club is a Zoom-based free series designed for the average adult reader to learn more about Korean literature in translation.
The next meeting will be a discussion of Sky, Wind, Stars, and Poems (by Don-Ju Yun with translation by Jongho Park) on Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m. (Central), moderated by Sarah Petrovic (professor at Emmanuel University, Franklin Springs, Georgia).
Despite the oppressive political climate of his time, Dong-ju Yun fearlessly spoke out against Japanese colonial rule of Korea (which began and 1911 and lasted until the end of World War II in 1945). Yun used his poetry as a powerful tool of resistance. In 1943, he was arrested for his anti-Japanese activities and imprisoned in Fukuoka, Japan. He died at age 27 under mysterious circumstances while in captivity.
Each discussion in the series will include guided reading notes and discussion points. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and discussion outline. Registration is at this link.
The Sejong Book Club invites readers from around the world to explore Korean literature in English translation. Led by distinguished professors of literature, the online discussions offer a welcoming space to connect through reading, reflection, and cultural exchange.
Each session highlights a major Korean work translated into English, examining its themes, historical background, and artistic vision. Discussions are held several times a year, and all sessions are conducted in English.
The book club is one offering of the Sejong Cultural Society, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that offers annual music and sijo (Korean poetry) competitions for adults and youth, along with other cultural events. Its programs are targeted to a wide audience and designed to teach Korean music, literature and culture through fun and interactive events, workshops and performances.
Future Sejong Book Club meeting dates and titles:
Thursday, July 23 The Plotters by Un-Su Kim
Thursday, September 24 The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Thursday, November 19 Hello Baby by Eui-Kyung Kim
More information on the Sejong Cultural Society is available at the link.

Transnational adoptees' Walk for Health
2026-05-30 10:30 - 13:00 | Long Lake Regional Park, 1500 Old Highway 8, New Brighton, MN, 55112, United States
A Walk for Health will be held for all transnational adoptees on Saturday May 30 at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton.
The walk is to raise awareness about the benefits of regular exercise in improving mood, boosting energy, and relieving stress.
The event, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will include an Asian lunch and a free t-shirt. Registration is required, and must be submitted on or before May 17.
The walk is a collaboration of AdopteeHub, Korean Adoptee Ministries, and the Minnesota Department of Health.
For registration and further information, see the registration form at the Adoptee Hub website at this link.

Summer Social for Korean adoptees - AK Connection
2026-06-20 17:00 - 20:00 | Arbeiter Brewing Co., 3038 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
AK Connection, a Twin Cities based organization of adult Korean adoptees, will hold its Summer Social on June 20 (5 to 8 p.m.) at Arbeiter Brewing in Minneapolis.
Registration is required for this (21-plus) event, and all adoptees (domestic and intercountry) are invited along with their guests.
A suggested donation is $5, to cover food costs and to support the organization. Registration is required at the link below.
The suggested donation is $5 to help cover food costs and support AK Connection. Appetizers will be served, and additional food will be available for purchase from Arbeiter.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Kim Park Nelson, a fellow Korean adoptee and researcher, will host a screening of the film Joy Ride as part of the Screening Adoption: Adoption Film Series and Adoptee Audience Research project. The film screening will be from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Hosmer Library, Room L02 (347 E 36th St., Minneapolis)
Attendees will have the option—but never the obligation—to complete a brief, anonymous survey about the film’s adoption content.
AK Connection, a non-profit organization, provides ongoing social, cultural, and educational programming throughout the year. Events are posted on a Facebook page at this link. The general website is at this link.

Virtual Korean poetry workshop set
2026-06-25 09:00 - 17:00
A day-long virtual workshop on Korean traditional poetry, targeted to teachers of poetry and literature, will be held by the Sejong Cultural Society on Thursday, June 25.
Entitled Virtual Sijo Workshop: Verses from Korea, China, and Japan, registration for the free workshop (required) will be open until June 20. Upon registration, participants will receive a pre-reading list and a Zoom link. Registration is limited.
Participants will engage in an in-depth exploration of sijo and other East Asian poetic forms through expert-led sessions and scholarly discussions. They will learn how to write sijo in English and how to teach it effectively as a classroom topic.
All participants must attend the full session, complete homework, and complete a program evaluation to receive a complimentary copy of the reference book, Sijo: Korea’s Poetry Form. A U.S. postal address is needed to be eligible for this offer.
All educators (K-12, employed in U.S. schools) who attend all the sessions, complete the homework, and submit a program evaluation will receive seven hours of professional development credit, a reference book, and a $100 stipend.
Registration and a program schedule for the day is available at this link.
The Sejong Cultural Society is a non-profit organization in Chicago dedicated to promoting and educating teachers, students and the general public about Korean literature and music. General questions can be sent to the email: Se*******************@***il.com

Sejong Cultural Society free virtual book club series
2026-07-23 19:00 - 20:00
The Sejong Book Club is a Zoom-based free series designed for the average adult reader to learn more about Korean literature in translation.
The upcoming meeting will be a discussion of Un-Su Kim’s novel The Plotters (translated by Sora Kim-Russell) to be held Thursday, July 23, 7 p.m. (Central). The novel describes a dystopian Seoul where asassination guilds compete for dominance. Kim blends descriptions of the workings of a criminal underworld with dark comedy and psychology in a persuasive alternative reality.
Each session in the series will include guided reading notes and discussion points. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and discussion outline. Registration is at this link.
The Sejong Book Club invites readers from around the world to explore Korean literature in English translation. Led by distinguished professors of literature, the online discussions offer a welcoming space to connect through reading, reflection, and cultural exchange.
Each session highlights a major Korean work translated into English, examining its themes, historical background, and artistic vision. Discussions are held several times a year, and all sessions are conducted in English.
The book club is one offering of the Sejong Cultural Society, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that offers annual music and sijo (Korean poetry) competitions for adults and youth, along with other cultural events. Its programs are targeted to a wide audience and designed to teach Korean music, literature and culture through fun and interactive events, workshops and performances.
Future Sejong Book Club meeting dates and titles:
Thursday, September 24 The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Thursday, November 19 Hello Baby by Eui-Kyung Kim
More information on the Sejong Cultural Society is available at the link.

Minneapolis rally to stop U.S. military presence in South Korea
2026-08-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Mayday Plaza, 301 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, United States
A U.S. Out of Korea rally will be held Saturday, August 15, 1 p.m., at Mayday Plaza in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis rally will be one of five happening nationwide that day.
The demonstration is hosted by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) in response to a call to action by Nodutdol, a New York-based Korean American activist organization. The nationwide response is in commemoration of the Korean Liberation Day (the 1945 end of 35-year occupation of Korea by Japan, known as Gwangbokjeol, or “the day the light came back” in Korean). Four other local peace activist groups are joint sponsors of the Minneapolis demonstration.
The Minneapolis rally is one of five U.S. Out of Korea rallies to be held nationwide on that day: In Times Square, New York City; in the Bay Area at the San Francisco Federal Building; in Los Angeles at Wilshire and Western; and in Seattle at the Fischer Pavilion.
The U.S. military presence in South Korea began a few years after the 1945 Liberation Day, and continues today, with approximately 28,000 U.S. military still deployed at U.S. bases in Korea. U.S. military exercises harm civilians’ health and threaten lives frequently. Recently, an alleged white phosphorus leak by the U.S. military at Osan Air Base forced residents to evacuate their homes. In Pocheon, at least eight civilians were injured in March 2025, when fighter jets dropped live bombs, hitting a residential area.
Thousands will march in Korea in commemoration of this date, and to call for an end to the U.S. military presence there.
More information is available at the Nodutdol website at: https://usoutofkorea.org/ Local information on the Minneapolis demonstration is available at the MPAC Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbOH3Q8RuvU/

Call for submissions for sijo poetry contest
2026-08-29 - 2026-09-29
The Sejong Cultural Society has announced a call for submissions to its annual Korean traditional poetry (sijo) contest. The contest is open to all poets, regardless of age or nationality, and the submission deadline is September 30. Contestants compete for cash prizes.
A sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form with a specific structure and syllabic pattern. Contestants may submit one original sijo (English only) on a topic of their choice, via the online submission page. The entry cannot have been previously published.
The Sejong Cultural Society celebrates the arts, particularly Korean literature and poetry in translation, and Korean and Western classical music.
One of its missions is to teach and raise awareness of Korean poetry, and there are many resources on the website to teach Korean poetry forms, including sample sijos and instructional videos on the organization’s Youtube channel.
First prize in the contest is $500; runner-up prize is $250 and honorable mention is $100.
More information, competition rules and submission guidelines are at this link. For questions, please email to: Se*******************@***il.com

Free virtual book club explores Korean fiction in translation
2026-09-24 19:00 - 20:00
The Sejong Book Club is a Zoom-based free series designed for the average adult reader to learn more about Korean literature in translation.
The upcoming meeting will be a discussion of Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian, to be held Thursday, September 24, 7 p.m. (Central).
Originally published in 2007, The Vegetarian was translated by British translator Deborah Smith in 2015, and then received international acclaim. It won the Man Booker Prize for Literature in 2016. Author Han Kang was conferred the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2024.
The three-part novel tells the story of a young woman, Yeong-hye, who lives in modern day Seoul. After a nightmare about the depths of human cruelty, she decides to stop eating meat, which causes devastating consequences in her personal and professional life. The novel is allegorical, and represents womens’ quest for autonomy, psychologically and bodily, and what happens when those on the margins challenge the power structures of society.
Each session in the series will include guided reading notes and discussion points. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and discussion outline. Registration is at this link.
The Sejong Book Club invites readers from around the world to explore Korean literature in English translation. Led by distinguished professors of literature, the online discussions offer a welcoming space to connect through reading, reflection, and cultural exchange.
Each session highlights a major Korean work translated into English, examining its themes, historical background, and artistic vision. Discussions are held several times a year, and all sessions are conducted in English.
The book club is one offering of the Sejong Cultural Society, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that offers annual music and sijo (Korean poetry) competitions for adults and youth, along with other cultural events. Its programs are targeted to a wide audience and designed to teach Korean music, literature and culture through fun and interactive events, workshops and performances.
Future Sejong Book Club meeting dates and titles:
Thursday, November 19 Hello Baby by Eui-Kyung Kim
More information on the Sejong Cultural Society is available at the link.
