About Us

환영합니다! Welcome to Brooklyn Korean School (“BKS”)!  After living in Brooklyn for over 15 years, my family was hard-pressed to find a local Korean School in culturally- and ethnically-diverse Brooklyn.  Having attended Korean School in my elementary years I believe in the importance of teaching and instilling the Korean language, culture, and, most importantly, heritage to my children.

BKS is a community-driven endeavor that aims to teach the Korean language, culture, and heritage, not only to my children but also to your children.  BKS’s curriculum teaches its students to speak, read, and write Korean through fun and engaging arts and crafts projects, storytelling, games, sing-alongs, and creative movements.

Whether your last name is Park or Parker, BKS invites and welcomes every child to BKS who has an interest in learning about Korea. We hope that our time together will continue to foster great relationships and make space for us to grow together in Brooklyn.

2023 Annual Picnic

  • Jean E Lee 이 진

    FOUNDER

    Jean E. Lee was born in South Korea and moved to Long Island, New York, when she was 7 years old. She graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Journalism and Visual Arts and an M.A. in Studio Arts from New York University. She worked in the magazine industry for many years as a photo editor, and currently works as an artist agent representing photographers and stylists at Plum Reps (www.plumreps.com). Read more about her here.

  • Cate Kyung Kim 김경인

    Cate Kyung Kim was born and raised in South Korea. She graduated from Ewha Womans University with B.A. in sports and leisure science.

    She received her TESOL and TESOL advanced certification from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has many years of working in education as a teacher, an editor at various publishing companies, and as a host on a TV program.

  • Heaohn Lee 이혜은

    Heaohn Lee was born and raised in South Korea and moved to the United States in 1998. After graduating from the Interior Design at Parsons School of Design, she dedicated her career to the hospitality design industry. After becoming a mom, and starting her design firm, Designade, she devotes a lot of her time to teaching her daughter to be healthy and happy. Today, Heaohn continues to find a balance somewhere between all of her interior design projects and educational adventures.

  • Shieun Yoon McDonough 윤시은

    Shieun Yoon McDonough was born and raised in South Korea. She graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a B.A. in English Literature and Cross Culture and M.A. in English Education. She received Tesol certification from California State University and CELTA certification from the University of Cambridge, U.K. She has many years of experience teaching children in Korea and has worked at a school in the U.S. as an assistant and after-school teacher.

  • HyeJin Shin 신혜진

    HyeJin Shin was born and raised in South Korea. She graduated from Ewha Womans University with a B.A in History and an M.A. in American Cultural History. Informed by the intense experience of teaching students as well as her own daughters, her pedagogical approach emphasizes the importance of pleasant interaction between students and teachers. As a Korean mom living in America, she looks forward to sharing lessons in Korean history, culture, and language with young New Yorkers. HyeJin currently works as a translator-cum-film producer.

  • Sara Jihyun Lee 이지현

    Sara Jihyun Lee was born in Busan, Korea. She came to New York City for an internship after graduating Dong-A University majoring in international law.

    She is currently pursuing a degree and license in Korean from Korea Cyber University while teaching at New Jersey Korean School. She is deeply passionate about sharing the richness of Korean language and culture with both children and adults.