On October 5, the East Asia Institute (EAI) and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA) held a seminar on “The U.S.-South Korea Alliance: The Presidents’ Agenda” for the purpose of defining the past and present of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and presenting a direction for its future.

 

This conference was organized with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the purpose of idea exchange between the Korean delegation, made up of elite academics and government officials, and influential members of the U.S. private sector. Ahead of the bilateral summit between the U.S. and South Korea, as well as the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Korean delegation made presentations on a variety of topics, including the agenda of President Park Geun Hye’s visit to the U.S., the role of the U.S. in improving South Korea-Japan relations, geo-political implications of troubles in China, and the possible impact on the Asian economy of a decision by the South Korean government to join TPP. During the question and answer session that followed, additional topics were discussed, such as intellectual property protection, the role of the U.S. in the improvement of North-South and Korea-Japan relations, the role of the EU in the improvement of the East Asian security environment, and the accomplishments of the U.S.-South Korea FTA.

 

Program

 

11:30-12:00	Registration
12:00-12:05	Welcoming Remarks Karl Friedhoff, Research Fellow, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy, CCGA
12:05-12:20	Luncheon
12:20-12:40	Key Note Address Eun Seok Kim, Ambassador for Energy and Resources, MOFA
12:40-13:00	Discussion    Moderator Karl Friedhoff, Research Fellow, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy, CCGA   Discussants Eun Seok Kim, Ambassador for Energy and Resources, MOFA Seungjoo Lee, Professor, Chung-Ang University Chaesung Chun, Professor, Seoul National University and Chair of the Asia Security Initiative Research Center, EAI
13:00-13:30	Question and Answer