Exploring a New Paradigm on the Korean Peninsula

Events of 2016 suggest the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are entering uncharted waters on the Korean peninsula. North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and its rejection of denuclearization talks signal a “new normal” in its intransigent behavior. In South Korea, President Park Geun-hye has responded by the unprecedented closing of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and is welcoming of new missile defense cooperation within the U.S.-ROK alliance that puts at risk her engagement strategy with China. The United States is transitioning to a level of heightened sanctioning not seen before, but at the same time, shows interest in peace treaty talks in parallel with a resumption of denuclearization dialogue.

How do we navigate these uncharted waters? Is there a strategy to manage these new challenges? Will China reach the limits of its patience with its communist ally? What is the future of inter-Korean relations? How will the next American president deal with North Korea?

World experts will converge on Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 for the sixth annual JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum to address these and other issues of importance. Scholars, experts, opinion leaders, and former government officials will assess the internal situation in North Korea: What is the meaning of the continued high-level purges? What should we expect to see in its first Party Congress in over 36 years? Panels will look at the U.S.-ROK alliance: What is the state of extended deterrence in the face of North Korea’s fourth nuclear test? How have the American presidential candidates thought about the peninsula? What would a U.S. policy review on North Korea in the next administration look like? Opinion leaders will also unpack the regional context, analyzing the complex and new dynamics emerging among China, Japan, Russia, and other players.

These among other questions will be addressed in the Forum, the first JoongAng-CSIS Forum to take place in Washington, D.C.

JoongAng-CSIS Forum 2016 Panels and Speakers
9:15 - 9:40AM   Opening Ceremony
Salutation
Dr. Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair, CSIS; Professor and Director, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University

Welcoming Remarks
Dr. John Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS
Ambassador Hong Seok-Hyun, Chairman, JoongAng Ilbo and JTBC

9:40AM - 10:25AM   Keynote Address
The Honorable Daniel R. Russel
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State

10:30AM - 11:45AM   Whither North Korea
Chair:
Dr. Victor D. Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair, CSIS; Professor and Director, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University
Panelists:
Dr. Suh Hoon, Professor, Ewha Womans University; Former Deputy Director for North Korean Intelligence, Republic of Korea National Intelligence Service
The Honorable J.D. Crouch, President and CEO, United Service Organizations; Former Deputy National Security Advisor
Dr. Cheong Seong-Chang, Director of the Unification Strategy Studies Program, Sejong Institute
The Honorable Robert Einhorn, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Former Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control, U.S. Department of State

12:00 - 1:15PM   Featured Luncheon Address
Intoductory Remarks
Ambassador Richard L. Armitage
President, Armitage International
Former Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State

Featured Address
The Honorable Wendy R. Sherman
Senior Counselor, Albright Stonebridge Group
Former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, U.S. Department of State

1:15 - 2:30PM   The Regional Context
Chair:
Dr. Moon Chung-in, Yonsei University; Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiative, Republic of Korea
Panelists:
Dr. Lee Shin Wha, Professor of International Relations, Korea University
The Honorable Kurt Campbell, Chairman and CEO, The Asia Group; Former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Dr. Park Cheol Hee, Professor of Japanese Politics, Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University
Dr. Michael J. Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Chair in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy, Georgetown University; Former Senior Director for Asian Affairs, U.S. National Security Council

3:00-4:15PM   Alliance Dynamics
Chair:
Bae Myung-bok, Senior Editorial Writer, JoongAng Ilbo
Panelists:
Ambassador Mark W. Lippert, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, U.S. Department of State
Ambassador Ahn Ho-Young, Republic of Korea Ambassador to the United States
The Honorable Kim Tae Young, Former Minister of National Defense, Republic of Korea
Dr. Evan Medeiros, Managing Director for Asia, Eurasia Group; Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs, National Security Council
Dr. Moon Chung-in, Professor, Yonsei University; Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiative, Republic of Korea

4:15-4:30PM   Adjournment
Dr. Victor D. Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair, CSIS; Professor and Director, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University