Online Event: The Outlook for North Korea’s Economy Post-Pandemic

Please join us on December 1 for a special discussion on the state of North Korea’s economy today and what scenarios could be expected for its economy in the future. 
 
Panels will examine the impact of sanctions, Covid-19, and natural disasters on North Korea’s trade, industry, markets, and finance sector. Experts will also explore potential scenarios for North Korea’s economy in the event of a diplomatic breakthrough on denuclearization, particularly in areas such as special economic zones, health care, tourism, infrastructure, overseas labor, inter-Korean economic development, and foreign investment. Only by having a clear understanding of North Korea’s economy today, and thinking about what is realistically possible for North Korea, will U.S. policymakers know how to shape their negotiating strategy ­­– and South Korean policymakers how to craft their own approach to Pyongyang.
 
This event is co-hosted with the Korea Foundation, a leading organization of Korea’s international exchange and public policy initiative. 

Welcoming Remarks

Dr. Sue Mi Terry, Senior Fellow, CSIS Korea Chair; Former Senior Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency; Former National Security Council

Keynote Address

Mr. Alex Wong, Deputy Assistant Secretary for North Korea in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, U.S. Department of State

Session I: The Current State of North Korea's Economy: Coping with Adversity and Austerity

Moderator:

Dr. Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair, CSIS; Vice Dean for Faculty and Graduate Affairs and D.S. Song-KF Professor of Government, Georgetown University; Former National Security Council

Panelists:

Mr. William Brown, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Georgetown University; Member, Board of Directors, Korea Economic Institute of America; Former Senior Advisor to the National Intelligence Manager for East Asia, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Dr. Seung-ho Jung, Assistant Professor, School of Northeast Asian Studies, Incheon National University

Mr. William Newcomb, Fellow, Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS); Member, National Committee on North Korea (NCNK)

Ms. Katharina Zellweger, Director, KorAid; North Korea Program Affiliate, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University; Former North Korea Country Director, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Session II: Future Scenarios for North Korea's Economy: Challenges and Opportunities.

Moderator:

Dr. Sue Mi Terry, Senior Fellow, CSIS Korea Chair; Former Senior Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency; Former National Security Council

Panelists:

Mr. Thomas Byrne, President & CEO, The Korea Society

Dr. Stephan Haggard, Lawrence and Sallye Krause Distinguished Professor, School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California San Diego

Dr. Byung-Yeon Kim, Professor, Department of Economics, Seoul National University

Dr. Joong-ho Kim, Visiting Scholar, Elliott School of International Affairs, GW Institute for Korean Studies, The George Washington University

This event is made possible by the generous support of The Korea Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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