CSIS in Seoul

The Korea Chair regularly leads delegations for CSIS to South Korea.

Fall 2018 Visit

On October 22, CSIS and JoongAng Media Group hosted the eighth annual conference entitled “Striving for Peace” in Seoul, South Korea. A distinguished group of internationally renowned experts, former government officials, and opinion leaders came together to address the prospects pertaining to future diplomacy on the Korean peninsula and assess how a peace process can be achieved. The panels featured dynamic and timely discussions on achieving denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, the challenges for President Moon Jae-in’s peace diplomacy, the prospects for economic changes in North Korea, and other issues of importance in the U.S.-ROK alliance.

This year’s JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum featured a public address by the new U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Harry Harris. Opening remarks were given by Ambassador Hong Seok-Hyun, Chairman of JoongAng Holdings and the Korea Peace Foundation. Luncheon remarks were offered by former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo. The first panel of the Forum addressed the core questions about verification standards for denuclearization, the potential for diplomatic progress, and outcomes acceptable to all parties. The second panel discussion was on the prospects and potential for economic change in North Korea and the role of international institutions in the process. The third panel assessed critical issues in the U.S.-ROK bilateral alliance as they relate to inter-Korean diplomacy, burden-sharing, and overall alliance relations. The final session of the day discussed the way forward with a particular focus both on economic and policy considerations.

Spring 2017 Visit

On June 26, CSIS and Joongang Media Group hosted the 7th annual conference titled Leadership Dynamics: The Korean Peninsula in the Moon and Trump Era. The conference featured expert foreign policy thinkers and opinion leaders to discuss how political transitions in Korea, China, and the United States will affect bilateral and regional relations. Introductory remarks were offered by former Prime Minister Lee Hongkoo and CSIS President and CEO Dr. John Hamre. The first panel discussion looked at the election of Donald Trump and his foreign policy toward Asia after Obama's "pivot" to Asia. The session was moderated by Professor Yoon Young-kwan, former minister of foreign affairs and trade, with panelists Mr. Jake Sullivan, former national security advisor to Vice-President Joseph Biden, Dr. John Hamre, Professor Im Hyug Baeg, and Professor Dean Kim Sung-han, former vice minister of foreign affairs.

The JoongAng-CSIS Forum then hosted the first foreign policy address by the new ROK minister of foreign affairs, Kang Kyung-wha. After lunch, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper provided the Forum’s keynote remarks on U.S.-North Korea relations. The afternoon panel was on leadership in China in the year of the 19th Party Congress. Moderated by Kim Heung-Kyu of the China Policy Institute at Ajou University, this sessions’ panelists were Dr. Michael Green, CSIS Senior Vice-President and Japan Chair, Professor Chung Jae-Ho, Seoul National University, and Professor Lee Hee Ok, Sungkyunkwan University. The final panel of the day was entitled “New Frontiers Facing the Moon Jae-in Government.” Moderated by Dean Kim Sung-han discussants on this panel were Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, former U.S. ambassador to Korea, Dr. Victor Cha, CSIS senior adviser and Korea Chair, Professor Kim Yong Hyun, Dongguk University, and Chair Park Myung-Lim, Yonsei University.

Spring 2015 Visit

In May 2015, a CSIS delegation co-hosted the annual JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum, "The Next 70 Years of Peace in Asia," bringing together some of the foremost American and Korean opinion leaders to assess how far the U.S. and Asia have come over the past 70 years and the challenges and opportunities for continued peace and prosperity afforded by the next several decades.

Spring 2014 Visit

In May 2014, a CSIS delegation co-hosted the fourth annual JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum entitled, “Whither Northeast Asia? Security, Strategy, and Politics.” The international conference brought together regional experts, policymakers, and scholars and featured discussion on the most imminent regional issues of importance and interest.

Spring 2013 Visit

In May 21-24, 2013, a CSIS delegation was in Seoul, Korea to participate in the annual JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum 2013. The keynote speaker of this year’s forum, “Kim Jong-un’s Gamble and the Crisis on the Korean Peninsula," was Senator Richard G. Lugar, the former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who recently joined CSIS as a new member of Counselors. Senator Lugar was joined in Seoul by other delegation members including CSIS President and CEO John J. Hamre, former Deputy Secretary of State and CSIS Trustee Richard L. Armitage, CSIS Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair Michael J. Green, CSIS Korea Chair and Senior Advisor Victor D. Cha. During their stay in Seoul, the delegation held sideline meetings with senior South Korean government officials and business leaders to discuss not only inter-Korean relations and US-ROK bilateral issues but also other important regional issues in Asia. The delegation also met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Kang Chang-hee and members of the National Assembly to discuss the significance of this year's 60th Anniversary of the U.S-ROK alliance and exchange views on the road ahead in their alliance relationship for stronger cooperation on pending issues. On their last day of the trip, the delegation was given an audience with South Korean President Park Geun-hye during their visit to the Blue House.

Spring 2012 Visit

In May 22-May 25, a CSIS delegation made its annual trip to Seoul, South Korea to participate in the JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum 2012 entitled Winds of Political Change in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities. The CSIS delegation included CSIS President and CEO John J. Hamre, former National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley, former Deputy Secretary of State and CSIS Trustee Richard L. Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg, CSIS Japan Chair and Senior Advisor Michael J. Green, and CSIS Korea Chair and Senior Advisor Victor D. Cha. On the sideline of the conference, the delegation met with senior government officials from the Blue House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of National Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Ministry of Unification to discuss and exchange views on a wide range of issues important to the U.S and South Korea. With just several months left before the presidential elections in December 2012, the delegation also met with several presidential hopefuls and discussed U.S. OK relations and other important issues.

Fall 2011 Visit

In August 31-September 3, 2011, CSIS President and CEO John Hamre and CSIS Senior Adviser and Korea Chair Victor Cha traveled to Seoul, South Korea to participate in the Korea Global Forum. Dr. Hamre offered the keynote address for the conference, which was well-received by a large audience of academics, policymakers, and businessmen. Dr. Hamre also spoke at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries and the American Chamber of Commerce. Hamre and Cha also met with senior foreign policy officials from the Blue House and the foreign ministry as well as spent some time discussing U.S.-ROK relations with several presidential hopefuls who are likely to vie for South Korea’s presidential election in December 2011. This was Dr. Hamre’s second visit to Korea in 2011 and demonstrates CSIS’s commitment to the only endowed and permanent program dedicated to Korean Studies at a major think tank in the United States.

Spring 2011 Visit

In April 26-28, 2011, CSIS President & CEO John Hamre and a delegation from the United States visited Seoul, South Korea. The delegation consisted of former National Security Advisor and CSIS Trustee General James L. Jones, Jr., former Deputy Secretary of State and CSIS Trustee Richard L. Armitage, CSIS Korea Chair and Senior Advisor Victor D. Cha, CSIS Japan Chair and Senior Advisor Michael J. Green, and CSIS Korea Chair Research Associate Ellen Kim.

During their stay, the delegation participated in:
◾A JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS conference entitled Korea and U.S.: Regional and Global Opportunities held in Grand Hyatt Hotel on April 29 to discuss the significance of the U.S.-ROK alliance and North Korea and the future of multilateralism in Asia.
◾The 34th Korea Foundation Forum where Dr. John Hamre, Dr. Victor Cha, and Dr. Michael Green discussed U.S. policies and grand strategy in East Asia with a focus on relations with China, Japan, and the two Koreas. The audience consisted of Ambassadors from Japan, India, Brazil, Italy, Belgium, Singapore, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Republic of Serbia, Laos, Rwanda, Nepal as well as policy experts and domestic and international press.
◾In addition to the public events, the delegation had official meetings with South Korean government officials and business leaders, and was given an audience with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak during a visit to the Blue House.