Senior Policy Group

The Senior Policy Group is a gathering of senior opinion-makers, who have extensive experience with and insight into Korean issues

Senior Policy Group

The Senior Policy Group is a gathering of senior opinion-makers, many of whom formerly served in the U.S. government working on Korea issues.  This group, convened by the Korea Chair, meets on a periodic basis for the purpose of providing current U.S. government policymakers with the opportunity to discuss Korea policy issues on a candid and off-the-record basis.  These meetings are closed with a selected membership.


On Friday, October 29, CSIS and the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative will host a private, off-the-record roundtable with Minister Park Young-sun on the “Korea-U.S. Economic Alliance and Tasks After the Moon Jae-in Administration.” The discussion will be hosted by Dr. John Hamre and a copy of her introductory remarks will be available on the CSIS website after the roundtable. Minister Park Young-sun is a Senior Adviser at CSIS and the former Minister of SMEs & Startups of the Republic of Korea.


Selected Previous Speakers
Many distinguished guest speakers have addressed the Senior Policy Group since it was first convened by the Korea Chair in 2009. Below is a brief list of a few of our previous speakers.

Dr. Kurt M. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, United States Department of State
Ambassador Sung Kim, Special Envoy for Six Party Talks, United States Department of State
Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth, Senior Fellow, Harvard University Kennedy School, and Former United States Ambassador the Republic of Korea
Mr. Derek Mitchell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, United States Department of Defense
The Honorable Wallace “Chip” Gregson, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs
The Honorable Han Duk-soo, ROK Ambassador to the United States
Mr. Hwang Jang-yop, Former DPRK Workers Party Foreign Affairs Secretary
The Honorable Kim Sung-hwan, Republic of Korea Foreign Minister
Mr. Daniel R. Russel, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asian Affairs, National Security Council
Dr. Gary Samore, White House Coordinator for Arms Control and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism
Ambassador Glyn Davies, Senior Envoy for North Korea, United States Department of State
Ambassador Robert King, Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, United States Department of State
Ambassador Robert Einhorn, Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control, United States Department of State
Mr. Syd Seiler, Director for Korean Affairs, White House National Security Staff
 

Track 1.5 Dialogues

The CSIS Korea Chair has hosted and participated in a number of Track 1.5 dialogues. These dialogues bring together representatives for candid, off-the-record discussions on issues of importance to the United States, Korea, and the region.

November 2020 ROK-U.S. Bilateral Alliance Dialogue
Co-hosted virtually by CSIS and the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, this two-day virtual workshop featured leading experts and government officials from the U.S. and the Republic of Korea for special discussions on the topics of U.S.-China competition and the North Korea question going forward under a new Biden administration.

April 2016 United States – Republic of Korea-China Trilateral Track 1.5 Dialogue
Co-hosted in Washington, DC by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), and China Institute of International Studies (CIIS).

April 2016 United States – Republic of Korea-China Trilateral Dialogue
Co-hosted in Washington, DC by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), and China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). Audio and video archive.

April 2016 United States – Republic of Korea Bilateral Forum
Co-hosted in Washington, DC by the Korea Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Policy makers and opinion leaders convened for discussions on “The ROK-U.S. Alliance: Strength and Resilience in the Face of Challenges.” Audio and video archive.

July 2013 United States-Republic of Korea-China Track 1.5 Trilateral Dialogues
Hosted by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) participated. July 22 Press Release.

July 2013 United States-Republic of Korea Bilateral Strategic Dialogue
Co-hosted in Washington, DC by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy and National Security.

March 2013 United States-Republic of Korea- Japan Trilateral Dialogues
Co-hosted by the Japan Institute of International Affairs, Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy, and Center for Strategic and International Studies.