2023 NextGen Young Leaders

School: MPA candidate, Harvard Kennedy School

Topic: Big Data & Trade Policy

Yejoon’s interest lies in US-Korea relations and international trade policy, especially in utilizing big data analytics to build an optimal trade system for US-Korea trade relations. Before coming to Harvard, Yejoon worked at the Korea International Trade Association from 2013 to 2021. He received a M.A. in economics from Yonsei University, and a B.A. in business administration from Korea University.

Expectation about the Program: “I anticipate that the 3.0 : The Next Generation of the U.S.-ROK Alliance Program will equip me with a comprehensive understanding of the US-Korea alliance and the ability to effectively articulate my views on bilateral issues”

School: Ph.D. student in International Affairs, Science and Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology

Topic: Emerging Technology & Data Governance

Sanghyun’s area of interest is emerging technology and statecraft intersecting international political economy and international security. Prior to his Ph.D. program, he has experience at the Atlantic Council, National Bureau of Asian Research, Center for Foreign Policy Strategy, Institute of International Studies, and East Asia Foundation. He holds an M.A. in international relations from Seoul National University and a B.A. in International Studies from the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul.

Expectation about the Program: “As a researcher studying emerging technologies, I expect the newly launched CSIS 3.0 program to provide me with a creative way of thinking on how to bridge academic research and policy practices.”

School: Ph.D. candidate in Religious Studies, Stanford University

Topic: Religious Freedom

Chanhee’s research interests include 20th-century transpacific religious history with a focus on race and immigration. By taking a transpacific perspective on American religious history in the 20th century, her work complicates the borders of the nation-state and traces the malleability of religion in the making of and the endurance of American power. She has a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt University and a B.A. in International Stduies and Christian Studies from Seoul Women’s University. Chanhee is an ordained minister in Disciples of Christ and served in Tennessee and Oklahoma before joining Stanford.

Expectation about the Program: “I'm very much looking forward to expanding my scholarship on the complicated US-ROK relationship through the lens of religion by engaging with scholars in other fields and interacting with a broader audience.”

School: Ph.D. candidate in Communication, UNC at Chapel Hill

Topic: AI Governance

Heesoo's research is at the intersection of journalism, public relations, and emerging technology and her research aims to ensure that people have access to fair and democratic information systems. Previously, Heesoo worked at SNU FactCheck Center, the first and only fact-checking platform in South Korea.She has a M.A. in communication from Seoul National University, and a B.A. in media and mass communication from Korea University.

Expectation about the Program: “I am eager to be part of shaping the future of the U.S.-ROK alliance through this program and grow professionally alongside a talented community of young Korean leaders, experts, and policymakers through mentorship, networking, and skill-building.”

School: Ph.D. candidate in Government, Cornell University

Topic: South Korea Nuclearization

Eun’s research interests are political narratives, memory, and the domestic politics of international relations, with a focus on East Asia.  Her dissertation Past as Prologue explores how post-conflict states narrate their founding moments and why these founding stories change. To this end, she compares the narrative trajectories of postcolonial, postwar, and post-authoritarian Taiwan and South Korea. She has a MPP from Oxford University, and a B.A. in social sciences from Utrecht University.

Expectation about the Program: “I hope to meet people with diverse perspectives on the issues facing the US-ROK alliance and build meaningful connections that will extend beyond this conversation.”

School: MA candidate in international relations, American University

Topic: Energy Security

Hwijin is a second-year master's student currently enrolled in the International Relations program at American University as part of a dual degree program with Korea University. Prior to this, she worked for several years as a flight attendant with Korean Air and All Nippon Airways (ANA), and also at Samsung SDI and Hansae Co Ltd. She completed her undergraduate degree in Malay-Indonesian Language and Area Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Expectation about the Program: “As the United States and South Korea's core values and interests in the upcoming years are aligned in conjunction with Korea's leap forward on the international stage, I would like to learn and understand more about potential areas for cooperation based on leveraging both countries' respective strengths.”

School: Doctor of Public Health candidate, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Topic: Global Health Security

Joon has over a decade of experience conducting applied social science research, designing evidence-based Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies, and evaluating large-scale public health programs in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Before his doctoral program at Harvard, he worked for numerous UNICEF offices in Nepal, Ghana, India, New York, and Malaysia as a Social and Behavior Change (SBC) program specialist. He received his master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Expectation about the Program: “I want to be part of the community of future alliance leaders from various emerging sectors that go beyond the traditional sectors between the two countries.”

School: Ph.D. candidate in Population Health Sciences, Harvard University

Topic: Pandemic Preparedness

Sun’s research interest lies in mathematical modeling and spatial analysis of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis and COVID-19 to generate evidence and influence decision-making on health policy. She has consulted for the World Bank Group in the health nutrition and population global practice division. She received her BS in Biomedical Engineering from Yonsei University, South Korea and her SM in Global Health and Population from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Expectation about the Program: I am excited to be connected with bright Korean peers in various disciplines in the US and through this program, I hope to make our voices heard so that we can make a meaningful difference in our future community.

School: Ph.D. candidate in Political Science, University of Minnesota

Topic: Cities & Climate Change

Yoonsoo studies cities’ engagement in global climate change politics. I seek to understand when and why cities circumvent the states and go international in addressing climate change. More broadly, she is interested in urban politics, environmental politics, transnational networks, and interactions between transnational, national, and subnational actors. She received a B.A. and M.A. in international relations from Korea University.

Expectation about the Propram: “Through this program, I expect to communicate with senior scholars and policymakers and present my opinion to shape and strengthen the US-ROK alliance in climate change.”

School: Ph.D. candidate in Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Topic: Extended Deterrence

Jung Jae’s research interests more broadly include nuclear weapons in international politics, international relations of East Asia, and military strategy, operations, and tactics. His dissertation examines military postures that non-nuclear junior allies pursue within the framework of extended deterrence. Prior to joining MIT, Jung Jae was a Yenching Scholar at Peking University where he earned his MA in Politics and International Relations. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a BA in Government.

Expectation about the Program: “Through the program I would like to interact with many experts to learn about current and future areas of cooperation for the alliance and to connect with the security communities of the two countries.”

School: MBA candidate, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Topic: Economic security

Prior to the Kellogg MBA program, Jiwoo worked at Boeing for five years as a member of the Defense Business Development team, where she worked with the Korean Armed Forces and defense procurement agency on programs spanning from fighter jet upgrades to helicopter logistics. She has a B.A. in economics from Yonsei University.

Expectation about the Program: “I am honored to join a community of the U.S.-ROK alliance supporters and looking forward to investigating economic security and sustainable cooperation frameworks across critical sectors, including defense and technology.”

School: Ph.D. candidate in International Affairs and Public Policy, University of Pittsburgh

Topic: Inflation Reduction Act

Rena’s dissertation focuses on high-skilled immigration. The main questions motivating her dissertation project are: (1) How does information affect the attitudes of native-born citizens toward high-skilled immigration? (2) What determines high-skilled immigration policy in the U.S. Congress? (3) Do technology companies prefer foreign nationals over native citizens? She holds a B.A. in international relations and economics from Brown University, a MA in international affairs from Columbia University and a MA in Political Science from Texas A&M University.

Expectation about the Program: “I am looking forward to meeting with people who care about the U.S.-Korea alliance and getting up-to-date policy perspectives on the topic.”