Now in its 7th year, the ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum series is a partnership between the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Foundation.
Each year, this premier international forum brings together senior U.S. and ROK officials, experts, policymakers and journalists to discuss issues important to the U.S.-ROK alliance, inter-Korean relations, and U.S. policy toward North Korea.
The series is supported through generous support of the Korea Foundation.
For our 7th annual ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum, experts, scholars, and officials joined us for a timely discussion on issues critical to U.S.-Korea relations, including the Biden-Yoon summit, Korea’s pivot to regional leadership, normalization of Korea-Japan relations, economic security and South Korea’s trade agenda.
For our 6th annual ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum, experts, scholars, and officials joined us for a timely discussion on issues critical to U.S.-Korea relations, including what U.S.-China competition means for the alliance, whether there is a way forward for denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the future of trilateralism and the alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.
This year marks 70 years since the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean peninsula. An end to the state of hostilities still remains beyond the grasp of the parties involved. As tragic as the anniversary of the war and Korea’s division remains, we are also reminded of the unparalleled political and economic progress witnessed in South Korea, which undeniably represent the most fruitful seven decades in Korea’s history. To remember the past and to chart the path forward, CSIS and the Korea Foundation convened the 5th ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum on the 70th anniversary of the war. The theme of the panels included requirements for transitioning from the armistice to a permanent peace and the opportunities for cooperation among the regional players to achieve this objective.
The ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum 2020 consisted of three panels over two days as well as remarks from ROK and U.S. government officials. The Forum opened with remarks from CSIS president and CEO John J. Hamre and Korea Foundation President Geun Lee. On June 24, Cho Sei-young, 1st vice minister of foreign affairs of South Korea, delivered the keynote address, followed by a panel discussion exploring how to achieve a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. The second day of the Forum began with an opening address from U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris. Panel discussions on the Covid-19 pandemic and the U.S.-ROK alliance followed his remarks. To learn more about each of these sessions, watch the videos below
For our 3rd annual ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum, scholars, experts, opinion leaders, and government officials from the United States and South Korea participated in a series of panel discussions focused on the historic inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korean summit meetings, the potential for denuclearization and building a peace regime on the Korean peninsula, and regional implications of summit diplomacy for Northeast Asia.
This signature event was co-hosted with the Korea Foundation, a leading organization in South Korea for advancing international exchange and public diplomacy.