Seventy years after the initial signing of the alliance agreement between the Republic of Korea and the US, and after Presidents Yoon Suk Yeol and Joe Biden this year committed to strengthening the relationship, what does partnership in the 2020s and beyond really mean?
Amid a year of firsts—August’s first-ever trilateral summit between the Republic of Korea, Japan and the US at Camp David; North Korea’s first-ever test of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile; and the US’ first nuclear submarine to port in the Republic of Korea in four decades—the focus of the Republic of Korea-US bilateral relationship is more wide-ranging than ever. From the security of the Korean peninsula to resilient supply chains, rising tensions with China to intensifying links in AI and emerging technologies, the shared security and prosperity objectives are immense.
Please join World Affairs and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea for an invite-only seminar and reception at the bayfront venue The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco to discuss the future of our two nations’ partnership.
Our esteemed guest contributors will provide insight and analysis of the latest geopolitical developments, long-term business trends and potential consequences of a deepening technology partnership, as well as a look ahead to the nations’ priorities for November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, hosted here in San Francisco. Delicious snacks will be provided by Korean San Francisco businesswoman Ina Jungin Lee, owner of five Korean-inspired restaurants in the city.
Schedule:
- 3:00 Registration (Coffee and tea)
- 3:15 The ROK-US Alliance at 70 : Opening remarks & keynote speech
- 3:50 Panels commence:
- Peace on the Korean Peninsula: nuclear deterrence against North Korea
- Advancing the Alliance (Science & Technology Sectors)
- APEC Summit and the Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
- 5:50 Seminar closing remarks
- 6:00 Reception
- 7:00 Evening Closes
Speakers:
Vinod Aggarwal, Distinguished Professor and Alann P. Bedford Chair in Asian Studies, Department of Political Science, UC Berkeley; Director, Berkeley APEC Study Center
Victor Cha, Senior Vice President for Asia and Korea Chair, CSIS; Distinguished University Professor, Georgetown University
Emily Desai, Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
Ambassador Joseph Detrani, Former Special Envoy of the US to the Six-Party Talks
Sydney Seiler, Senior Adviser, Korea Chair, CSIS; Former Special Envoy of the US to the Six-Party Talks
Daniel Sneider, Lecturer in International Policy at Stanford’s Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy
Mark Tokola, Vice President, Korea Economic Institute of America
Consul General Sangsoo Yoon, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco since November 2020
Philip Yun, President and CEO, World Affairs
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