On April 24-25, 2018, the Asan Institute for Policy Studies will host the Asan Plenum 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Korea.

The theme of this year’s Asan Plenum is “Illiberal International Order.” Since the end of World War II, the rise of the “Liberal International Order,” (LIO) or the “rules based international order,” has brought the world remarkable peace and prosperity. Today, however, the LIO faces serious challenges. North Korea is on the verge of acquiring a fully operational nuclear weapons capability. China, perhaps the country that has benefitted the most from the LIO, is now seeking its own “order” in East Asia and beyond. Russia is militarily challenging the expansion of the European Union, while the Middle East is experiencing persistent civil wars and military crashes. The proliferation of cyber-warfare and international terrorist organizations supported by “illiberal” regimes also threaten the LIO.

Just as serious are the challenges arising from within the LIO’s “heartland.” The spread of the LIO has had its own downside, including income disparity within and between nations and increased social and political polarization, even in countries like the U.S. and Great Britain. The election of U.S. President Donald Trump and “Brexit” have raised serious doubts about the sustainability of the liberal international trade order and the security architecture that has undergirded it.

As in previous years, the Asan Plenum 2018 will gather leading experts from around the world to engage in intensive discussions pertaining to this year’s theme.  I hope that you will join us as we seek answers to these challenges.

Date: April 24-25, 2018
Place: The Grand Hyatt Seoul

For the latest updates, please visit our Asan Plenum website.
– http://www.asanplenum.org

* Please be advised the Asan Plenum is an invitation-only event due to capacity and security reasons.