Date

April 9, 2018

Page

9

Contact

Communications DepartmentOffice82-2-3701-7377E-mailcommunications@asaninst.org

* Embargoed for release at 0600 Monday, April 16, 2018

The Asan Plenum 2018, “Illiberal International Order”

SEOUL, April 9, 2018 – The Asan Institute for Policy Studies (http://en.asaninst.org/) will host the Asan Plenum 2018 on April 24 (Tue.) – 25 (Wed.) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The title of this year’s Plenum is “Illiberal International Order.”

Edwin Fuelner, Founder of The Heritage Foundation, will deliver the keynote address. The Plenum will bring together over 100 distinguished experts, policymakers, scholars, and members of the media including:

• Paul Wolfowitz, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and President of the World Bank
• James Steinberg, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
• Karel De Gucht, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs for Belgium
• Funabashi Yoichi, Editor-in-Chief, Asahi Shimbun
• Daniel Russel, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
• Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Wang Dong, Professor, Peking University School of International Studies
• Hugh White, Professor, Australia National University

This year’s Plenum addresses the myriad challenges threatening the liberal international order (LIO) today. In the U.S. and Britain, the rise of populism has called into question the West’s commitment to uphold the rules-based global order. Nondemocratic regimes in China and Russia are rewriting these rules and undermining the institutions that have sustained them. Outliers, such as North Korea and Iran, are stoking regional tensions, while transnational issues including terrorism, cyber security, and geoeconomics continue to test the viability and endurance of the LIO. To discuss these issues and many more, the 2018 Asan Plenum will feature four plenary sessions and 14 panel sessions.

The Asan Plenum is a yearly gathering of the world’s leading experts and scholars. In addressing the most pressing global issues, the Asan Plenum aims to impact the policy making process and enable the international community to better deal with the challenges it faces.

* Interview requests with speakers:
Please send us the attached interview requests form in ‘Appendix 2’ to communications@asaninst.org by 17:00 Friday, April 13th , 2018.
* Press Registration and Badge:
– Please be advised that, due to security reasons, only credentialed members of the press who RSVP by Friday, April 20th to communications@asaninst.org will be allowed admission.
– Also note that only members of the media with an official ASAN press badge will be permitted for entry. You should carry your official press badge and/or press credentials and a personal ID with you while on the venue.
-Due to limited space, members of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification press corps will be given priority admission. We ask for your understanding.
* For participants list, panel descriptions, and up-to-date information, please visit our website at www.asanplenum.org.
* All sessions will be conducted in English with simultaneous Korean interpretation.