Asan Plenum


Session: Plenary Session 4
Date/Time: April 27, 2016 / 15:15-16:45

Moderator:
Christopher Nelson, Samuels International Associates, Inc.

Speakers:
Bessho Koro, Embassy of Japan to the ROK
Chun Yungwoo, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies
Gary Samore, Belfer Center for Science and Int’l Affairs, Harvard University
Yang Xiyu, China Institute of Int’l Studies

Panel Description
North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January was a flagrant violation of multiple UN security resolutions and a grave threat to Northeast Asian security. Nonetheless, the international community once again failed to mount a unified response that would prevent further nuclear weapons development or end North Korean provocations. Kim Jong Un has shown no signs of pursuing better relations with North Korea’s neighbors or seeking integration into the world economy. What can the international community do to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula? What are the broader implications of North Korea’s nuclear program beyond Northeast Asia? Will North Korea threaten regional and global stability through missile tests? Will the bilateral defense treaties in Asia survive the North Korean security threat? Are the prospects of a peace treaty on the Korean peninsula or Korean reunification diminished or enhanced in the “New Normal”?

 

About Experts

Chun Yungwoo
Chun Yungwoo

The Asan Institute for Policy Studies

Amb. CHUN Yungwoo is a senior advisor at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. He is also the chairman and founder of the Korean Peninsula Future Forum (KPFF). Previously, Amb. Chun served as the national security advisor to President Lee Myung-bak from 2010 to 2013. In his 33 years of service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Chun served as second vice foreign minister (2009-2010), special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs and head of the ROK delegation to the Six-Party Talks (2006-2008), and deputy foreign minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations (2005-2006). Amb. Chun was also the Korean ambassador to the United Kingdom (2008-2009), ambassador and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (2003-2005), and also held earlier diplomatic postings in France, Morocco, and Austria. Amb. Chun received his B.A. from Pusan National University and Master of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.