Avoiding collision on the Korean Peninsula: the search for exit strategies
On Thursday, July 16 at 8:00 PM EST / July 17 at 9:00 AM KST, the Quincy Institute and Seoul-based East Asia Foundation (EAF) will co-host a Zoom webinar entitled, “Avoiding Collision on the Korean Peninsula: The Search for Exit Strategies,” to explore the future of inter-Korea relations and U.S.’s role in the region. Last month, North Korea demolished a joint liaison office it operated with South Korea, escalating tensions on the peninsula. A symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, the liaison office’s demise is the clearest indication yet of the collapse in North-South relations two years after the Panmunjom Declaration was supposed to usher in a “new era of peace.” The United States appears to be out of step with South Korea, preferring denuclearization of North Korea above all else, even when 90% of South Koreans believe North Korea will not surrender nuclear weapons, according to a recent survey from the Korean Institute of National Unification. What should South Korea do to get inter-Korean relations back on track? What are the barriers to inter-Korea cooperation? What can and should the United States do to support this process? Speakers are Dr. Kim Joon-hyung, Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, Senior Fellow and Military Expert at Defense Priorities. QI’s Senior Research Fellow for East Asia Jessica Lee will moderate the discussion. The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft is a Washington, DC-based think tank that promotes ideas that move U.S. foreign policy away from endless war and toward vigorous diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace. The East Asia Foundation is a South Korea-based independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote peace and prosperity in East Asia through human and knowledge networks. For more information, please visit quincyinst.org and keaf.org. REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE.
Program
Panelists
Joon-hyung Kim
Dr. Kim Joon-hyung was inaugurated as the Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, in 2019. Previously, he served as a professor in the Department of International Studies at Handong Global University. He also served as Planning Director & Director of Foreign Policy Research Center at Korea Peace Forum; a member of the Subcommittee for Foreign Affairs and Security at the State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee; a member of the National Security Council Advisory Committee; Advisory Committee Chair for Reforming the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and a member of the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning. Chancellor Kim holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University, U.S., a Master’s degree in Political Science from George Washington University, U.S., and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Diplomacy from Yonsei University, Republic of Korea.
Daniel Davis
Daniel Davis retired from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Col. after 21 years of active service and currently serves as Senior Fellow and Military Expert for Defense Priorities. He was deployed into combat zones four times in his career, beginning with Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and then to Iraq in 2009 and Afghanistan twice (2005, 2011). He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor at the Battle of 73 Easting in 1991, and awarded a Bronze Star Medal in Afghanistan in 2011. His work on defense, foreign affairs, and social issues has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian (UK), US News & World Report, TIME, Politico, and other publications. Davis was also the recipient of the 2012 Ridenhour Prize for Truth-telling. He is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business News, BBC, CNN, and other television networks. Davis lives in the Washington, DC area.
Jessica Lee
Jessica Lee is a Senior Research Fellow for East Asia at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Her research focuses on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and alliances and strategy in East Asia. Previously, Jessica led the Council of Korean Americans to advance the voice and influence of the Korean American community through civic engagement and leadership development. She was also a Resident Fellow at the Pacific Forum CSIS in Honolulu, and a senior manager at The Asia Group, LLC, a strategy and capital advisory firm. Jessica served as a staff member in the House of Representatives for 6 years. She is a frequent commentator in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, USA Today, and The Nation. Jessica is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Fellow of the Truman National Security Project. She holds a BA in Political Science from Wellesley College and an MA in East Asian Studies from Harvard University.
Catherine Killough
Catherine Killough is the Advocacy and Leadership Coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, a global movement of women mobilizing people across borders to advance peace on the Korean Peninsula. She is based in Washington, DC, where she works with a coalition of organizations to promote a formal end to the Korean War. Previously, she was the Roger L. Hale Fellow at Ploughshares Fund, the largest US philanthropic organization focused on nuclear security, where she helped build and manage a network of arms control, national security, humanitarian, and peace groups in support of US-North Korea diplomacy and engagement. Catherine’s work and commentary have appeared in national and international outlets, including the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Yonhap, Stars and Stripes, Newsweek, Al Jazeera, and Bustle. She has published in Foreign Policy, The National Interest, 38 North, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, and more.