SAIS U.S.-Korea Yearbook 2007

2007 was a year of extraordinary "big deals" on the Korean peninsula. Following the difficult 2006 that saw North Korea testing its nuclear weapon and stalled negotiations over security and trade issues with Washington, the Republic of Korea (ROK) made remarkable diplomatic breakthroughs on many weighty issues. But these agreements face challenges of ratification or implementation, and much work remains to be done.

The 2nd Edition of the SAIS U.S.-Korea Yearbook covers these principal developments. The Yearbook is the product of the Fall 2007 course, "The Two Koreas: Contemporary Research and Record," an annual offering within SAIS's Korea Studies Concentration. Each chapter was researched and written by students based on in-depth readings and study. Additionally, as a part of the course, students conducted field research in South Korea, interviewing numerous government officials, think tank scholars, NGO workers, academics and private sector experts.

To meet the student authors or download a copy of the U.S.-Korea Yearbook 2007, click here.

USKI and The Hwajeong Peace Foundation Host Symposium on the Future of U.S.-Korean Relations

On May 6, 2008, the U.S.-Korea Institute and The Hwajeong Peace Foundation of the Dong-A Ilbo co-hosted a one-day symposium addressing both the current status and the future of U.S. relations with Korea.

Featured speakers included U.S. Congressmen Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Ed Royce (R-CA), as well as U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea, Jay Lefkowitz.

Session panels explored such issues as freedom, democracy, human rights, market economy, and the implications of the KORUS Free Trade Agreement for future U.S.-Korean ties.

Read or listen to the day's events here.

Dr. Sang Kun Bae Joins USKI Visiting Scholars Program

Korean economic expert, Dr. Sang Kun Bae is the newest addition to USKI's distinguished panel of Visiting Scholars. He is currently a research fellow at the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) and formerly served as a research fellow for the Korean Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) and a visiting scholar at both the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the University of Missouri. Additionally, he is a member of the Korean Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee and the Committee on Finance and Taxation at the Federation of Korean Industries.

To find out more about Dr. Bae's illustrious career, as well as USKI's Visiting Scholars Program, click here.

USKI's Working Paper Series

The second installment of our Working Paper Series is Carla P. Freeman's: In Pursuit of Peaceful Development in Northeast Asia: China, the Tumen River Development Project, and Sino-Korean Relations.

USKI's Working Paper Series seeks to be both informative and policy relevant, covering some of the most topical issues facing South Korea today. The first ten commissioned papers will address some of the most pressing issues in inter-Korean relations, South Korea's relations with the United States, and South Korea's relations with its neighboring countries.

If you have suggestions for future papers, please contact Jae Ku, USKI's Director.

Notable SAIS Alumni

The U.S.-Korea Institute is proud to highlight a number of notable Koreans among SAIS alumni. From ambassadors to reporters, professors to business executives, SAIS' Korean alumni are at the forefront of U.S.-Korea relations. Download a copy of the list here.

This compilation is not exhaustive and is an on-going project at USKI. To suggest more notable Korean alumni of SAIS, contact us.