KEI PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMS...

KEI sponsors programs on Korea and U.S.-Korea relations in cities all over the country. Descriptions of the five principal series are provided below. KEI also frequently organizes programs in Washington, DC, some of which are open to the public. These programs, which range from the political/security field to economic/business issues, often provide a forum for visiting experts and officials.

Korea Club
The Korea Club was formed in December 1996 as a new policy and discussion group in the Washington, DC area. The Club, with administrative support from the Korea Economic Institute, is comprised of individuals with an interest in Korea, drawn from the military and other government agencies, research institutes, universities, and media organizations. It provides an opportunity for participants to meet and network in a relaxed, informal, and off-the-record setting at Hunan Number One Restaurant in Arlington, Virginia. Participation in the Korea Club is open to all those who have an interest in Korea, as reflected in current or past professional work involving Korea-related political, economic, and social issues.

Programs during 2007 featured: Daniel Glaser, Department of Treasury; Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post; Balbina Hwang, Department of State; Peter Beck, U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea; Phillip Saunders, National Defense University; William Drennan, Consultant; and Kongdan Oh Hassig, Institute for Defense Analyses; and Kim Kyou-hyun, Embassy of the Republic of Korea. The Korea Club officers are Kongdan (Katy) Oh, Institute for Defense Analyses; James Kelman, formerly of the Department of State; and James Alvis of KEI.

Ambassadors' Dialogue on Korea
Each year the Korea Economic Institute organizes and leads a speaking tour to several cities in the United States. The tour—known as the Ambassadors' Dialogue on Korea—usually covers five or more cities over a one week period.

The central figures on the tour are Korea's Ambassador to the United States and the U.S. Ambassador to Korea. In each city the two Ambassadors address varied audiences of civic leaders, students, veterans, local media, business representatives, and often state or local political leaders as well. These events are generally sponsored by a local organization engaged in public affairs programming, such as chapters of the World Affairs Councils of America or Councils on International Relations. The Ambassadors address the current security and economic situation on the Korean peninsula and the state of U.S.-Korean relations.

For further information on the Ambassadors' Dialogue on Korea, please contact Jim Alvis, Director of Public Affairs, at jha@keia.org.

"Future of Korea" Programs
The Korea Economic Institute and the World Affairs Councils of America jointly sponsor a series of programs designed to broaden and deepen understanding of Korea and the U.S.-Korea relationship among public opinion leaders and the academic community in the United States. The series, called the Future of Korea, consists of lectures and seminars on Korea in cities throughout the country.

The core event of the program is a panel discussion, often involving a luncheon or a dinner, sponsored by the local World Affairs Council. The program usually features a three person panel of experts on Korea consisting of one representative each from Korea's Embassy, the State Department or another Washington-based foreign affairs organization, and KEI.

In addition to the core event, the program often includes a similar panel discussion at a local university or high school and a media event.

If you would like to learn more about Future of Korea programs, please contact Jim Alvis at jha@keia.org.

Korea-China Forum
KEI, in conjunction with the Atlantic Council, sponsors the Korea-China forum which explores the deepening relationship between China and the two Koreas and related opportunities, challenges, and implications for this relationship. KEI inaugurated the program in September 2005 during the fourth round of the Six Party Talks. The forum has analyzed topics such as: "Korea's China Challenge;" the "China's Korean Challenges;" "Shifting Korean-Chinese Relations and the Implications for the United States;" and "China's Economic Reforms: A Model for the DPRK?"

For more information on the Korea-China Forum, please contact Nicole Finnemann, KEI's Director of Research & Academic Affairs at nmf@keia.org.

Korea-Japan Study Group
KEI co-sponsors a Korea-Japan Study Group, which meets bi-monthly to tackle issues that inform, strengthen and sometimes plague the relationship between the Koreas and Japan. Co-organized by the CSIS and the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Foundation, the Korea-Japan Study Group is the Washington offshoot of a study group founded in Tokyo in the 1990s.

For more information on the Korea-Japan Study Group, please contact Nicole Finnemann at nmf@keia.org.