Message from the President

Welcome to the Korea Economic Institute of America, better known as KEI. We are a US think tank and public outreach organization established in 1982 to promote public understanding of Korea in the United States and support the US-South Korea partnership. For over 40 years of operation, KEI has sought to broaden and deepen the US-South Korea security alliance, strengthening the mutual economic, political, security, and cultural interests between our two societies.

KEI is fully funded by the government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and is registered with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). KEI is also registered in the District of Columbia as a 501(c) 6 non-profit organization led by an independent board of directors, which provides a governance and oversight role over all KEI activities. KEI does not take positions on specific policies. I, my staff, and the experts we convene will contribute to our platform by expressing their own views and providing incisive policy-oriented analysis of the US-Korea relationship.

I am proud to have assumed leadership of KEI at a moment when the US-Korea relationship is more important than it has ever been and as Korea’s economic and cultural influences are extending more deeply into the United States. We at KEI seek to explain what the US-Korea relationship means and why it matters to the US public.

I am also eager to expand our educational role and develop a network of future policy practitioners by building upon our partnerships with World Affairs Councils and universities around the country. We are providing must-see, must-read, and must-hear content on all aspects of the US-Korea relationship. We are planning a busy schedule, and I hope to see you at an upcoming KEI event.