KEI’s Future of Korea is an outreach program that strengthens interest in U.S.-Korea relations with community members, scholars, and students outside of the DC metropolitan area. KEI hosts a series of six to eight programs annually with leading local World Affairs Councils throughout the United States.
The Future of Korea program features panel presentations by a team of up to three people, usually one member of KEI, a representative from the U.S. State Department, and a diplomat from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. The panel addresses all aspects of U.S.-Korea relations and the situation on the Korean peninsula, including political, economic, and security issues, followed by a question and answer session. In addition to the core event, the program often includes a similar panel discussion at a local university or high school and various media events. Other events are added depending on the wishes of the local host organization. These successful and popular programs have attracted as many as 2,000 participants in some cities.
KEI has scheduled the following six Future of Korea programs for 2023/2024:
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Orange County, California
- Peoria/Springfield, Illinois
- San Antonio, Texas
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Houston, Texas
KEI selects the local World Affairs Councils by issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to host a Future of Korea program. The winning proposals are selected based on the assessed program feasibility, consistency with Future of Korea goals and objectives, and cost-effectiveness.
KEI works with local chapters of the World Affairs Council to customize programs to draw the widest community participation. Types of programs include evening panel discussions on current events on the Korean peninsula in addition to roundtables with business leaders, meetings with editorial boards, and Korean film screenings with discussions. All travel and hotel costs are covered by KEI.
For more information, please contact Andy Hong, KEI’s Program Officer at ah@keia.org
