Asia Program
When Park Geun-hye meets with Barack Obama for the first time as South Korea's newly elected president in May, the two leaders will be tasked with addressing the challenges facing their respective countries on a national, bilateral, and regional basis. Relations between Seoul and Washington are perhaps now stronger than they ever have been since the signing of the bilateral military alliance 60 years ago. At the same time, however, the two countries are facing new hurdles that will require a deepening of existing ties amid growing tensions facing the Asia-Pacific region. A surge in China's political power and economic might, and increasing hostilities from North Korea have certainly increased anxieties about the region's outlook. In the face of such rising conflicts, the alliance between South Korea and the United States is expected to strengthen further as the region undergoes sweeping changes.
Panelists: Morton H. Halperin, Chung-in Moon, Donald Manzullo, Gilbert Rozman, Jae Kyung Kim, Seung Hee You, Yoon Joe Shim, Fred Bergsten, Wendy Cutler, Gheewhan Kim
