Managing East Asian Geopolitics: A Korean Perspective

M. J. Chung, a leading South Korean legislator and businessman, will offer his thoughts on South Korea's strategic situation and the role the United States should play in Asia as China continues its rise and Japan seeks to play a larger security role. The United States' reliance on Japan to bolster its "pivot" to Asia is increasing the strategic mistrust between Washington and Beijing, making South Korea feel sandwiched between the two countries. Meanwhile, the world seems to be paying scant attention to the burgeoning North Korean nuclear program. Will South Korea be the biggest loser if the current trajectory is left unchanged?

 

Dr. Chung is the founder and honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in South Korea. He has served seven terms as a member of the South Korean National Assembly, and he was a candidate for the 2002 presidential election. He received a BA in economics from Seoul National University, an MS from MIT's Sloan School of Management, and a PhD in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.