The Korea Program (formerly the Korean Studies Program) at Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) advances social science-oriented study of policy-relevant challenges facing the Korean Peninsula and U.S.-Korea relations. Founded with a mission to be a research hub on contemporary Korea, our work is interdisciplinary, using the methods and insights of both area studies and the social sciences.

We focus on issues such as North Korea and inter-Korean relations, cooperation and security in East Asia, and the social, economic, and political forces affecting South Korea’s present and shaping its future. We collaborate with academic and policy institutions in Korea and elsewhere, and publish books, policy reports, and journal articles.

Home to a vibrant community of scholars and professionals, we offer fellowship and training opportunities to students, rising scholars, and established experts, and convene a wide range of academic and public forums that promote understanding of Korean affairs and strengthen U.S.-Korea relations. 

The Korea Program was established in 2001 with the appointment of Professor Gi-Wook Shin as the founding director. We are one of several research programs housed at Shorenstein APARC in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Learn more about our history in coverage of our tenth anniversary and twentieth anniversary.