Korean Studies

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New Developments in Inter-Korean Relations

Thursday, March 4, 2021
12 PM EST
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Woodrow Wilson Center director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy Jean Lee converses with senior director Stephen Noerper on ROK-DPRK relations. They address the impasse and opportunity between North Korea and South Korea and offer recommendations for the US and other policymakers on peninsular realities and possibilities. This program is made possible thanks to the support from the Korea Foundation.

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Wartime Legacies: Korean, Japanese and U.S. Perspectives on Recent Court Cases on the “Comfort Women”

Atsuko Kanehara, Japanese Society of International Law, Sophia University
Terence Roehrig, U.S. Naval War College
Jeong-Ho Roh, Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia Law School

Registration here.

Abstract: In January 2021, a South Korean court ordered the Japanese government to pay damages to twelve Korean women forced into sexual servitude in military brothels during World War II. Though largely symbolic since the Japanese government refused to appear in court and has rejected the judgement on the grounds that Korea has no jurisdiction over Japan, it is certain to further inflame relations between the United States’ two most important allies in East Asia.

What are the legal issues behind this case? What arguments does each side bring to bear and what is their merit? Given the threats posed by North Korea and China, and American reliance on their allies in the region, how does this ruling complicate the Biden administration’s plans for trilateral cooperation?

The Center for Korean Legal Studies will welcome Professor Atsuko Kanehara (President, Japanese Society of International Law, Sophia University), Professor Terence Roehrig (U.S. Naval War College), and Center Director Jeong-Ho Roh for a discussion of the legal aspects of the “Comfort Women,” and a look into what role the U.S. might play in helping to finally resolve these complex issues.

Co-sponsored by Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia Law School

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Pathways to a Brighter Future for North Korea’s Economy

Join us for a discussion about scenarios for North Korean development and inter-Korean economic integration. Seoul National University economics Professor Byung-Yeon Kim, former World Bank economist and a consultant on Asian affairs Brad Babson, and NK Pro analyst Peter Ward join Korea Society President Tom Byrne in conversation. Together, they investigate what domestic reforms will be necessary to empower development and forecast potential roles for South Korea, the U.S. and the international community. Korea Society Policy Director Jonathan Corrado moderates audience questions.

Register here.

This program is supported by a grant from the UniKorea Foundation.
This event is co-sponsored by the Columbia Business School’s APEC Study Center.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Byung-Yeon Kim is Professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University (SNU) and the author of Unveiling the North Korean Economy: Collapse and Transition (2017). His research interests lie in the fields of transition economics and applied econometrics, in particular with reference to North Korea as well as former socialist countries. He received his B.A. and M.A. from SNU and his D.Phil. from the University of Oxford.

Brad Babson worked for the World Bank for 26 years before retiring in 2000 and has studied the North Korean economy and written extensively on economic perspectives on the integration of North Korea into the international community. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Korea Economic Institute of America, the World Economic Forum Global Futures Council on the Korean Peninsula, and the Steering Committee of the National Committee for North Korea. He was formerly theChair of the DPRK Economic Forum at the U.S.-Korea Institute, John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has consulted for the World Bank and United Nations and been involved in projects sponsored by various institutes, foundations and universities.

Peter Ward is a writer and researcher focusing on the North Korean economy, as well as a PhD candidate at the University of Vienna.

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