Achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula is of utmost importance to the administration of Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, says Korean policy expert Ki-jung Kim.
Kim, a professor in the Yonsei University Department of Political Science and International Relations, will examine the Moon government's policies in a public seminar titled "Inter-Korea Strategy of the Moon Jae-in Government and the Future of the Peninsula" at the East-West Center on Friday, November 1, 2019.
According to Kim, there are two facets to the relationship between peace and denuclearization: “peace through denuclearization” and “denuclearization through peace.” North Korea-U.S. talks focus primarily on achieving peace through denuclearization. The South Korean government, however, believes both methods are valid and necessary. “Denuclearization through peace” ensures that North Korea does not deviate from the path to denuclearization; it can even accelerate the process.
Ki-Jung Kim is a leading scholar and policy expert on security issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula. He is known as President Moon Jae-in’s “foreign brain,” one of the main architects of the Moon administration’s North Korea Policy. He served as the chairman of the Foreign Policy and National Security Advising Committee of Moon’s 2016 Presidential Transition Team. He was the second deputy director of national security of the Moon Jae-in government. Kim holds a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree from Yonsei University.
Kim's talk takes place from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. in Room 3121 of John A. Burns Hall at the East-West Center. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Those wishing to attend should RSVP by Thursday, October 31, to (808) 944-7111 or by e-mail to EWCInfo@EastWestCenter.org.