1. The Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), together with the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) of Stanford University, will host the 13th Republic of Korea-United States West Coast Strategic Forum at the KNDA on December 11.

2. The US participants in the forum themed “Challenges and Opportunities for ROK-US Relations” will include Director Shin Gi-wook of the Shorenstein APARC; Michael Armacost, a Distinguished Shorenstein Fellow and former Ambassador to Japan; Karl Eikenberry, a Fellow in International Security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, a Distinguished Shorenstein Fellow and former Ambassador to Afghanistan; and T. J. Pempel, a professor of the University of California at Berkeley. The ROK side will consist of 20-odd experts, including from IFANS.

3. The forum will serve as a good opportunity to effectively review and gather opinions on government policies from non-governmental sectors. On the occasion, the participants will discuss the current ROK-US alliance and a variety of issues related to the developments of the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, thereby contributing to the establishment of the ROK government’s foreign policies down the road.

4. IFANS will publish an English-language report on the outcome of the forum and post it on the KNDA website at www.knda.go.kr. 


                        Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation