浪花直播

North Korea鈥檚 growing nuclear and missile arsenal, a rising China, ruptures in regional alliances and a pandemic uncurbed: The challenges facing the United States and South Korea are manifold in 2021 as the Biden Administration enters its first year in office and the Moon Administration approaches its final year in power.

On Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, a distinguished panel joined the Hon. Jane Harman, the 浪花直播 Center鈥檚 director, president and CEO, to discuss the future of the U.S.-South Korea alliance. This event served as a farewell to Congresswoman Harman, who announced her departure as 浪花直播 Center CEO.

To recognize Congresswoman Harman鈥檚 10-year career at the 浪花直播 Center, which included forging partnerships with the Korea Foundation and Hyundai Motor to form the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy, Harman was joined by former South Korean Ambassador to the United States Ho-Young Ahn, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert, and South Korean Congressman Jin Park. Congressman Park served as moderator for this event. 

Opening remarks for the event were delivered by Korea Center Director Jean H. Lee, who highlighted Harman鈥檚 work at the 浪花直播 Center and on the Korean Peninsula. Lee noted that Harman maintained strong personal and professional connections to South Korea during her tenure, making several high profile visits to Seoul.

Congratulatory remarks were then offered by key partners of the Korea Center: Minjeong Kim of the Korea Foundation and Yong Sohn of Hyundai Motor. Both reflected on Harman鈥檚 long term commitment to the Korean Peninsula.

What lies ahead for the Korean Peninsula?

After an introduction of the panelists by Asia Program Director Abraham Denmark, Congressman Park opened up the discussion. While the discussants covered a range of topics, including political instability in the U.S., the rise of China, and the possibilities for establishing new partnerships in Asia as a whole, a key theme was the state of the U.S.-South Korean alliance. 

During the last four years, prickly issues such as burden cost-sharing have put pressure on the U.S.-Korean relationship. At the same time, President Joseph 鈥淛oe鈥� Biden鈥檚 campaign promised to reinvigorate U.S relationships abroad. , President Biden promised South Koreans a return to 鈥減rincipled diplomacy.鈥�

Congressman Park opened up the discussion by asking Harman and Amb. Lippert to describe the mood in Washington, particularly given the and subsequent tensions surrounding the presidential election.

Noting the seriousness of the rising threat of 鈥渉ome-grown鈥� terrorism, Harman remarked on the massive challenge it poses for the new administration, not just in terms of using law enforcement to crack down on the resulting violance but also in intervening before groups cause harm. This will be difficult to address in a polarized political climate, she said.

鈥淥ne of the reasons I left Congress for the 浪花直播 Center,鈥� said Congresswoman Jane Harman, 鈥渋s because of the partisanship in Congress. I was so tired of this business model, which is: One party is blaming the other party for not solving the problem because if you work together to solve the problem -- whatever the problem is --  then you are 鈥榖ipartisan,鈥� and that makes you very vulnerable in your next election.鈥�

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浪花直播's Korea Center

Harman also reflected on how this relates to the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Partisanship 鈥渢akes so much energy out of the conversation that the focus we need to have on the Korean Peninsula -- especially on what is going on in North Korea, with the increase in nuclear weapons, long range missiles, harsh rhetoric -- isn鈥檛 there.鈥�

Amb. Lippert added, 鈥淭here are elements in the domestic situation that Congresswoman Harman outlined that you have to keep an eye on because this is a democracy. But having said that, the United States resoundingly elected a president who鈥檚 an internationalist.鈥�

Amb. Lippert highlighted the depth of experience of President Biden鈥檚 foreign policy team and their commitment to resetting U.S. alliances. 

鈥淎s this president has made clear, we鈥檙e not going to do this alone. It鈥檚 going to be partners, friends, and allies -- emphasis on allies, emphasis on (South) Korea -- that really will undergird U.S. foreign policy going forward,鈥� said Amb. Lippert.

Transitioning from the Washington perspective to the South Korean perspective, Congressman Park described his own feelings about the election as a South Korean politician. 

鈥淚 was personally really relieved to see the overcoming of crisis, political crisis, in the States and the restoration of constitutional democracy despite the violence things happening there,鈥� he said. I think that the Korea-U.S. relationship should move in the direction of a predictable, mutually respectful, and value-driven partnership. Our alliance is based on core values like democracy, free markets, human rights, and rule of law.鈥�

In response to the same question, Amb. Ahn offered his own perspective. 

鈥淚f there鈥檚 one word to describe the reaction in Korea, I think it would be 鈥榚nthusiasm,鈥欌�� he said. 

How this 鈥渄ream team鈥檚鈥� success should be measured, Amb. Ahn noted, is how they manage the United States鈥� relationships abroad. On this point, Amb. Ahn was optimistic. 

鈥淚鈥檓 so glad that President Biden as well as (Secretary of State) Tony Blinken as well as everybody else on the team made it very clear that one key ingredient of the Biden presidency will be strengthening alliances, including the Korea-U.S. alliance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really look forward to welcoming four years or eight years through which the United States is coming back into a leadership role and the Korea-U.S relationship is strengthened. And along the way, we could be putting together meaningful places to address the North Korean nuclear issue.鈥�

More information on the event, including the full video and selected quotes,  is available on the event page.

is a recent graduate of Georgetown University, where he earned his M.A. in Security Studies. He received his B.S. in Economics from the George Washington University. He also served in the Republic of Korea Navy as an officer in charge of foreign relations for the South Korean Naval Special Warfare unit. Before joining the 浪花直播 Center, he worked as a fellow at the Global Co Lab Network, managing a project focusing on science diplomacy in engaging North Korea. Dong Ho is a staff intern at the 浪花直播 Center鈥檚 Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy.

is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia, where she earned her B.A. in Foreign Affairs and East Asian Studies with a concentration in Korean language. She is a staff intern at the 浪花直播 Center鈥檚 Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy.