The Meaning of Korean Unification in Asia

August 12, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Mānoa Campus, John A. Burns Hall, Room 3012

Research Program Presents

The Meaning of Korean Unification in Asia

Victor Cha
Visiting Scholar, EWC
Professor, Georgetown University and Senior Advisor, CSIS

A speech by South Korean president Park Guen-hye in Dresden, Germany about unification as a "jackpot" or "bonanza" has created new discussions in Washington and in Seoul with regard to the meaning of the concept. How has the narrative and public discourse on unification evolved over time? Why has it become a topic of such keen interest for policymakers and scholars today? And what are the implications of the concept for regional relations? This seminar will look at the historical evolution of the concept of unification in Korea, and regional views of the prospects of such an event being realized.

Victor Cha holds the D.S. Song-KF Chair in Government and Asian Studies at Georgetown University, where he is director of the East Asia National Resource Center and the new M.A. program in Asian Studies. He formerly served on the National Security Council staff as director of Asian affairs, and as the U.S. Deputy Head of delegation for the Six Party talks. His new book is The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future (Ecco, 2013).


Event Sponsor
East-West Center, Mānoa Campus

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