Republic of Korea-U.S. Relations at the Crossroads: Changes and Continuity under Trump Administration
Join us on October 22, 2025 for the 12th Korean Peninsula Forum. This year’s topic is ‘South Korea-U.S. relations at the Crossroads: Changes and Continuity under Trump Administration’. There will be two sessions the first of which is centered on security relations and a second session in which presenters and discussants will focus on the economic relations and specifically the impact of tariffs. Leading experts in these fields joined with our own UW faculty in these fields will present.
Panel 1: Security Relations
“Can the Trump-Lee Alliance Restart Talks with North Korea?”
Philo Kim 김병로, Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, Seoul National University
“The Republic of Korea in the Age of Emergent Offensive Realism”
Greg Scalatoiu, Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK)
Discussant: Bum Soo Kim 김범수, Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, Seoul National University
Discussant: David Bachman, UW Jackson School of International Studies
Panel 2: U.S.-Republic of Korean Economic Relations: The Impact of the Tariffs
“The Rise and Decline of ‘Security with the US, Economy with China'(安美經中) in Korea”
Wanghwi Lee, Ajou University
“US-Korea Economic Relations After Free Trade”
Troy Stangarone, the Wilson Center
Discussant: Daniel Bessner, UW Jackson School of International Studies
Discussant: James Kim, UW Department of Political Science
Moderator: Yong-chool Ha, UW Jackson School of International Studies
5:00 Doors open
5:30 Event starts
Panelist presentations to be followed by discussant commentaries
7 PM Event ends – Reception starts.
Presentations followed by reception for all attendees. See link below for more information. (Event will not be recorded).
Reception hosted by Seoul National University to follow in Kane 225
