Conference at Maxwell School will address U.S. policy toward North Korea

The Korean Peninsula Affairs Center at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is hosting a Nov. 15 conference that will bring together scholars, diplomats and practitioners to examine current and past U.S. policy toward North Korea. The day-long conference will open with a talk by Donald P. Gregg, former U. S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and chairman emeritus of The Korea Society. All sessions are free and open to the public.

The March 2010 sinking of the South Korean ship Cheonan in the West Sea near the North Korean sea border has resulted in heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and a hardening of positions toward North Korea from nations around the world. In this context, the workshop presenters will look at contemporary U.S. positions toward North Korea and discuss how the assumptions on which they are based may be debated.

In addition to the opening talk by Ambassador Gregg, conference presenters will address topics including:

• The impact of the Cheonan sinking on future relations with North Korea
• North Korean leadership: Chairman Kim Jong Il
• The future of U.S. alliance relationships in Northeast Asia
• U.S.-North Korea relations in historical context
• North Korea’s trade patterns

Gregg’s remarks will kick off the conference at 9 a.m. The first panel will run from 9:30 – 11:45 a.m.; the second panel will run from 1:30-4 p.m. All sessions will be held in the Maxwell School’s Public Events Room, 220 Eggers Hall, on the SU campus. Details are available at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/conferences/kpac.