On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, the panel will address contextual elements about the Korean War to understand the past and the future of the relationships between South Korea and Colombia, and with other Latin American countries.

The result of the upcoming US president election will have a strong impact on global politics. The Korean Peninsula is no exception. President Donald Trump has made history by meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times, but his approach to the US-ROK alliance has brought growing tensions with South Korea. Joe Biden promises to “work with allies” including South Korea, but he has been critical of Trump’s North Korea policy.

Who might Seoul and Pyongyang want to win the election? How would Seoul and Pyongyang react to a Trump or a Biden victory? And what might be the impact of the result of the election on inter-Korean relations? This expert panel will analyse these questions.

President Donald Trump’s first four years in the White House sparked dramatic shifts in diplomacy in Northeast Asia, including historic summits with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, protracted military negotiations with South Korea and rising strategic competition with China. What could the next four years look like for Asia if he is re-elected? And what changes and challenges might we anticipate if former Vice President Joseph Biden wins the November election?

The year 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of the EU-ROK Strategic Partnership. How has the partnership evolved during these ten years? What future awaits the partnership in the context of growing US-China rivalry? And how can the partnership promote stronger bilateral diplomatic, security and economic links, as well as support multilateralism? This panel will address these questions by taking a critical look at the partnership's strengths and areas for improvement.

This launch event in the Seoul Plaza Hotel will discuss the findings of the "Korea Matters for Europe/Europe Matters for Korea" research report published by KF-VUB Korea Chair, East West Center, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, and Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). The report will be presented followed by a panel discussion.

In the framework of the project "Exploring Trade Cooperation between South Korea and the Pacific Alliance", a second seminar on the topic of trade relations and cooperation will be presented. The aim is to focus on public and private sector's views and perspectives on the trade relationship between the Pacific Alliance (PA) and South Korea. The seminar will discuss the particular characteristics of trade and investment, as well as challenges and opportunities in light of the signed FTAs and Korea’s entry as an associate member of the Alliance.

Engagement is necessary to address North Korean issues, but sustained engagement has been elusive in recent years as the United States and the international community have prioritised sanctions and summits without a proper diplomatic process. Three experts discuss the prospects that diplomacy can resume following the US presidential election.

Please join us for a special conversation to discuss trade and cooperation between South Korea and the Pacific Alliance member states: Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.