REGISTER: https://asiasociety.org/australia/events/between-engagement-and-deterrence-navigating-tensions-korean-peninsula
What will the future of security on the Korean peninsula look like and what ramifications will this have on the broader Indo-Pacific? How will the upcoming South Korean elections change the way we engage with an unpredictable North Korean regime?
For seven decades, the Korean peninsula has remained a potential flashpoint for destabilising conflict. When President Moon Jae-in came into office in 2017, he was determined to improve inter-Korea relations. However, far from the initial elation which met the historic Singapore Summit of 2018, North Korea has renewed its engagement in provocative behaviour. Since the beginning of 2022 alone, North Korea has launched over six rounds of missile launches.
Finding a way to engage with the North has thus proven to be a complex and polarising task. In South Korea, upcoming presidential elections in March will also have deep implications on North-South relations. And in the United States, President Biden’s cautious stance towards the regime means a repeat of a bilateral summit is highly unlikely.
This event hosted by Asia Society-Australia will feature Lauren Richardson, Asia Society Australia-Korea Fellow, Seong-Ho Sheen, Professor of International Relations, Seoul National University, and Justin Hastings, Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics at the University of Sydney, for a discussion on the new strategic realities of the Korean peninsula. The discussion will be moderated by Jeongmin Kim, correspondent at NK News.