REGISTER: https://www.isdp.eu/event/korea-strategic-talks-webinar-iv/
The Institute for Security and Development Policy's Korea Center will be hosting a series consisting of two talks in December, focusing on domestic political and economic developments in North Korea. This talk, the first in the series, is scheduled to take place on December 3rd at 15:00 Swedish time (UTC+1) or 9:00am Eastern time.
The ISDP’s Strategic Talks series aims to promote dialogue and exchange of ideas related to the developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the region and to further increase the understanding of the many factors and policies that impact security developments. Scholars and experts from diverse fields and backgrounds are invited to a conversation moderated by Mats Engman, Head of the Stockholm Korea Center.
This session will feature Ms. Rachel Minyoung Lee from the Stimson Center’s program 38 North, and Dr. Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The second series of the Strategic Talks will concentrate on domestic political and economic development in North Korea, asking and answering questions such as: what is the current economic and socio-economic situation in North Korea; what are the main challenges; and what impact will the improved relations with Russia have? On the domestic political situation, the conversation seeks to explore the implications of North Korea’s new policy on unification, the risks of sending North Korean soldiers to fight in Russia, and the overall situation for the Kim family and regime.
The Strategic Talks will be live and online and recorded for later use. A typical session runs for 60 min. Occasionally, a Strategic Talk or a series of talks will be summarized into a publication.
Speakers:
Rachel Minyoung Lee is a Senior Fellow for the Stimson Center’s Korea Program and 38 North, where she focuses on North Korea’s domestic developments and foreign policy. She is also co-chair of the Steering Committee for the North Korea Economic Forum at the George Washington Institute for Korean Studies. Lee was a North Korean propaganda analyst with Open Source Enterprise in the US government from 2000 to 2019.
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein is an Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Associate Fellow at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs, and Non-Resident Fellow at the Stimson Center’s 38 North program. His research focuses on North Korea’s society, history, economy, and social dynamics.