Center for U.S.-Korea Policy

The Asia Foundation today announced that the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and its director and founder, Mr. Scott Snyder, a preeminent scholar on U.S.-Korea relations, will be moving to the Council on Foreign Relations, where Mr. Snyder will become a Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Council’s Program on U.S.-Korea Policy. Launche… Read more

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 12:00pm The Korea Society, New York 950 Third Avenue, 8th Floor New York, NY Cost: Members ($20), Non-Members ($25) Buy tickets here The Korea Society in New York will host Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, as part of its third session in its series on China-Korea relations. A noted author and analyst,… Read more

Thursday, September 15 & Friday, September 16 Center for U.S.-Korean Policy at the University of British Columbia Vancouver, B.C., Canada The Center for U.S.-Korea Policy will hold a closed-door workshop on North Korea’s transition as part of a joint project led by Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, and Kyung-Ae Park, Director… Read more

An article in Equilibri.net (Italy) features an interview with the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy’s See-Won Byun. Byun discusses the “Korea-China-Japan triangle” and how the relationship has evolved over the years. She explains, “Although prospects for this trilateral as a security mechanism remains uncertain, their current 10-year plan envisions a c… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its July newsletter, featuring “Did Deterrence Against North Korea Fail in 2010?” by Ken Jimbo, Associate Professor at Keio University. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the July issue.

An article in Voice of America examines the investigation to determine if the toxic defoliant Agent Orange was buried at a U.S. military base in South Korea three decades ago. According to the U.S.-Republic of Korea Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the U.S. is not responsible for the clean-up costs of military bases. While some analysts want to r… Read more

Two South Korean marines guarding an island near the West Sea demarcation line that has been the site of several inter-Korean incidents in recent years last Friday mistakenly shot their K-2 rifles at a Korean civilian airliner traveling from Chengdu with 119 passengers on board…

In an interview with the Korea Herald earlier this year, Hur Dong-Soo, CEO of Korea’s GS Caltex, called his company’s investments in heavy-oil upgrading facilities a “green growth business.” As the phrase “green growth” becomes ever more common

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its June newsletter, featuring “Korea’s 97 Billion Dollar Question: What Is Green Growth?” by Jill Kosch O’Donnell. Read her essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the June issue.

See-Won Byun, Research Associate of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, assesses China-Korea-Japan trilateralism in the latest issue of the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Bulletin.  Read the full article: “The China-South Korea-Japan Triangle: The Shape of Things to Come?”

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships for the January-April 2011 period. Read the full article: “Can Inter-Korean Dialogue Revive the Six-Party Talks?”

Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:00 am—1:30 pm (lunch provided) Korea Economic Institute 1800 K Street NW, Suite 1010 Washington, DC KEI Conference Room In the two and a half years since President Lee Myung-bak announced his “me first” strategy for accelerating green growth in Korea, he has inked numerous bilateral clean energy agreements, overseen passag… Read more

North Korea’s National Defense Commission yesterday released a rare public statement on inter-Korean relations in response to Lee Myung-Bak’s May 9 Berlin speech inviting Kim Jong Il to attend next year’s Nuclear Security Summit.

At a State Department briefing earlier this week, the spokesman stated that U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea Ambassador Robert King may be tasked to lead a food assessment mission to North Korea. This announcement comes following a round of consultations…

An article in The Korea Times discusses Ambassador Robert King’s visit to North Korea where he is evaluating North Korea’s request for food aid. Scott Snyder explains why more diplomacy is needed before any resumption of assistance takes place. Snyder is quoted as saying “There will be a need to make sure that both governments have the same positio… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its May newsletter, featuring “Delivering Social Justice for North Korean Refugees in South Korea,” by Gil-Sung Park, Professor at Korea University, and Chun Sang Moon, former Program Officer of The Asia Foundation Korea office. Read their essay and find out more about the Center’s lat… Read more

There has been a protracted debate over whether the United States should give food assistance in response to North Korea’s appeals for assistance from earlier this year, with an exchange between Stephan Haggard and Lee Jong Cheol as the most recent example.

The latest issue of the Royal United Services Institute’s RUSI Journal features an article on the regional response to North Korean by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy. Read the full article, “Cheonan and Yeonpyeong: The Northeast Asian Response to North Korea’s Provocations,” RUSI Journal, Vol. 15… Read more

NHK live broadcasts on the tsunami that swept coastal villages in Eastern Japan on March 11 were a shocking scene to the Korean people. Japan now confronts the aftermath of triple natural disasters – an earthquake of a record 9.0 magnitude, a devastating tsunami, and the threat of radioactive contamination…

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its April newsletter, featuring “The Great East Japan Earthquake and Coordination among U.S. Allies,” by Cheol Hee Park, Associate Professor at Seoul National University. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the April issue.

A new report of the Henry L. Stimson Center, North Korea: Challenge for the US-Japan Alliance, includes a chapter by Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director. Read the chapter, “North Korea: A Catalyst for Policy Coordination Between the United States and Japan.” The full report is available for download here.

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released a new report on U.S.-South Korea cooperation on North Korean human rights, by Balbina Y. Hwang, Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. Read the report here.

I was a last-minute substitute speaker this week on the U.S.-South Korean nuclear relationship at the Carnegie Endowment’s 2011 Nuclear Policy Conference.The focus of our panel on “U.S. Nuclear Cooperation: How and With Whom?” was on issues surrounding a new U.S.-ROK nuclear cooperation…

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its March newsletter, featuring “Time for a Comprehensive, Proactive North Korea Policy,” by Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard, President of the Korea Economic Institute. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the March issue.

An article in The Korea Times highlights David D. Arnold, president of The Asia Foundation, visiting Seoul and speaking at an event attended by Rep. Chung Ok-nim of the ruling Grand National Party, former government officials, ambassadors, and lawmakers. Arnold discussed the opportunity to share Korea’s knowledge with other countries in the region…. Read more

Scott Snyder, the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, assesses South Korean views of the nuclear posture review in the special March 2011 issue of The Nonproliferation Review (Vol. 18, NO. 1), “Arms, Disarmament, and Influence: International Reactions on the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review.”  Read the abstract of his article, “Finding A Balance betw… Read more

On January 28, 2011, Georgetown University’s Asian Studies Program hosted a roundtable discussion on current developments in North Korea. Speakers included Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy; L. Gordon Flake, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; Michael Green, Georgetown University/Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); an… Read more

An article in Bloomberg focuses on North Korea’s rebound in trade with China and how North Korea’s exports to China increased 51 percent last year. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying, “Even if North Korea’s front door is firmly locked, there is every reason to think the regime can gain what it needs to survive with impunity as long as the back door i… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its February newsletter, featuring “Shifting Political Ground in South Korea: Implications for the ROK-U.S. Alliance,” by Woo Jung-Yeop, Research Fellow at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the Febr… Read more

Less than three months after North Korea’s shelling of South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island, North and South Korea opened preliminary, colonel-level talks yesterday to set an agenda and date for ministerial-level defense talks. However, the talks adjourned without reaching an agreement, raising questions about prospects for renewed diplomacy…

An article on Voice of America examines Sino-North Korea relations and how for North Korea, China is an example of authoritarian capitalism done well. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying “I think the dilemma that the Chinese face is that North Korea on its current path may be inherently unstable. And so investments might be a potential way of trying t… Read more

Both North and South Koreans appear to have had disproportionately high expectations in the run-up to last week’s Hu-Obama summit, judging from their reluctant willingness to edge toward tension reduction and dialogue following the November 23rd Yeonpyeong Island artillery shelling…

The latest issue of Samsung Economic Research Institute’s SERI Quarterly features an article by Scott Snyder, Director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, on Korean unification in the context regional security. Read the full article, “Value and Significance of Korean Reunification within the Dynamics of Northeast Asia,” SERI Quar… Read more

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its quarterly assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships. Read the full article: “DPRK Provocations Test China’s Regional Role.”

Recent turbulence on the Korean Peninsula raises several key questions: What is the best way to assure stability there? How can the U.S.-ROK alliance play its due role while still being perceived as a stabilizer by other stakeholders, and how can China positively interact with the two allies? If China still feels that the “evidence” that the ROK-led investigation secured regarding the Cheonan’s sinking…

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its January newsletter, featuring “Building Regional Stability on the Korean Peninsula: A Chinese Perspective,” by Shen Dingli, Professor and Executive Dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s late… Read more

An article on The Asia Times Online (Hong Kong) focuses on U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visiting China and U.S.-China relations. The author argues that China has not discussed the possible crumbling of North Korea with the U.S. because there is a lack of trust between the two countries. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying “To have that discu… Read more

An article in China Daily focuses on Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, visiting China to help defuse tensions in the Korean peninsula. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying, “I think the hope is that strengthened Sino-US consultations can serve to cap any potential escalation in inter-Korean relations, since initial c… Read more

The East Asia Institute has just published my critique of an earlier paper by Dong Sun Lee and Sung Eun Kim, which concludes that ratification of the KORUS FTA will not “markedly reinforce” the U.S.-ROK security alliance. I agree with that conclusion, but I think that the KORUS FTA provides an important strategic message of psychological support fo… Read more

In a new report published by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, Research Associate See-Won Byun assesses regional security in Northeast Asia in the aftermath of the Cheonan sinking and the Yeonpyeong artillery barrage. The report focuses on dynamics among the United States, China, and the two Koreas. Read an excerpt below, or downl… Read more

An article in BBC News examines the Pyongyang Project, which brings students from the U.S., U.K., Canada, and other nations into North Korea. The students are able to visit and talk to North Korean residents about their lives. Scott Snyder comments on the recent tension on the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s shelling of Yeongpyeong island. Snyd… Read more

An article in Reuters focuses on South Korea’s president Lee Myung-bak’s support for inter-Korea dialogue to tackle a possible nuclear crisis. However, many analysts are not as optimistic about six-party talks because of deep divisions and a lack of pressure on North Korea. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying, “There could be some sort of alternative… Read more

An article on Yonhap News Agency (Korea) focuses on North Korea allowing international inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying “North Korea has a better track record on implementation of threats than negotiated commitments, but it has also used bluffing tactics to heighten ambiguity and induce caution by its a… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its December newsletter, featuring “North Korea’s Provocations and Implications for Northeast Asian Regional Stability,” based on the Center’s new report, “North Korea’s Provocations and Their Impact on Northeast Asian Regional Security,” by See-Won Byun, Research Associate, Center for… Read more

China’s response to North Korea’s artillery shelling of South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island last week has been relatively rapid compared to the slowness of its response to the sinking last March (it took three weeks for the Chinese government to express its condolences in response to the sinking of the Cheonan). But, as underscored in Sunday’s New York… Read more

An article in USA Today examines North Korea’s artillery attack on Yeonpyeong island. Scott Snyder expressed that it may be time for China to show more strength and for the U.S. to push the issue. “One stop available is to take this to the U.N. Security Council with the idea of (getting) some states to go on board in expressing dissatisfaction with… Read more

An article on CNN World focuses on artillery attacks between North and South Korea. Scott Snyder called the act a “very serious provocation” and said it was “unprecedented in recent years [at least since the 1970s if not longer] in terms of artillery beyond the DMZ into civilian areas.” Snyder continues to comment, “It also signals dissatisfaction… Read more

Although the main stories of the Obama visit to Korea revolved around the gap between the United States and China on global rebalancing issues at the G-20 and the failure of Presidents Obama and Lee to tee up the KORUS FTA, a third issue arose that dramatizes Sino-U.S. differences over the Korean peninsula. At a Veterans’ Day event with U.S. troops… Read more

Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director of The Asia Foundation, has contributed a chapter on Seoul’s North Korea policy and implications for inter-Korean relations in New Challenges of North Korean Foreign Policy, edited by Kyung-Ae Park. Read a draft version of the chapter here.

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its November newsletter, featuring “Does the Republican Victory in the House Open the Door for the KORUS FTA?” by Troy Stangarone, Director of Congressional Affairs and Trade for the Korea Economic Institute. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the… Read more

An article in The Diplomat features a Q&A interview with Scott Snyder, who discusses the North Korean leadership succession and what to expect under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un. Snyder examines North Korean’s future stability as well as relations with China and South Korea. Read the full article: “Getting Ready for Kim Jong-un.”

The Office of Senator Richard Lugar has released the latest Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, along with a statement that “the findings include a stark reminder that U.S. and China interests regarding North Korea are largely incongruent. While the United States presses for elimin… Read more

An article in The Daily NK focuses on the prospective Kim Jong Eun regime and provides expert opinions to the future of North Korea. This topic was discussed at the Network for North Korea Human Rights (NKnet) conference, where Scott Snyder was a participant. Snyder believes the real opinion of the Obama administration is that North Korean denuclea… Read more

In an op-ed for 38 North, Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, discusses prospects for inter-Korean relations after the March 2010 Cheonan sinking. Read the full article: “Prospects for Inter-Korean Relations after the Cheonan.”

In its quarterly assessment of East Asian bialteral relationships Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy’s Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations.  Read the full article, “Consolidating Ties with New DPRK Leadership”.

A major, largely overlooked development of the recent financial crisis has been the emergence of the G20 as the informal steering committee of the world economy. In recent decades that function had been played by the G7, a group of rich industrial democracies. The shift from the G7 to the G20 signals the growing pluralism of world affairs, and the… Read more

Having spent the past week in Seoul in the aftermath of the September 28 Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) conference and on the eve of the unprecedented 65th anniversary celebrations of the WPK’s founding, I was struck by just how few facts South Korean analysts (and the rest of the world!) yet have at their disposal in analyzing the latest North Kore… Read more

A radio interview on Radio Australia features an interview with Scott Snyder, who discusses Kim Jong Nam’s opposition to his younger brother, Kim Jong-un, as successor of North Korea. Scott provides background for Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong-un and voices his opinion that “There’s no doubt in my mind that [Kim Jong-un] has been selected as the desire… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its October newsletter, featuring “The Seoul G20 Summit: Opportunity for and Challenge to Strengthening U.S.-Korea Relations” by Marcus Noland, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Read his essay and find out more about the Center’s l… Read more

Ten years ago, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea, snubbed China’s defense minister on the 50th anniversary of the entry of the Chinese people’s volunteers into the Korean War: Instead, Kim Jong Il hosted the first-ever visit by a U.S. secretary of state, Madeleine Albright. A mirror image of that snub was recently delivered… Read more

An article in YaleGlobal features an article written by Scott Snyder, which focuses on the recent relations among North Korea, China, and the U.S. Scott points out that as China-North Korea relations improve, North Korea no longer appears to have the same priority to improve relations with the U.S. He also comments that “Chinese attempts to promote… Read more

An article in The Globe and Mail features an interview with Scott Snyder, who discusses the upcoming North Korea political meeting and the speculation that leader Kim Jong-il will announce his youngest son as the next leader of North Korea. In the Q&A session, Scott answers questions ranging from his opinions about the risk of internal collapse… Read more

An article posted on The Guardian examines China’s recent investment push in North Korea. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying, “Instead of simply showing Kim Jong-il the fruits of China’s reform and opening with the hopes that he will follow, China now appears ready to take a variety of measures to induce North Korea’s opening as a condition of its ec… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its September newsletter, featuring “U.S.-ROK Strategic Alliance” by Tara O, Assistant Professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Read her essay and find out more about the Center’s latest activities in the September issue.

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its August newsletter, featuring “2+2 and The U.S.-ROK Joint Vision Statement” by Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the August issue.

On August 13, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and The Asan Institute for Policy Studies convened U.S. and ROK experts in Seoul for a symposium on regional security after the March 25 sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan.  Event details are also available at asaninst.org. Session I: Post-Cheonan Regional Security: Where ar… Read more

An article in the Christian Science Monitor details speculation regarding whether Kim Jong-un will be confirmed as heir to power, as his father, Kim Jong-il, is expected to convene the first high-level conference of the ruling Workers’ Party in 40 years. The article quotes Scott Snyder, who says that the conference is “clearly related to the establ… Read more

An article in The Korea Times discusses the possibility of renewed dialogue between the US and North Korea. The article quotes Edward Reed, who states that if the conditions are right, the US could agree to bilateral contact as a prelude to the resumption of the six-party talks on Pyongyang’s denuclearization. Read the full article: “US to test wat… Read more

I spent last week at several meetings in Tokyo, Seoul, and Jeju that revolved around the Cheonan incident and its implications for regional security. The Lee Myung-Bak administration got high marks for its handling of the immediate aftermath of the incident. It is important to remember that in the hours following the Cheonan’s sinking on March 26th… Read more

An article in The Christian Science Monitor discusses other nations’ reluctance to resume six-party talks with North Korea, despite the readiness expressed by Kim Jong-Il. Scott Snyder is quoted saying that the US is essentially requiring North Korea to make the first move towards denuclearization. Read the full article: “Why only North Korea may b… Read more

An article in Yonhap News discussing Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s visit to North Korea quotes Scott Snyder, who said that “a Kim Jong-il meeting with Carter would not have had a big impact on US-DPRK relations since it was a private visit.” Read the full article: “Carter brings home American held in North Korea for trespassing: reports.”

An article in CNN examines speculation regarding Kim Jong Il’s trip to China, which coincided with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s trip to North Korea. Scott Snyder is quoted saying that If Kim left without meeting Carter, it would be perceived as an affront. Read the full article: “North Korean leader fuels speculation with trip to China.”

An article in Yonhap News details speculations regarding a visit by former president Jimmy Carter to Pyongyang to win the freedom of American journalist Aijalon Gomes. Scott Snyder is quoted discussing Carter’s 1994 visit, during which Kim Il-Sung negotiated for help from the U.S. in exchange for denuclearization. The story was picked up by The Kor… Read more

An article in Asia Times Online reports on former President Jimmy Carter’s trip to North Korea. Carter is set to travel to North Korea ‘within days’ in the capacity of a private citizen to try to gain the freedom of an American imprisoned for illegally entering the communist nation. Asia Foundation, Scott Snyder, is quoted as saying “North Koreans… Read more

Two months ago, the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan appeared to mark a turning point in inter-Korean relations. The South Korean interim investigation identified a North Korean torpedo as the cause of the sinking, providing South Korea and the United States with a strong case to take the issue to the UN Security Council and hold North… Read more

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its quarterly assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships.  Read the full article: “The Cheonan and China’s “Double Play”.”

A China Daily article details the controversy surrounding the U.S.-South Korean joint naval exercise, which began Sunday. The drill sparked warning of nuclear war from North Korea, and protests from China led to the relocation of the exercise from the Yellow Sea to the east coast of the Korean peninsula. Scott Snyder is quoted saying that the exerc… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its July newsletter, featuring: “Prospects for an Inter-Korean Summit in the Post-Cheonan Era,” by Kim Sung Bae, Research Fellow of the Institute for National Security Strategy, South Korea. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the July issue.

A Yonhap News article examines the possibility of North Korea resuming six-party talks in the wake of a U.N. Security Council statement that condemned the Cheonan attack. Scott Snyder is quoted as saying that the statement was designed to “lay the foundations for renewed diplomacy with the North.” Read the full article: “U.S. calls on N. Korea to p… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its new quarterly report on U.S.-ROK bilateral developments in green growth and climate change.  Read the April-June 2010 report here.

An article in World Tribune discusses the rapid economic growth of South Korea, and potential backlash from North Korea, which may see such growth as a threat. The Asia Foundation’s forum on South Korea’s development is cited (although The Asia Foundation is not credited as the organizer), and the Director of the Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-K… Read more

An article in Voice of America News discusses President Obama’s pledge to move forward with a U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. Scott Snyder, director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, is quoted citing potential difficulties in convincing the public and members of Congress of benefits to such an agreement. Read the full ar… Read more

A Korean language Yonhap News article details The Asia Foundations’ forum, “Recasting the Korean Model of Development” organized by the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, Korean Economic Association and Korean Political Science Association. The article quotes presenters from the conference, saying that capacity-building in areas of modern technology, re… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Ed Reed wrote a piece for the The Natchez Democrat about the Korean War, and the role troops played. Reed says, “Today South Korea has joined the ranks of the advanced economies and has a dynamic and robust democratic government. In fact, South Korea now sends volunteers and aid to developing countries that want to follow its… Read more

Washington, D.C. Wednesday, June 30, 2010 and Thursday, July 1, 2010 10:00am – 5:45 pm Willard Intercontinental 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. B1 Ballroom (Lobby Level) The Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, Korean Economic Association, and Korean Political Science Association will co-host a public forum on the Korean development model. During this two-day conf… Read more

On June 15, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy director Scott Snyder, along with a “task force” composed of roughly two dozen experts, released a landmark report: U.S. Policy toward the Korean Peninsula, which emphasizes that “despite the difficulty of the challenge, the danger posed by North Korea is sufficiently severe, and the co… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its June newsletter, featuring: “The Media and Asymmetry of Attention in the U.S.-ROK Alliance,” by Gi-Wook Shin, Director of The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), Stanford University. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the Jun… Read more

The Council on Foreign Relations has released its new report by the Independent Task Force on U.S. Policy Toward the Korean Peninsula, directed by Scott Snyder, Director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, and co-chaired by Amb. Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard, President of Korea Economic Institute and former special envoy for North… Read more

Scott Snyder, Director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, discusses the Cheonan sinking on YaleGlobal Online. Read the full article, “The Cheonan Attack: Torpedoing Chance of Peace?”

The June issue of The Oriental Economist features an article by Scott Snyder, Director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, examining the Cheonan incident. Read the full article, “The Cheonan Reckoning: Implications for Northeast Asian Stability.”

In a Bloomberg BusinessWeek article about North Korea securing a four-year, $4.9 million jersey contract with Legea, an Italian sportswear company, ahead of the World Cup, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted on North Korea’s economy and the company’s sponsorship. Read the full article: “North Korea Pro… Read more

In Washington Post Spy Talk blog post about South Korea accelerating plans to purchase 20 new anti-submarine helicopters, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted on the United States’ involvement in the South’s defense. Read the full article: “South Korea speeds up anti-submarine defenses.”

In a New York Daily News article about South Korea’s plans to resume propaganda broadcasts across the demilitarized zone, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted on China’s possible reaction to the continued tension. Read the full article: “South Korea, U.S. facing more hostility from Stalinist regime in N… Read more

In a post on the Washington Post’s blog Spy Talk about experts’ prediction that tension will continue to rise between North and South Korea over the next few weeks, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted about the United States’ deepening involvement in the South’s defense. Read the full article: “North K… Read more

The Los Angeles Times quotes The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder about the rising tension between North and South Korea. Read the full article: “North Korea cutting all ties with South Korea.”

Following North Korea’s announcement of plans to sever all ties with South Korea, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted in an article in The Guardian about the escalating tension between the North and South. Read the full article: “North Korea tells military to prepare for war.”

The Asia Foundation’s Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, was recently interviewed for an article on National Public Radio’s web site about the escalating tensions between North and South Korea. Read the full article, “No Good Options as Korea Tensions Rise.”

The Washington Post reports that interim results of a South Korea-led international investigation into the March 26th sinking of the 1,200-ton corvette Cheonan near Baek-ryong Island are due to be released by the South Korean government on Thursday morning (Wednesday evening EST). The report, which concludes on the basis of strong circumstantial fo… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its May newsletter, featuring: “Nuclear Posture Review and Its Implications on the Korean Peninsula,” by Hyun-Wook Kim, Professor, Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, South Korea. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the May issue.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has released a new report on U.S.-South Korea-China coordination on North Korea, by Bonnie Glaser, CSIS; Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy; See-Won Byun, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy; and David Szerlip, CSIS. Read the full report, “Responding to Change on the Korean Peninsula: Imped… Read more

The latest BBC/World Service Poll conducted in January and released earlier this week has some results in Northeast Asia that offer some food for thought—at least for anyone who thinks that public views are a potentially decisive influence on foreign policy. The two most notable results in Northeast Asia are the precipitous rise in negative Chinese… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its April newsletter, featuring: “Carbon Capture and Storage Ramps Up the United States and Korea,” by Jill Kosch O’Donnell, former Junior Associate of The Asia Foundation. Read her essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the April issue.

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its quarterly assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships. Read the full article, “Fire Sale, Hot Money, and Investment Anxieties.”

In a Yonhap News wire story about South Korea hosting the second Nuclear Security Summit in 2012, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted on what the summit in South Korea could spell for North Korea’s nuclear efforts. Read the full article: “S. Korea’s 2nd nuke summit hosting to pressure N. Korea: experts… Read more

The Jamestown Foundation has released its latest issue of China Brief (Vol. 10, Issue 7), featuring an article by Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, examining North Korea’s Rajin-Songbong region as the focus of Chinese economic and strategic interests in North Korea. Read the full article, “Rajin-Sonbong: A Strategic Choice for Ch… Read more

In an Agence France-Presse wire story about the issues surrounding the control transfer of South Korea’s troops, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted. Read the full article: “US commanders defend S.Korea war control.”

Yonhap News covers the discussion on the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to South Korea, at a symposium co-hosted by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in Washington DC. Read the full article: “Lawmaker urges U.S., S. Korea to begin talks on… Read more

JoongAng Daily covers the discussion on the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to South Korea, at a symposium co-hosted by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in Washington DC. Read the full editorial: “Rethink the control transfer.”

The recent news from Korea that the country is stepping up cooperation with Denmark on energy efficient and renewable technologies marked the latest triumph in President Lee Myung-bak’s push to build international support for his green growth vision. In Seoul, Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen said that Korea’s green growth plan can serve as a m… Read more

The government of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has adopted the catchphrase “Global Korea” to signify its desire to play a more assertive role as a contributor to the international community. The same aspiration is reflected in South Korea’s emerging approach to global security issues as reflected in its 2008 Defense White Paper, which state… Read more

World Politics Review features an article by Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, examining South Korea’s desire to increase its role in the international community. Read the full article: “South Korea’s Emerging Global Security Role.”

The Council on Foreign Relations interviews Scott Snyder, Director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, on the possibility of a visit by North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il to China. Snyder wonders if such a visit would include China’s urging North Korea to return to the Six Party Talks, which have been at a standstill since last December…. Read more

A Yonhap News story about North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and the stalled six-party talks features quotes from The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder’s Council on Foreign Relations interview entitled, “U.S.-North Korea: Stalemate.” Read the full article: “U.S. in dilemma over N. Korean nuke amid lackluster 6… Read more

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s promotion of green growth as a “new national development paradigm” reflects the country’s assertive energy diplomacy and top-down national strategy. South Korea’s public commitment to low carbon, sustainable growth may be one of its greatest assets in attracting a new wave of partnerships and investments from… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its March newsletter, featuring: “The U.S. and South Korea: Challenges and Remedies for Wartime Operational Control” by Bruce E. Bechtol, Professor of International Relations, Marine Corps Command and Staff College. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in th… Read more

Friday, March 26, 2010 10:45am – 12:45pm Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Grand Ballroom Salon B As part of the Association of Asian Studies (AAS) Annual Meeting 2010 (March 25-28) featuring scholarly papers, roundtable discussions, and panel sessions on Asian affairs, The Korea Society will lead a roundtable on North Korea and regional security, cha… Read more

Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:30am – 2:00pm (Registration begins 9:00am) Willard Intercontinental 1401 Pennsylvania Ave Willard Room (Lobby Level) The Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and the Maureen & Mike Mansfield Foundation will co-host a public symposium on issues surrounding the planned transfer of operational control (OPCON) in 2012 and implica… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its February newsletter, featuring: “Stakes Rise for U.S.-ROK Nuclear Energy Talks” by Miles A. Pomper, Senior Research Associate, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the February issue.

The Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU)’s International Journal of Korean Unification Studies in their latest issue has published an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy. Read the full article, “The Obama Administration and Preparations for North Korean Instability.”

A Yonhap News story on the effects of the U.S. ban on South Korea’s right to reprocess spent nuclear fuel quotes Scott’s Snyder from his blog post “South Korea’s Role in Promoting the Nuclear Renaissance” on CFR’s Asia Unbound. Read the full article: “U.S. ban on S. Korea’s nuclear fuel reprocessing to undermine bilateral ties: scholar.”

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its quarterly assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships. Read the full article, “China Embraces South and North, but Differently.”

Korea’s immediate commitment of $10 million in assistance to Haiti and the response by corporations and the Korean public is impressive. Clearly Koreans want to help, but how can they be sure that their aid will be most effective? In an emergency of this scale and complexity, and in a relatively limited area, the most important thing is coordinatio… Read more

9:00am – 5:00pm The Stimson Center 1111 19th Street NW, 12th Floor The Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and the Stimson Center, in collaboration with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) will co-host a U.S.-ROK workshop on nuclear energy and nonproliferation. Convening U.S. and Korean experts and policymakers, the purpose of the workshop… Read more

North Korea has traditionally utilized the new year to set priorities and provide guidance to its people. Under Kim Jong Il, this guidance has come out in the form of a combined New Year’s editorial published by three major media outlets. South Korean presidents have also used a New Year’s speech outlining major priorities. North Korea’s joint edit… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its January newsletter, featuring: “Korea’s Return to Afghanistan” by Michael Finnegan, Senior Research Associate, National Bureau of Asian Research. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the January issue.

Washington, D.C. 9:30am–12:00pm The Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Falk Auditorium (Lobby Level) This joint-seminar of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and the Brookings Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies will examine U.S.-ROK alliance cooperation on non-traditional security issues. Heejun Chang, Portla… Read more

The Brookings Institution features the January 5 conference, co-hosted by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, on prospects for expanding the U.S.-ROK partnership. Read the full announcement: “Expanding the Agenda for Cooperation between the United States and Republic of Korea.”

The biggest challenge likely to surface in negotiations of a new U.S.-South Korea peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement will revolve around differing views regarding the best way to manage spent nuclear fuel, according to a new report by Fred McGoldrick released by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy. The report, New U.S.-ROK Peacef… Read more

For a country that appears to be so isolated from the outside world, North Korea seems to have been on edge for months regarding the possible impact of swine flu (H1N1) on its population. These rumors of North Korean anxiety have been underscored by an unusual admission last week of nine confirmed cases of swine flu in Pyongyang and Sinuiju (the WH… Read more

Every North Korean seems to have been mobilized for an all-out push to mark their country’s arrival as a “strong and powerful nation” in 2012, which marks the 100th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birth, Kim Jong Il’s 70th birthday, and the 30th birthday of Kim Jong Il’s third son and reported successor, Kim Jong-Eun. Pyongyang citizens have cleaned u… Read more

A Los Angeles Times article on Stephen Bosworth’s negotiations with North Korea over nuclear disarmament today excerpted from The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder’s piece in the December issue of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy newsletter. Read the full article: “U.S., N. Korea talk about talks; Envoy Bosworth h… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its December newsletter, featuring: “Dispatch from Pyongyang: An Offer You Can’t Refuse!” by Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the December issue.

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its November newsletter, featuring: “What Can We Explore to Enhance the ROK-U.S. Alliance?” by Jin Ha Hwang, Chairman of the Second Policy Coordination Committee of the Grand National Party, ROK National Assembly. Read his essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the… Read more

In an Agence France-Presse wire story about a U.S. delegation visiting North Korea Nov. 21-24 to meet with officials involved in Pyongyang’s nuclear program, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is mentioned as a participant. Read the full article: “US experts to visit Pyongyang before envoy.”

We welcome President Barack Obama with open arms, not just out of customary habit among friends. South Koreans share the world’s interest in President Obama’s global activities because he embodies a new path for the United States in international relations as well as in ties with old allies like us. Quality of life has been fundamentally transforme… Read more

South Korea is highly motivated to play the roles of host and chair of the G20 in 2010, following Britain’s chairmanship in 2009. This is a historic moment since it will be the first time that a non-G7 country has been engaged in leading global financial coordination efforts. There is much at stake for Korea and for the international community prec… Read more

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its quarterly assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships.  Read the full article, “China’s Nuclear North Korea Fever.”

President Obama will also visit Korea on this trip against a backdrop of tensions between North and South Korea after a naval skirmish and just-announced plans to send special envoy Stephen Bosworth to Pyongyang in the near future. On the heels of the joint vision statement between South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak and President Obama in June,… Read more

In a Yonhap News Agency wire story about the United States’ response to the naval skirmish that took place midday when a North Korean patrol boat entered South Korean waters and ignored warning shots, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted. Read the full story: “U.S. warns N. Korea not to escalate tension… Read more

In a Yonhap News Agency wire story about a delegation set to visit North Korea later this month to meet with key officials involved in Pyongyang’s nuclear program, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is mentioned as a participant. Read the full story: “Group of U.S. experts to visit N. Korea this month.”

Today, November 4, the Foundation’s office in Seoul opened a seminar there to assess prospects for expanding the U.S.-ROK alliance into new areas of cooperation. Three presentations focused on international peacekeeping, overseas development assistance, and maritime security. Co-hosted by the Foundation’s Center for U.S. Korea Policy (CUSKP), this… Read more

1:30-5:00pm Seoul Plaza Hotel 4th Floor Maple Hall The Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and The Asia Foundation Korea office will hold a public forum in Seoul on U.S.-ROK alliance cooperation on global issues. Balbina Hwang, National Defense University; Michael McDevitt, Center for Naval Analyses; and Edward Reed, The Asia Foundation; will discuss U.S…. Read more

On November 4, a seminar jointly hosted by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and the Foundation’s office in Korea will convene in Seoul to address opportunities for expanding the U.S.-ROK alliance in international peacekeeping, overseas development assistance, and maritime security. The Seoul seminar is being supported by the Frien… Read more

The world economy is slowly recovering but the effects of the financial disaster are far-reaching, especially for the U.S. Besides the immediate impact of the crisis on economic growth and employment, there are serious questions about America’s confidence in its global leadership and the future of its relationship with Asia. On October 23, Douglas… Read more

The “Joint Vision for the Alliance of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea,” released by Presidents Barack Obama and Lee Myung-bak on June 16, 2009, forged a new agenda for the U.S.-ROK alliance extending to cooperation on common challenges beyond traditional security. Earlier this month, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Kore… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its October newsletter, featuring: “Uncommon Cold War: U.S.-Korea Cooperation to Battle the Flu,” by James L. Schoff, Associate Director of Asia Pacific-Studies at the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis. Read this essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the Octobe… Read more

Days following the conclusion of China’s 60th anniversary celebration of its founding, Premier Wen Jiabao brought a high-powered delegation to Pyongyang to mark the 60th anniversary of Sino-DPRK ties and to facilitate a dialogue on North Korea’s nuclear issues with Kim Jong Il. This exceptionally large delegation of Chinese senior officials receive… Read more

In an Associated Press story about North Korea’s suggestion that it may return to nuclear negotiations, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director  Scott Snyder is quoted. Read the full story: “Analysis: US leery of direct talks with NKorea.”

A new book Engagement with North Korea: A Viable Alternative released in September 2009, by SUNY Press, features a chapter written by The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Seoul, Edward Reed. Dr. Reed’s chapter, “From Charity to Partnership: South Korean NGO Engagement with North Korea,” discusses the contribution of South Korean NGOs in… Read more

In a Joong Ang Daily article about the news that South Korea will host the G20 Summit in November next year, quotes from The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder’s Sept. 23 In Asia post “Korean Leadership in the G20 and the U.S.-ROK Alliance” are featured. Read the full post: “Korea to host G-20 summit in 2010.”

Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:00 – 11:30 am The Brookings Institution Saul/Zilkha Room (Lobby Level) 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and Brookings Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies present: Opportunities for U.S.-ROK Alliance Cooperation: New Issues on the Agenda The “Joint Vision for the Allian… Read more

As global leaders convene in Pittsburgh to address the global economic crisis for the third time in less than a year, there is cause for both optimism and a heavy sense of responsibility to sustain early signs of a global recovery. Follow-up measures from Pittsburgh within the G20 will fall primarily to South Korea as the chair and host of G20 meet… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its September newsletter, featuring: “Restoring Boldness and Flexibility to U.S.-ROK Coordination on North Korea,” by Song Min-Soon, former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea and a National Assemblyman with the Democratic Party.  Read this essay and find out about the Center’s l… Read more

In North Korea’s totalitarian system, political stability depends on the health of the leader more than on any other factor. For this reason, Kim Jong Il’s rumored health problems have drawn careful scrutiny since he failed to appear almost exactly one year ago at public events marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has produced a report on U.S.-South Korea cooperation on contingency planning for potential instability in North Korea. Read the full report, “North Korea Contingency Planning and U.S.-ROK Cooperation.”

An Agence France-Presse op-ed about North Korea’s admission that it was in the final stage of enriching uranium after years of denial quotes The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder. Read the full article: “N. Korea nuke weapon admission puts US on notice.”

At the 10th World Korean Forum in Seoul, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder spoke on current U.S. foreign policy in Northeast Asia.  Read his complete paper, “The Foreign Policy of the Obama Administration and Northeast Asia,” submitted for presentation in June 2009.

A Yonhap News Agency wire story about the possible implications of North Korea’s recent conciliatory gestures toward South Korea quotes The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder. Read the full article: “N. Korea’s conciliatory move to resume dialogue, but not breakthrough: experts.”

Comments by The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Korea Ed Reed on former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung death are featured in a broadcast story on PRI’s The World. Listen to the program: “Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung dies.”

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy has released its August newsletter, featuring: “The Missing Consensus: U.S. Specialist Views on Korea,” by Stephen Costello, President, ProGlobal, Inc.  Read this essay and find out about the Center’s latest activities in the August issue.

In an Agence France-Presse wire story about the long-term implications of Bill Clinton’s visit to North Korea on U.S.-North Korea relations, comments from The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder’s interview with the Council on Foreign Relations are quoted. Read the full article: “Kim Jong-Il opens line to Washington… Read more

Bill Clinton’s dramatic mission to secure the release of two American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee following North Korea’s harsh verdict regarding their unauthorized entry into North Korea has succeeded on multiple fronts, based on criteria for success I offered yesterday: 1) the visit secured the release of the two journalists, 2) the visit… Read more

In an interview with CFR.org’s Bernard Gwertzman, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder discusses the implications on U.S.-DPRK relations of Bill Clinton’s visit to North Korea and the release of two U.S. journalists.  Read the full interview, “Pyongyang’s pardons have bigger implications.”

The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder was interviewed by NPR about North Korea’s pardoning of the two American journalists held there. Read the transcript: “The Risk And Reward In Clinton’s N. Korea Mission.

In a Los Angeles Times article about Bill Clinton’s visit to North Korea to negotiate the release of two American TV journalists sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegally entering North Korea earlier this year, Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, is quoted. Read the full article: “Bill Clinton visits North… Read more

“The premise underlying the question of what do we do if North Korea says no is that we are still waiting for a North Korean answer…. It is North Korea’s pursuit of escalation that has foreclosed dialogue possibilities for now as Pyongyang, for a variety of domestic and international reasons, attempts to lock in its nuclear status as a fait accom… Read more

A NPR online article on the succession of Kim Jong Il quotes The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder extensively. Read the full article: “North Korea’s Power Struggle Remains A Mystery.”

A Vanity Fair article by Thomas Kaplan that explores possible scenarios of a change of leadership in North Korea, quotes The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder. Read the full article: “What Happens When Kim Jong-il Dies?”

New America Media host Sandip Roy interviews The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder about the reaction of North Korea’s neighbors to the recent launching of 11 missiles. Listen to the interview: “Scott Snyder & Sandip Roy.”

In an op-ed in The Korea Herald, Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director, Jack Pritchard, former special envoy for North Korea negotiations, and John Tilelli, former commander-in-chief of the UN Command and U.S. Forces in Korea, discuss the outcome of the recent summit meeting between Presidents Lee and Obama in Washington and implicati… Read more

GlobalSecurity.org features an op-ed by Scott Snyder on negotiations with Korea, “Is North Korea Playing A New Game?” This article was first published in Korean in the June 18 edition of Chosun Ilbo, “Bukhanee Beorigo Inneun Serowoon Geim.”

Snyder on The Six Party Process: A Regional Framework for North Korea’s Denuclearization: “North Korea’s unilateral pursuit of nuclear weapons capabilities over the last two decades has ironically been a primary catalyst for strengthened regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. But this cooperation has thus far been insufficient to deter North Korea… Read more

In an interview with CFR.org Scott Snyder discusses prospects for U.S.-South Korea relations following the presidential summit in Washington and a new UN Security Council Resolution imposing stricter sanctions on North Korea. Read the full interview, “Strengthening South Korean Ties.”

A Christian Science Monitor article about South Korean and U.S. responses to President Obama and President Lee Myung-bak’s meeting  quotes The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder. Read the full article: “N. Korea threatens strike after US-S. Korea summit.”

In an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun, co-written with Jack Pritchard, former special envoy for negotiations with North Korea, and John Tilelli, former commander-in-chief of the UN Command, Scott Snyder assesses the role of the U.S.-ROK alliance in addressing North Korea’s nuclear threat and issues beyond the peninsula as Presidents Barack Obama and Lee… Read more

Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder is quoted throughout a U.S. News & World Report article that explores the intentions behind North Korea’s sentencing of two American journalists. Read the full article: “Holding Journalists Could Backfire on North Korea.”

Politico quotes Scott Snyder in an article on the U.S. debate surrounding recent developments in North Korea.  Read the full article, “Who’s talking to North Korea?”

Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director discussed the North Korean nuclear crisis with Council on Foreign Relations experts Sheila Smith, Senior Fellow for Japan Studies and Director of the CFR Northeast Asia Security Architecture Project, and Paul Stares, General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Preventio… Read more

Scott Snyder was interviewed on Canadian TV on the recent sentencing of two U.S. journalists in North Korea as their families plead for clemency. Watch the interview on Canadian TV.

Scott Snyder, Director of The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, was a guest on The Diane Rehm Show where he discussed the sentencing of U.S. journalists in North Korea and implications for U.S.-North Korea relations. Other participants included former Assistant Secretary of States Stephen Rademaker, Senior Counsel with the BGR Group,… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about the sentence of 12 years of hard labor given to two American journalists arrested in North Korea. Read the full article: “North Korean labor camps a ghastly prospect for U.S. journalists.”

Quotes by The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder are summarized throughout a USA Today article about the propaganda messages generated by North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il and its official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency. Read the full article: “N. Korea’s news keeps tone at high pitch.”

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder is quoted in a Yonhap News Agency wire story about talks that suggest Al Gore, as chairman of Current TV, may visit Pyongyang to negotiate the release of  two journalists who were reporting for Current TV when detained in North Korea. Read the full article: “U.S. not ru… Read more

PBS’ Worldfocus features the June 3 In Asia post “Roh Moo-hyun’s Funeral” by Soo-Mee Park, The Asia Foundation’s public affairs officer in the Korea office. Read the full article: “South Korea mourns former president after suicide.”

See-Won Byun, Research Associate with the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, discusses the impact of Northeast Asian cooperation on environmental protection efforts in Jilin, China. Read the complete article, “Provincial Impacts of Multilateral Cooperation: The Greater Tumen Initiative and Environmental Protection in Jilin.”

A new report by Scott Snyder on the U.S.-ROK alliance, a collaborative study with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is now available in Korean.  Read the full report, “Pursuing a Comprehensive Vision for the U.S.-South Korea Alliance.”

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder is quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about the possibility that North Korea might give prison terms to the two American journalists held there as a result of renewed tensions over North’s Korea’s nuclear test. Read the full article: “U.S. journalists jailed in North… Read more

As the international community debates the impact of a new resolution condemning North Korea’s May 25 nuclear test, The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder explores China’s potential response to sanctioning Pyongyang. Read the complete article on GlobalSecurity.org, “Reaching out to Touch North Korea: The San… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder is quoted in a Christian Science Monitor article about North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and the regional anxiety stirred over Monday’s nuclear test. Read the full article: “How big a threat is North Korea?”

North Korea did exactly what it said it would do on May 25, 2009, when it conducted a nuclear test as promised in its April 28 statement in response to UN sanctions imposed on three North Korean firms in accordance with an April 13 UN Security Council Presidential Statement condemning North Korea’s April 5, 2009, missile test. The test furthers Nor… Read more

The death of Roh Moo-hyun, the 16th president of the Republic of Korea (2003-2008), is a huge shock to South Korea’s political world. A human rights lawyer with no college degree, Roh campaigned to revolutionize Korean politics and society by promoting clean politics, fighting corruption, and challenging personal and elite ties as the basis for adv… Read more

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder is quoted in a USA Today article about the Obama administration’s role in persuading China to influence North Korea. Read the full article: “China’s Cooperation Sought After Nuke Tests.”

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder is quoted throughout an in-depth Christian Science Monitor article about the United States’ role in responding to North Korea’s nuclear test.  Read the full article: “What can the US do about North Korea?”

The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder is quoted in a Reuters wire story about President Obama’s response to North Korea’s nuclear test. Read the full article: “UPDATE 3-Obama says N.Korea nuclear test a ‘grave concern.'”

The Asia Foundation’s Korea Representative Edward Reed and Senior Program Officer Lee Kyung-sook discuss civil society in South Korea and its role in the region. Read the article, “Korea’s Dynamic Politics: A Source of Lessons for Emerging Asia.”

Within hours following an April 14, 2009, United Nations Security Council presidential statement condemning North Korea’s missile launch, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) foreign ministry responded by stating that “six-party talks have lost the meaning of their existence, never to recover,” and that the “DPRK will never participate… Read more

A review of The Asia Foundation’s Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Scott Snyder’s book China’s Rise and the Two Koreas: Politics, Economics, Security, is featured in today’s edition of The Washington Times.  Read the full article: “BOOKS: ‘China’s Rise and the Two Koreas.’”

The conventional wisdom among Asia specialists on both sides of the aisle has been that there would be little need for change in a new administration’s policy toward Asia. At the same time, there is no question that America’s preoccupation with Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East has prioritized the question of how America’s Asian allies might m… Read more

North Korea’s efforts to exploit divisions among members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in its response to its April 5, 2009 test of a multi-stage rocket has proven to be a slightly harder political target than some in Pyongyang may have anticipated…read more. Scott Snyder is The Asia Foundation’s Senior Associate and Director of the… Read more

The Center for Strategic and International Studies launched a new report by Scott Snyder on the U.S.-ROK alliance. Read the full report, “Pursuing a Comprehensive Vision for the U.S.-South Korea Alliance.”

Pacific Forum CSIS features an article by Scott Snyder and See-Won Byun on China-Korea relations in its quarterly assessment of East Asian bilateral relationships.  Read the full article, “Year of China-DPRK Friendship; North’s Rocket Fizzles.”

In an article on GlobalSecurity.org Scott Snyder examines the Washington policy debate on North Korea’s missile test in light of the presidential statement issued by the UN Security Council condemning the test.  Read the article, “UN Security Council Response to North Korea’s Missile Test: Washington’s Policy Debate.”

An Agence France-Press wire story, written in advance of a statement calling for new sanctions against Pyongyang expected to be adopted by the UN Security Council today, quotes Scott Snyder,  Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, extensively. Read the full story, “Major Powers Agree to New NKorea Sanctions.” The article appeared in Space Wa… Read more

North Korea’s launch of a multi-stage rocket has been assessed by international experts as a technical failure, but the test has been at least a partial success in hitting four political targets: North Korea’s domestic audience, exploitation of international divisions among members of the six party talks, testing of the newly-established Obama admi… Read more

In an article on GlobalSecurity.org, Scott Snyder assesses the implications of North Korea’s April 5 missile test. Read the article, “North Korea’s Missile Test: Off-target?”

Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, is quoted in a Los Angeles Times article on North Korea’s rocket launch. Read  “North Korea launches rocket.”

The Korea Times features a comprehensive review of Scott Snyder’s new book, China’s Rise and the Two Koreas (Lynne Rienner, 2009).  Read the article, “Western ‘China Threat’ Quiet in Korea.”

The Keio Institute of East Asian Studies has published a new edited volume by Masao Okonogi and Atsuhito Isozaki, North Korea and Human Security (Kita Chousen To Ningen no Anzenhosho), featuring a chapter by Scott Snyder.  Read the original English version of the book chapter, “The Enduring Dilemma of North Korea: Sovereignty Versus Transparency an… Read more

JoongAng Ilbo featured an op-ed on Korean overseas volunteerism by Edward Reed, Korea Representative of The Asia Foundation.  Read the English translation, “Korea: A Life-Changing Experience,” and the original Korean article.

In an AFP wire story about North Korea’s upcoming communications satellite launch, Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, is cited. Read the full story, “Missile tests ‘a tried and tested NKorea tactic’.”

Scott Snyder provides an assessment of Lee Myung-bak’s initial foreign policy performance based on South Korea’s relations with the United States, Japan, and China, inter-Korean relations, and Lee’s global strategy including resource diplomacy. Read his article, “Lee Myung-bak’s Foreign Policy: A 250-Day Assessment.”

History will record November 2008 as the crucial turning point for launching a new global order. No one knows what would exactly be the form of that order, but everyone seems to be in agreement that the existing international order cannot be sustained in light of two stunning developments. First, troubles in the U.S. financial market ignited a glob… Read more

Scott Snyder, Director of the newly launched Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, is quoted extensively in a brief news article in The Korea Times on China’s possible role in imposing sanctions on North Korea. Read the full article, “China to Sanction NK in Case of Missile Launch.”

At a presentation on March 2 at the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, Mo Jongryn, Professor of International Political Economy at Yonsei University, discussed prospects for trilateral cooperation among the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Read his paper, Does the United States Need a New East Asian Anchor?: A Case for U.S.-Japan-Korea Trilaterali… Read more

The Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief features an article by Scott Snyder on China’s changing policy on North Korea, co-authored by Bonnie Glaser, Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read the article “Wang Jiarui’s Visit to Pyongyang and China’s New Approach to North Korea.”

In an op-ed featured in the Korea Times, Scott Snyder discusses challenges to U.S. relations with the Korean peninsula under the new administration.  Read the article “NK Nukes on Top Agenda.”

4:00 – 5:30pm The Asia Foundation 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 8th Floor, William & Mary Conference Room Does the United States Need a New East Asian Anchor? A Case for U.S.-Japan-Korea Trilateralism A presentation by Professor Mo Jongryn, Professor, Yonsei University, and Research Fellow, Stanford University With opening… Read more

Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, is quoted extensively in a news article filed by Yonhap News Agency about Hilary Clinton’s trip to Asia. The story was picked up by Asia Pulse. Read: “Clinton’s Asia Trip to Help Restore U.S. Image as ‘Listener:’ Expert.”

At the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy’s inaugural event, February 17, in Seoul, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Thomas Hubbard, delivered a keynote speech on Korea policy under the new U.S. administration. Read his speech, “Prospects and Challenges for the Obama Administration’s Policy toward the Korean Peninsula.”

Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, on February 12, 2009. Read his testimony, “Smart Power: Remaking U.S. Foreign Policy in North Korea.”

After rapidly rising from poverty to the ranks of advanced industrial economies, Korea is now committed to becoming an important contributor to the economic development and stability of the less developed countries of the world. In January, the Korean government submitted its formal application for membership in the Development Assistance Committee… Read more

Against the backdrop of the new administration’s position that “smart power” will require the U.S. to “bolster old alliances and forge new ones” with nations such as South Korea, The Asia Foundation today launched a new institute to promote a broader U.S.-Korea relationship. The goal of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy is to expand cooperation betw… Read more

February 26, 2009 3:00 – 4:30 pm 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20009 Choate Foyer & Room, 1st Floor Scott Snyder, Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director and Senior Associate at The Asia Foundation, will discuss the findings of his new book, China’s Rise and the Two Koreas: Politics, Economics, Security, which explores the transform… Read more

As the opening event for The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, this conference will bring together U.S. and Korean experts to discuss possibilities for strengthening U.S.-ROK alliance cooperation in a range of issues. Including both American and South Korean perspectives as well as comparative views with respect to other U.S. alliance… Read more

Scott Snyder, Senior Associate, International Relations for The Asia Foundation is quoted in a news story from Dong-a Ilbo about North Korea stability. The article mentions an event held at the Council on Foreign Relations and the council’s report “Preparing for Sudden Change in North Korea.” Read “Report: N. Korea More Unstable Now Than in 1990s.”

Scott Snyder, Senior Associate in International Relations at The Asia Foundation, explores the transformation of the Sino–South Korean relationship since the early 1990s in his new book, China’s Rise and the Two Koreas: Politics, Economics, Security. Snyder considers the strategic significance of recent developments in China’s relationship with bot… Read more

Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Senior Associate, International Relations, recently gave his thoughts on the Obama administration’s North Korea policy in a BBC Worldwide piece on U.S. talks with North Korea. “I expect high-level contact between the Obama administration and North Korea in 2009, if some post-phase two activities can be initiated”… Read more

Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Senior Associate, International Relations, was quoted in today’s Los Angeles Times in a story on the North Korea nuclear talks. Read the full story, “No breakthrough in North Korea nuclear talks.”

There’s a lot of speculation about how President-elect Obama will organize his administration to address a truly daunting list of security challenges, including a global economic crisis, Iraq, and Afghanistan. On the list of potential crises that the Obama administration will inherit come January 20th will be the task of achieving the denuclearizat… Read more

Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Senior Associate, International Relations, has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times on individuals and non-government groups tracking North Korean military activities. Read the full story “The information fortress known as North Korea.”

The XXIX Beijing Olympiad, an event that had preoccupied Chinese leaders for almost a decade as they sought to utilize the games to project to domestic and international audiences China’s accomplishments on an international stage, has framed many issues in Sino-Korean relations, especially given the many resonances between the 1988 Olympics in Seou… Read more

Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Senior Associate, International Relations, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times on recent U.S.-North Korea relations. Read the full article, “U.S. tries to build consensus on North Korea deal.”

The Council on Foreign Relations has published a backgrounder on North Korea, which mentions The Asia Foundation’s America’s Role in Asia report and quotes Ambassador Han Sung-Joo. Read the backgrounder  “North Korea After Kim.”

The Washington Post today published the Council on Foreign Relations backgrounder on North Korea, which mentions The Asia Foundation’s America’s Role in Asia report and quotes Ambassador Han Sung-Joo. Read the story “North Korea After Kim.”

Since there have been periodic rumors about the state of Kim Jong Il’s health over the years, it’s easy for North Korea-watchers to become skeptical about unattributed reports from capitals outside of Pyongyang regarding the pulse of the Dear Leader. It has long been the case that rumors about the stability of North Korea are inversely proportional… Read more

Scott Snyder, Senior Associate, International Relations at The Asia Foundation, has been quoted on US-North Korea relations in light of Kim Jong Il’s ill health. The article, “Kim’s health triggers nuclear, ally concerns in US,” appeared yesterday in Agence France Presse.

(A Mongolian version of this press release is also available for download.) Top Asian and U.S. foreign policy experts urge incoming U.S. administration to put Asia at top of agenda U.S. must maintain constructive response to China’s rise The health of the U.S. economy is now tied to Asia in fundamental ways that, if not grasped quickly by the incom… Read more

Scott Snyder, The Asia Foundation’s Senior Associate, International Relations, has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times on the suspension of the nuclear disarmament program in North Korea. Read the story, “North Korea takes nuclear equipment out of storage.”

On February 25, Lee Myung-bak will be inaugurated as the tenth president of the Republic of Korea. President-elect Lee is a member of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP or Hannara-dang), and his inauguration ends ten years of rule by progressive presidents; it is the second transition in power from the ruling party to the opposition since S… Read more

The Asia Foundation, the premier non-profit organization devoted to Asia’s development since 1954, announced today that Dr. Sung-Jun Kang has joined the Foundation as a visiting researcher through the Korean Government’s Overseas Research Fellowship Program. As a senior government official, Dr. Kang will be based at the Foundation’s San Francisco h… Read more