September 2009

EAI-JPI East Asia Peace Conference

The East Asia Institute and Jeju Peace Institute, as part of their joint project, will host the 1st East Asia Peace Conference on Friday September 11, 2009 at Caladium Hall, PJ Hotel. The regional instability of East Asia is evermore increasing amidst a series of events such as Korea’s full participation in Proliferation Security Initiative triggered by North Korea’s second nuclear test and missile tests, and the passing of UN resolution to impose sanctions on North Korea. Through the conference, the East Asia Institute and Jeju Peace Institute, based on their accumulated research output, wish to address the issue of “Peace and Security of East Asia.”

EAI Asia Security Initiative Updates
EAI MASI Panel for 2009 World Congress for Korean Politics and Society
As a MacArthur Asia Security Initiative research collaboration, the EAI hosted a panel session at the World Congress for Korean Politics and Society 2009 at COEX, Seoul under the topic of "G-2 Era? Global Rise of China and the Future of American Leadership." Leading Chinese scholars Professor Zhu Feng (Center for International and Strategic Studies, Peking University) and Professor Zhao Shunzhang (Shanghai Center for Strategic and International Studies) were invited along with policy experts Professor Chi Wook Kim (Sejong Institute) and Professor Seongjoo Lee (Chung-Ang University).

Issue Briefing: Yul Sohn's "Japan Between Alliance and Community"
In "Japan Between Alliance and Community" Professor Yul Sohn (Yonsei University) discusses the difficulties faced by Japan as it straddles between its alliance with the U.S. and its attempts to build a community in East Asia.

Smart Talk 3: Mike Mochizuki, George Washington University
The transcript and summary for the 3rd Smart Talk that took place on July 8th with Mike Mochizuki, the Elliot School of International Studies, George Washington University, is now available. For this Smart Talk he discussed "Reconciling Rivals: War, Memory, and Security in East Asia."

Security Net Commentary No.2, "North Korea at the Crossroads"
"The North Korean regime is at the crossroads where it should make a strategic decision on whether to defend its 'nuclear weapons-based Military-first Politics' against the pressure of increasing international sanctions or to purse a 'denuclearized Economy-first Politics' by abandoning its nuclear weapons. Depending on which decision Kim Jong Il chooses, his successor will face either the path of opportunity or the path of peril. Confronting the international community's simultaneous efforts of imposing sanctions and offering comprehensive negotiation packages to induce North Korea into giving up its nuclear weapons, Kim Jong Il must resolve these immense challenges to pave the way for the future regime's survival and prosperity."

EAI Asia Security Initiative Experts
A database on our EAI Asia Security Initiative Experts has opened on the website giving the profiles of experts involved in the EAI's activities.
 
EAI Focus
EAI Upcoming Events
October 7: Experts Seminar with Saori N. Katada.

October 8: Global Academy with Saori N. Katada (University of Southern California)
"Understanding Fragmented Regionalism in East Asia"

October 16: Smart Talk 4 with Marcus Noland
(Peterson Institute for International Economics

November 11: Smart Talk 5 with Joel Wit
(Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University)
EAI Publications
Journal of East Asian Studies
Current Issue: Vol. 9 No. 2

The latest issue of the Journal of East Studies is out now.





EAI News

[EAI Working Paper] Party Politics of Corporate Restructuring
The main argument of this paper is that the commitment capacity of political parties is not strong enough to manage the conflicts between employers and unions in the labor relations whereas the threat capacity of them is powerful enough to frustrate the reform efforts of the state policymakers in the lawmaking arena.

Homecoming for Interns, 2009
On the 17th of August, 2009, the EAI hosted its fist intern "Homecoming" ceremony where former and current interns attended. Sook-Jong Lee (President of EAI), Professor Byung-Kook Kim (President Emeritus of EAI), Professor Chaesung Chun (Chair, MacArthur Asia Security Initiative Research Center) and Professor Young-sun Ha (Seoul National University) all attended the homecoming ceremony to give presentation speeches. In total, 42 interns attended the ceremony and have had a unique opportunity for networking with each other.

ASI research products are now available on EAI Website.

Issue Briefings
Sook-Jong Lee, "South Korea's Soft Power Diplomacy"
Seongho Sheen, "A Smart Alliance in the Age of Complexity: ROK-U.S. Alliance in the 21st Century"
Chaesung Chun, "Moving from a North Korean Nuclear Problem to the Problem of North Korea"
Dongho Jo, "Muddling along with Missiles"
Yul Sohn, "Japan between Alliance and Community"

Smart Talks
Smart Talk 1. Barbara Stallings, "Finance for Development: Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe"
Smart Talk 2. Charles L. Pritchard, "The North Korean Nuclear Threat"
Smart Talk 3. Mike Mochizuki, "Reconciling Rivals: War, Memory, and Security in East Asia"

Global Net 21 Forum
Stephan Haggard, "North Korea Opens: Recent Economic Developments in the DPRK" View the video

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