Smart Q&A is an interview with the presenter of the Smart Talk, a seminar of the East Asia Institute providing opportunities for leading scholars in Korea to meet and engage with prominent figures from around the world. By posing more specific, focused, and policy-oriented questions, Smart Q&A will facilitate a deeper understanding of the issues at hand and generate creative ideas and strategies for dealing with them.

Interviewee

Stephan Haggard, Lawrence and Sallye Krause Professor at the University of California, San Diego

Questions

1) Research on North Korean Refugees

Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights into North Korea, your recent book, focuses on surveys of North Korean refugees in South Korea and China. Could you tell us about some of the crucial findings from the surveys?

2) Overview of China-DPRK Relations

Kim Jong-il recently visited China, an extensive journey that was his third visit in the space of one year. There has been some speculation as to whether the outcome of Kim Jong-il’s visit was as successful as he expected. How would you assess China-DPRK relations?

3) Prospects for Inter-Korean Relations

Inter-Korean relations appear to be at an all-time low as both sides maintain their tough positions. South Korea is demanding an apology for last year’s provocations while North Korea has rebuffed any attempt at dialogue. Is there any chance for a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations?