event

The Future of Korean Power: Is More With Less Possible?

Wed. October 30th, 2024
Live Online

Korean Power (K-Power)—a new comprehensive approach to tackling South Korea’s challenges through economic, technological, military, and cultural power—has been on the rise over the past 20 years, dominated by advanced manufacturing, high-tech exports, and increasingly sophisticated military power. More recently, soft power has gained increasing prominence via the global popularity of South Korean popular culture, known as Hallyu or the "Korean Wave." But the future of K-Power is replete with major challenges including demographic changes, lower economic growth, rising geopolitical threats, and deep domestic political divisions.

Chung Min Lee will be joined by Lt. Gen. In-Bum Chun (ROK, ret.), Dr. J. James Kim, and Carnegie Asia program fellow Darcie Draudt-Véjares to provide in-depth analysis of South Korea’s continued advancements and current challenges and to discuss the new Carnegie paper, The Future of K-Power: What South Korea Must Do After Peaking.

TechnologyMilitaryEconomySecuritySouth KoreaEast Asia
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Chung Min Lee

Senior Fellow, Asia Program

Chung Min Lee is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Asia Program. He is an expert on Korean and Northeast Asian security, defense, intelligence, and crisis management.

In-Bum Chun

Senior Fellow, Association of the United States Army

Lt. Gen. In-Bum Chun (ROK, ret.) served 38 years in the South Korean Army and retired in 2016 with the final command position of Commanding General of the ROK Special Forces. He holds a U.S. Bronze Star Medal, three U.S. Legion of Merits, and the USSOCOM Medal. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Association of the United States Army and a Distinguished Military Fellow with the Institute for Security Development Policy (ISDP) in Sweden.

J. James Kim

Interim Director, Korea Economic Institute of America

Dr. J. James Kim is the Interim Director at the Korea Economic Institute of America. He also serves as a Lecturer in the Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration Program at Columbia University. Previously, he was the Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Center for Regional Studies and the Center for Public Opinion Research at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. His primary research interests include domestic drivers of foreign policy, political economy, methodology, and public opinion.

Darcie Draudt-Véjares

Fellow, Asia Program

Darcie Draudt-Véjares is a fellow in the Carnegie Asia Program.