On April 26th, 2021, the GW Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS) hosted the Korea Policy Forum on “U.S.-ROK Relations: Challenges and Opportunities under the Biden Administration”. The event was moderated by Professor Jisoo Kim, Director of GWIKS and, the forum’s speaker was Congressman Andy Kim (D-NJ), a member of the House Armed Services and House Foreign Affairs Committees in the House and former State Department, Pentagon, and White House National Security Council official. Congressman Andy Kim discusses the reshaping of the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) under the Biden Administration. He further discusses the strategic alliance between the two countries and how it defines a renewed approach towards North Korea, the future policy that shapes the relationship with China, and its far-reaching implications to the regional and global economies.
Congressman Andy Kim began the presentation by sharing his personal experiences and how the changing relationship between the U.S.-ROK reflects upon his family’s three generations. He states that when we look at how to shape the future of the relationship between the two nations, it is important to acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead. He further states that while in the post-COVID world a lot has changed, but for the U.S. and South Korea, the threat of an unstable and aggressive North Korea armed with nuclear weapons remains a constant. He also shares his insights on the upcoming meeting between President Moon and President Biden. Congressman Andy Kim’s presentation was followed by a Q&A session. The audience submitted a wide range of questions, including what the general perception of North Korea is in the Congress and how supportive they would be of a nuclear deal with North Korea, the United States’ approach towards the unstable relationship between the U.S-ROK due to the historical and territorial issues, views on how historical revisionism in Japan endangers U.S. security, Congressman Andy Kim’s views on the outcomes of the upcoming visit of President Moon to the United States, etc.
