On May 17th, 2021, The George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS) cohosted its third installment of its Korea Policy Forum, “Multilateral Cooperation in Northeast Asia in the Biden Era,” with the East Asia National Resource Center at The George Washington University. The welcoming remarks were given by Jisoo Kim, Director of GWIKS, and Heung-Kyu Kim, Director of U.S.-China Policy Institute at Ajou University. The speakers in Session One on Regional Trade and Energy Cooperation were Kristin Vekasi, Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine, and Youngja Bae, Professor of Political Science at Konkuk University. Speaking next in Session One were Jae-Seung Lee, Dean and Jean Monnet Chair at the Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University, and Jane Nakano, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Mary Alice Haddad, Professor of Government and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University, and Gregg A. Brazinsky, Professor of History and International Affairs and Deputy Director of GWIKS. Session Two on Regional Security Cooperation was moderated by Yonho Kim, Associate Director of GWIKS. In Session Two the panelists were Joseph Yun, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Chaesung Chun, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University, Shin-Wha Lee, Professor of Political Science and International Relations and Director of Peace and Democracy at Korea University.
The first section of Session One, moderated by Professor Kim, discussed trade, science, and technology. Professor Vekasi discussed the two routes the Biden administration could go, either by embracing and working towards multilateralism or embracing protectionism and manufacturing key goods in the U.S. She also described the three types of possible multilateral cooperation: mutual interdependence in component manufacturing, risky and complex supply chains, and institutionalization meaning treaties, shared standards, and/or formalization of shared rules across countries. She also flagged that Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S. are all in the process of doing supply chain reviews to look for possible blocks. Professor Bae proposes that the U.S. and Northeast Asian countries set a long-term goal of multilateral technological cooperation to strengthen their innovation capacity rather than focusing on delaying the rise of China. Professor Bae believes that U.S.-led multilateral technological cooperation may not be solid and sustainable if it excludes the Chinese market, one of the largest economies in the world. She hopes that President Biden and President Moon can develop technological cooperation following liberal economic order that guarantees a mutually beneficial relationship. Dr. Jae-Seung Lee and Ms. Nakano then discussed energy and climate change. Dr. Lee spoke about what to expect for the future of the Paris Agreement. He drew similarities between China and the U.S.s’ response to climate change and described them as having problematic performances and playing a blame game. Ms. Nakano believes that there is an opportunity for bilateral cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. to facilitate the energy transition in Northeast Asia. She discussed the similarities between the U.S. and South Korea’s agendas in relation to climate change. Dr. Li expressed his opinion that the U.S. and China are entering a new era of ruthless competition and that they are moving towards a zero-sum game. Dr. Sohn spoke about trade agreements and about the trend of countries using national security as a reason for being more protectionist. Professor Haddad then stressed how important the role of civil society and businesses are in the relationship between South Korea and the U.S. and the U.S. and China. She expects to see a lot of interactions and movements surrounding green finance, climate change, and social justice in the future. Professor Brazinsky then shared his opinion that President Biden’s Asian plan is too traditional and that he is mostly interested in bilateral security agreements directed at China.
Session Two, moderated by Yonho Kim, discussed regional security cooperation. Professor Yun predicted that President Biden and Moon will focus on speaking about their security concerns relating to China, Japan, and North Korea. He also believes that Biden will request that South Korea join the QUAD. Professor Chaesung Chung spoke about new security architecture in South Korea and the U.S. Sung-Han Kim then contrasted President Biden and President Trump’s China policy. He also predicted that President Biden and Moon would talk about North Korea and vaccine distribution at the summit. Shin-Hwa Lee recommended keeping and strengthening the liberal democratic order worldwide and working together to protect against China’s assertive behavior. The panelists then answered audience questions about vaccine and security cooperation and sanctions on North Korea.
