Call for Papers and Panels 2023
The Annual North Korea Economic Forum Conference
Deadline: Friday, April 28, 2023
The North Korea Economic Forum at the GW Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS) is calling for papers and panels on “The Correlation Between North Korea’s Economic and Foreign Policy.” The authors of these papers will be invited to speak at the Annual North Korea Economic Forum Conference in October 2023. The selected papers will be published exclusively in the GWIKS Policy and Research Paper Series on the North Korean Economy in 2024.
Drawing from a variety of academic disciplines and subject-matter specializations, this conference will examine how North Korea’s economic policy has shaped, or has been shaped by, its foreign policy both in the Kim Jong Un era and historically, and the connection between Pyongyang’s foreign policy trends and economic reform. Topics for discussion will include but are not limited to:
- Kim Il Sung’s pivot to the US in the early 1990s and North Korea’s economic policy
- Kim Jong Il’s diplomatic outreach in the early 2000s and the “July 1 measures” launched in 2002
- North Korea’s shift from byungjin to the “new strategic line” of concentrating all efforts on the economy in April 2018, and its diplomatic overtures toward South Korea, the US, and China in that same year
- North Korea’s shift to a hard-line foreign policy since the collapse of the Hanoi summit and the current state of Kim Jong Un’s economic reform
- The potential implications of changing foreign policy dynamics — namely the war in Ukraine, the US-China rivalry, and China-Russia relations — for North Korea’s economic options
- North Korea’s use of technology to cope with economic challenges in an adverse foreign policy environment
The papers should be relevant to both academic and policy-oriented audiences.
This conference is open to graduate students, established academics, and think tank experts. Six proposals will be selected based on originality, feasibility, and relevance to the conference theme, with the goal of having the presentations incorporate a broad range of approaches to the topic. The authors will submit their draft papers by mid-July and receive peer reviews before presenting them at the Annual North Korea Economic Forum Conference in October 2023. The final length for the papers should be around 6,000 to 8,000 words each including citations. Each author will receive an honorarium of $2,000 after submitting their final papers based on peer reviews and copy editing. The papers will be published exclusively in the GWIKS Policy and Research Paper Series on the North Korean Economy in 2024.
Please submit an abstract between 300 and 500 words outlining the scope of the proposed paper along with a brief biography (max. 100 words) to gwiks@gwu.edu by Friday, April 28th, 2023, and indicate “2023 North Korea Economic Forum Application – [Full Name]” in the subject line; any general inquiries can be directed to gwiks@gwu.edu. Once the selected applicants confirm acceptance, they will be required to sign a publication acknowledgement.
About the North Korea Economic Forum
North Korea Economic Forum (NKEF) is part of the policy program at the George Washington University’s Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS). The Forum aims to promote the understanding of North Korean economic issues, distribute well-balanced, deeply researched, and multi-dimensional insights on the North Korean economy and to expand networks among various North Korea watchers, scholars, and policymakers. The Forum mostly involves closed and off-the-record meetings, where participants can freely and seriously discuss critical issues. Mr. William Brown is currently the chair of NKEF and is leading the meetings. NKEF also organizes special conferences made public throughout the academic year. The Forum is made possible by a generous grant provided by the KDI School of Public Policy and Management.
North Korea Economic Forum (NKEF) is part of the policy program at the George Washington University’s Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS). The Forum aims to promote the understanding of North Korean economic issues, distribute well-balanced, deeply researched, and multi-dimensional insights on the North Korean economy and to expand networks among various North Korea watchers, scholars, and policymakers. The Forum mostly involves closed and off-the-record meetings, where participants can freely and seriously discuss critical issues. Mr. William Brown is currently the chair of NKEF and is leading the meetings. NKEF also organizes special conferences made public throughout the academic year. The Forum is made possible by a generous grant provided by the KDI School of Public Policy and Management.
