Join The Korea Society for an insightful discussion on Korea’s Energy Evolution with Henry Haggard, former senior U.S. diplomat and Founding Principal of Seekonk LLC. Facing acute resource scarcity and intensifying geopolitical pressure, can South Korea improve its energy resilience through innovation? And how is the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance positioned to pioneer next-generation energy solutions?
This is the second installment of Korea Expert Desk, a new video interview series from The Korea Society delivering sharp insights to help decision-makers and analysts understand the critical issues driving the U.S.–Republic of Korea (ROK) partnership. Concise, dynamic, and visually engaging, Korea Expert Desk unpacks the strategic statecraft and geopolitical shifts shaping the bilateral relationship and the region beyond. Watch the first installment, about South Korea’s New Industrial Defense Strategy with Dr. Lami Kim, here.
As the global community faces an unprecedented surge in energy demand, the intersection of energy security, technology, and geopolitics has never been more vital. South Korea is grappling with a dependence on imported fossil fuels, which historically comprise over 60 percent of its energy mix. Recent supply shocks have underscored the vulnerabilities inherent to this import-dependent strategy. To power its high-tech manufacturing base while meeting its 2050 carbon neutrality commitments, Seoul is executing a dramatic energy pivot to a nuclear-centric future, with plans to expand domestic nuclear-generated power to 35 percent by 2038. Yet, this evolution forces South Korea to navigate treacherous geopolitical waters. Seoul must balance trade dynamics with the United States, manage a delicate diversification away from China’s overwhelming dominance in critical mineral supply chains, and compete directly with state-backed nuclear offerings from Russia and China.
This conversation will examine how the U.S.-ROK alliance is uniquely positioned to innovate and solve these challenges. Grounded by the historic January 2025 Memorandum of Understanding on the Expansion of Peaceful Nuclear Energy, the alliance combines U.S. research innovation and capital with South Korea’s world-class engineering, which has permitted the ROK to construct nuclear plants three times faster than the global average. The conversation will also unpack recent efforts to offset critical minerals dependence through multilateral coordination through the US-led Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE). Beyond traditional nuclear energy facilities and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Haggard will also highlight how the alliance is driving cutting-edge green technologies with breakthroughs in clean hydrogen and ammonia-cracking infrastructure.
This program is made possible by the generous support of the Korea Foundation and our individual and corporate members.
Read more by Henry Haggard on this topic:
● How the U.S. and South Korea Can Power the Globe with Nuclear Energy – KEI
● Profit and Power: Opportunities in the US-South Korea Energy Sector – Rice University’s Baker Institute
About the Speaker
Speaker
Henry Haggard
Henry Haggard is the Founding Principal of Seekonk LLC, Global Strategy Group. He is a former U.S. diplomat who completed a twenty-five-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, retiring at the rank of Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service. Henry is a Principal at WestExec Advisors, Non-Resident Fellow at the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies (CES) at Rice University, Senior Associate of the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), Senior Fellow at Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), and Partner at Albion East Ltd, Global Development Advisors. From 2021-2023, he served as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the United States Embassy in South Korea. Prior to that, he served as Director at the National Security Council under both the Trump and Biden administrations, coordinating United States policy and engagement with Turkey, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Previous assignments at the State Department include Director of Energy Diplomacy for Asia and the Middle East, Acting Political Minister Counselor at the United States Mission to the European Union, Chief of Staff to the Secretary’s Special Representative for Syria Engagement, Deputy Principal Officer in Erbil, Iraq, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, three tours in the State Department’s Executive Secretariat for Secretaries Powell, Rice and Kerry, a tour in Baghdad, and one stint as political-military team lead at the United States Embassy in Paris. Participated in four diplomatic missions to North Korea between 2000-2008.Henry speaks fluent Korean and French and received a BA in International Relations from Brown University and a MA in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. He founded The Twenty-Five Year Apprenticeship, a resource for diplomatic tradecraft and frequently contributes to news and media on global affairs and the Korean peninsula.
