Lee Myung-bak's First 100 Days in Office: The Roots of a Summer of Discontent?

Details: Monday, June 23 , 2008 | 12:00 PM

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Event Link: Scott Snyder is a senior associate in the international relations program of The Asia Foundation and Pacific Forum CSIS in Washington, D.C. Snyder has previously served as a program officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace and as acting director of contemporary affairs programming at the Asia Society. His publications include China and the Two Koreas: Shifting Security Dynamics (2008); Paved with Good Intentions: The NGO Experience in North Korea (2003); and Negotiating on the Edge: North Korean Negotiating Behavior (1999). Snyder holds a BA from Rice University and an MA from the Regional Studies East Asia Program at Harvard University. Youngshik Daniel Bong is an assistant professor at the School of International Service at American University in Washington D.C. Bong's research is focused on the interplay between nationalism and globalization on security issues including maritime disputes in Asia, anti-Americanism and the U.S.–Korea alliance and Asian regionalism. His recent article on anti-Americanism in South Korea, “Rethinking Young Anti-Americanism in South Korea," (with Katharine Moon), was published in The Anti-American Century. Charles K. Armstrong is an associate professor of history, and the director of the Center for Korean Research, at Columbia University. He specializes in modern Korean history and politics, the international history of East Asia, ideology and international relations. His published works include The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950 (2003); Korean Society: Civil Society, Democracy, and the State (2002); "The Cultural Cold War in Korea" in the Journal of Asian Studies (February 2003); "America's Korea, Korea's Vietnam," in Critical Asian Studies (December 2001); and "The Origins of North Korean Cinema," in Acta Koreana (January 2002). Armstrong received his BA from Yale University in 1984 and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1994.
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The largest demonstrations in decades and political turmoil have beset South Korea since President Lee Myung-bak took office just a few months ago. Lee assumed the presidency riding a wave of voter support and with the promise that he would revitalize both the South Korean economy and the U.S.-ROK relationship. The take-charge approach that was the hallmark of his successful tenure as mayor of Seoul and his strong background in business were touted as harbingers of a new era in Korean presidential leadership. Lee also promised to take a fresh approach to dealing with North Korea, holding out the prospect of closer ties while also placing new demands on Pyongyang. Despite the promise of his new presidency, Lee’s approval rating has plummeted dramatically since his inauguration. Lee’s management of the reopening of Korea’s market to U.S. beef has become a lightning rod for opposition to his presidency. But the current discontent in South Korea appears to be about much more than beef imports.

What is the crisis really all about? What are its implications for political stability in the ROK? Is anti-Americanism behind the outburst of Korean popular animosity? What does the current crisis portend for the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement? What does it mean for U.S.-Korea relations? A distinguished panel of experts featuring Charles K. Armstrong, Scott Snyder, David Straub and Youngshik Daniel Bong will convene at The Korea Society to address these questions, and more, as we assess the first months of Lee Myung-bak’s presidency and take a hard look at what has been a remarkable period in Korea’s domestic politics.

Monday, June 23, 2008

with

Charles K. Armstrong
Director, Center for Korean Research, Columbia University

Scott Snyder
Senior Associate, The Asia Foundation/Pacific Forum CSIS

Youngshik Daniel Bong
Assistant Professor, American University

David Straub
Pantech Fellow, Shorenstein APARC, Stanford University