Seminar Abstract

Conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol campaigned for office on an unabashedly pro-US platform, even accusing liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in of having engaged in “equidistant diplomacy” between treaty ally Washington and Pyongyang enabler Beijing. And in line with general US thinking, Yoon vowed to adopt a wider Indo-Pacific foreign policy focus and to work toward bettering relations with historical rival Japan.

This seminar seeks to explore the following questions and more:

• How much closer to America, in contrast with predecessor Moon Jae-in, has President Yoon actually brought South Korea?
• Are South Korea’s liberals in fact, less US-friendly than its conservatives?
• Will economics and trade bring Washington and Seoul closer together or drive them further apart?
• How has Yoon fared on the world stage, in particular in his dealings with Joe Biden?
• Is Yoon less preoccupied with Korean peninsular issues than were his predecessors?
• Will Yoon have the necessary political capital at home to reach out to Japan? Is Japan even interested?
• How might Seoul react in the event of a Taiwan contingency?

About the Speaker

Sean King joined Park Strategies, a business advisory firm managed by former US Senator Alfonse M. D’Amato, in 2006. His focus is Asia, generating business and supporting clients in the region. He’s also a University of Notre Dame Liu Institute for Asia & Asian Affairs Affiliated Scholar.

Before joining Park Strategies, Mr King spent five years at the United States Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, where he served as Senior Advisor for Asia in the US & Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS). Before joining Commerce, Mr King was based in Singapore for both PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Citibank. Mr King also worked for the New York State Department of Economic Development, on whose behalf he led a 1997 trade mission to Taiwan.

Mr King makes public speaking appearances, is a frequent on air television guest and his opinions and quotes have appeared in numerous publications. He has an MBA from Notre Dame and an undergraduate degree from American University in Washington, D.C. As part of his MBA, Mr King did a summer internship for Citibank in Taipei. He is fluent in Swedish.