Randall G. Schriver Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (Chairman of Project 2049 Institute)

Trump 2.0, China, and Korean Peninsula

A leading expert on Indo-Pacific security and U.S. defense policy, with extensive experience in government and international affairs. He served as a naval intelligence officer and subsequently as a special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1994, he joined the U.S. Department of Defense, where he was responsible for managing relations with the Chinese and Taiwanese militaries. He served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs when the first U.S.-North Korea summit happened in 2018.

KIM Hyunwook President of Sejong Institute

Special Discussion

A prominent expert in the Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korea-U.S. relations, and East Asian security. Before joining Sejong Institute, he was professor and Director-General at Korea National Diplomatic Academy. In 2024, he is also the President of the Korean Association of Area Studies. He is now a non-resident director for Korea Foundation, a member for the unified future planning committee, a standing member for the National Unification Advisory Council, a policy advisor for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a Registration Review Committee Member at Korean Bar Association. He was a policy advisor for the National Security Council, an advisory member for the Ministry of Unification, an honorary research fellow at Korean Naval Academy, and a guest commentator for KBS. He was a visiting scholar at UC San Diego and George Washington University.

WANG Yiwei Director of the Institute of International Affairs, Renmin University of China (Vice President of the Academy of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

An eminent scholar in the field of international relations representing China. With a background as a diplomat, he is currently active on the Advisory Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and on the board of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), a public policy think tank under the National Development and Reform Commission. Prior to his academic career, he served as a diplomat at the Mission of China to the European Union from 2008 to 2011.

Troy Stangarone Director of Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy, the Wilson Center

US-Korea Cooperation in an Era of Great Power Competition

A specialist in the economy and diplomacy of the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to joining the Wilson Center, Mr. Stangarone was Senior Director and Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) where he oversaw the Institute’s programmatic initiatives and focused on issues pertaining to economic and foreign policy on the Korean Peninsula. He also previously worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Robert Torricelli on issues relating to foreign affairs and trade.

Park Wongon Director of the Institute of Unification Studies, Ehwa Womans University

Panel Discussion

A researcher and news commentator on North Korea, the United States, and the U.S.-ROK alliance. He studied at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) for 18 years. He is currently a policy advisor to President Yoon’s National Security Council and also advises the Ministries of Unification. He now heads The Ewha Institute of Unification Studies (EIUS), serves as Director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the East Asia Institute(EAI) and Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Journal of Peace and Unification’.

Kim Gunn Ranking member of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee (People Power Party)

Panel Discussion

Member of the 22nd National Assembly(Proportional Representation, People Power Party), currently serving as Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and a member of the Intelligence Committee. A veteran diplomat, he has held key positions including Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters, and Ambassador to the United Kingdom. His career spans critical roles in North Korea nuclear diplomacy, international security affairs, and presidential foreign policy planning. He also served as Consul General in Vancouver and held various senior posts within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Cha Duhyeogn Vice President of The Asan Institute for Policy Studies

Panel Discussion

As an expert on North Korea issues, he has accumulated a diverse range of research achievements over the past 20 years in the fields of North Korean politics and military affairs, South Korea-U.S. alliance relations, and national crisis management. He obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science from Yonsei University and has held positions such as Team Leader of the Defense Issues Team at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (2005-2006), Team Leader of the Crisis Information Situation Room at the Office of the President (2008), and Director of the North Korea Research Division at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (2009). Currently, he serves as the Vice President (Senior Research Fellow) at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, while also holding positions as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, and the Ministry of National Defense.

Kwon Namhoon President of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade

Trump's Tariffs: Unpacking the Global Effects

He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics and earned his Ph.D. at Stanford University. From 2003 to 2024, he served as a professor in the Department of Economics at Konkuk University. During this time, he also provided advisory services to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the

Seo Jungkun President of the Korean Association of Party Studies

Discussion

A distinguished scholar in the field of political party studies. After graduating from Seoul National University, he obtained a Ph.D. in Political Science with a focus on the U.S. Congress and its foreign policy from the University of Texas at Austin. He served as a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington from 2007 to 2012 and is currently a professor in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Kyung Hee University. He has held positions as a Fulbright Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center (2019). He is currently serving as the president of the Korean Association of Party Studies for 2025 and is an advisor to the National Security Office of Korea’s Presidential Office, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Unification.

Lim Myeongmook Author of <Thinking of K>

Discussion

A notable commentator representing the millennials of Korea. He is also an emerging researcher in modern Middle Eastern history at the Graduate School of Asian Languages and Civilizations at Seoul National University. He is the author of "The Truth of the Great Elephant: China from the Deng Xiaoping Era to the Xi Jinping Era," as well as a critical examination of Korean society titled "Thinking of K,” which analyzes the generation born in the 1990s through keywords of globalization and informatization. In addition to his research, he regularly contributes columns to publications such as the Chosun Daily and the Seoul Shinmun Daily.

Seok Jonggun Minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration

K-Defense Industry in the World

A weapons systems expert, he entered the Korea Military Academy as part of the 45th class in 1985 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation in 1989. He held key positions, including Infantry Regiment Commander and posts within the Strategic Planning Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2018, he served as Commander of the Army’s 35th Infantry Division and in 2020 led the establishment of the 2nd Quick Response Division as head of its founding task force. From 2021, he served as Director of Force Planning at the Strategic Planning Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, contributing to military strategy development and force enhancement. In February 2024, he was appointed as the 13th Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA).

Shin Yonghwa Senior Vice President(SVP) of Future Warfare Business, LIG Nex1

Autonomous unmanned systems: Changing the Landscape of Modern Warfare

An expert in the future warfare field, he has consistently led new business development and unmanned system projects at LIG Nex1 for 25 years. Drawing on extensive experience accumulated over a long career, he has spearheaded the planning and commercialization of core technologies for future autonomous unmanned systems. Additionally, he has driven strategic transitions and technological innovations within the defense industry. His involvement has extended broadly to shaping domestic defense R&D policy directions, and he has planned and executed numerous civilian-military collaboration projects in the field of defense unmanned systems. Currently, he oversees the development of next-generation weapon systems tailored to future warfare environments and the advancement of unmanned strategies.

Colonel Minpo “Po” Shiue Director of Warfighter Integration Office, Space Systems Command

Star Wars Has Become Reality

A leading expert in integrated space power, he supports integration of USSF space capabilities in coordination with Combatant Commands and advocates for new space capabilities based on feedback from Combatant Commands in support of operations across the globe. He has served in a variety of operations, staff, and leadership positions to include Squadron Director of Operations, and Deputy Director of Regional Affairs, Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs and SOCOM/AFSOC Director of Space Forces.

Chun Jungsoo Executive Vice President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Special Ship Business Division(Retired Rear Admiral)

Return to the Era of War and the Direction of K-Maritime Defense Industry

With over 40 years of service in the Navy and defense sectors, he has made significant contributions to the development of South Korea's defense industry. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering from the Naval Academy (Class of 40), a Master's degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University, and a Ph.D. in Maritime Security Policy from the Korea Maritime and Ocean University. Throughout his career, he has held key positions, including Director of Strategic Planning at the Navy's Planning and Management Staff, Commander of the 5th Fleet, Director of Strategic Planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of the Navy's Planning and Management Staff, Commander of the 1st Fleet, Chief of the Navy's Logistics Staff, and Commander of Cyber Operations at the Cyber Operations Command.

Cha Sangkyun Founding Dean of Graduate School of Data Science, Seoul National University

Super AI Humanoids Facing the Singularity

A distinguished professor and entrepreneur recognized for his innovative contributions to in-memory database technology and data science education. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and founded Transact In Memory, Inc. in 2000, which aimed to revolutionize data processing through in-memory computing. After the company was acquired by SAP in 2005, he became a co-founding chief architect of SAP HANA. Following his departure from SAP in 2014, Dr. Cha established the Big Data Institute at Seoul National University and founded the Graduate School of Data Science in 2020, significantly advancing higher education in Korea. In 2022, he received the Samsung Ho-Am Prize in Engineering for his outstanding achievements. Currently, he chairs the Special Committee on Digital and AI Education under the National Education Commission, leading efforts to integrate digital and AI advancements into Korea's educational framework.

Kim Igjae Director-General of the AI . Robot Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)

The New Evolution of Humanoid Robots with AI

A highly accomplished researcher in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning, with a particular focus on computer vision and computer graphics. He headed the image media research division at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Since 2016, he has been advising the scientific investigation division of the Korean National Police Agency. He has also provided consultations to the Presidential Security Service in the area of AI. Recently, he has received multiple Ministerial Commendations from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Eum Younseal CEO of AeiROBOT

Challenges of the K-Humanoid Industry

A kinetic artist who designs robots and exhibits moving objects, including toy robots. She collaborated with roboticist Dr. Jae Kweon Han on the Robot Charlie project from 2010 to 2011, focusing on design. She also has experience creating exhibition and performance content using the intelligent emotional robot, Eddy. Currently, she is the CEO of AeiROBOT, specializing in the development of humanoid robots.

Baek Seungmin Lab Leader of the Advanced Robotics Lab, LG Electronics