Sung Tae-yoon Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy

Current Economic Situation and the Government Response

Leading economist in financial economics, international economics, and macroeconomics. Formerly, he worked as a fellow at Korea Development Institute, a policy research institute and as a professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He has a remarkable number of academic publications in international journals such as Journal of International Economics, Journal of International Money and Finance, International Tax and Public Finance.

Shin Wonsik Minister of National Defense

Security on the Korean Peninsula and Our Military's Readiness

The 49th Minister of Defense of the Republic of Korea. A graduate of the 37th Military Academy, he served as a policy planner at the Ministry of National Defense, commander of the National Capital Defense, chief of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was elected to the National Assembly with proportional representation in the 21st general election, where he coordinated foreign and security policy as the ruling party secretary of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee.

Cheong Inkyo Minister of Trade

An expert in the field of economic security and international trade. He served as Vice President of Inha University, President of the Korean Security Agency of Trade and Industry (KOSTI), and a member and chairman of the Economic Security Division of the National Economic Advisory Council. He has contributed to the development of Korea's FTA policy and has conducted research on all aspects of foreign trade, including economic security, export control, Korea-U.S. trade relations, and East Asian economic integration, and has advised policy makers and economic organizations in the field of trade.

Scott Snyder President of The Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI)

The U.S. Presidential Election and U.S.-Korea Relations

A prominent expert in Korea-U.S. relations. He is senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. Starting on April 1, Mr. Snyder assumes the role of president and chief executive officer at the Korea Economic Institute of America. Mr. Snyder is the author of The United States-South Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Not (December 2023) and South Korea at the Crossroads: Autonomy and Alliance in an Era of Rival Powers (January 2018). Mr. Snyder received a BA from Rice University and an MA from the regional studies East Asia program at Harvard University.

Nicholas Valentino Professor at University of Michigan

An Analysis of the Current US Electoral Landscape

A political psychology expert who studies U.S. elections. He currently serves as a Principal Investigator of the American National Election Studies (ANES). He specializes in political psychological approaches to understanding public opinion formation, socialization, information seeking, and electoral participation. His work employs experimental methods, surveys, and content analyses of political communication. The research has focused on the intersecting roles of racial attitudes and public emotions, especially the distinct power of anger versus fear. He has also written extensively on the causes and consequences of empathy for ethnic outgroups. His book, Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy, co-authored with Professor Cigdem V. Sirin(University of Texas, El Paso) and Professor José D. Villalobos(University of Texas, El Paso), won the 2022 American Political Science Association(APSA) Best Book Award.

Shin Bongkil President of Korean Council on Foreign Relations

The U.S. Presidential Election and the Korean Peninsula (Discussion)

Former diplomat and political scientist. Since joining the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978, he was mainly involved in issues related to North Korea, China and Japan and visited North Korea several times during the KEDO (The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization) mission. His latest posts include Special Advisor at the Office of Planning for the North Korean Light-Water Reactor Project, Minister at the Korea Embassy in Beijing, China, Ambassador to Jordan. He also served as Ambassador for International Economic Cooperation and Ambassador for Northeast Asian Regional Cooperation in the Korean Foreign Ministry.

Park Won-gon Professor, Department of N. Korea Studies at Ewha Womans University

The U.S. Presidential Election and the Korean Peninsula (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 and Defense. 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’.

Park Hyeon Seok Research Fellow, Governance Group Leader, National Assembly Future Institute

Who will be the next President of the United States? Analysis on Candidates, Policy, and Political Environment (Discussion)

A political scientist specializing in political economy and parliamentary politics. He has worked as an assistant professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and is a member of the board of directors of the Korean Political Science Association and the Korean Political Party Association, as well as an editorial board member of the journal Parliamentary Studies. His recent publications include 'Political Polarization and How to Improve It' and 'Continuity and Change of Public Policy Agenda'.

Yoon Kwang-Il Professor at Sookmyung Women’s University

Who will be the next President of the United States? Analysis on Candidates, Policy, and Political Environment (Discussion)

Political scientist whose research includes political psychology, Korean political behavior, American politics, and multiculturalism. After receiving his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan, he has been conducting research on political psychology, political behavior, American politics, and multiculturalism. He has served as a full-time lecturer in political science at the Air Force Academy, president of the Korean Association of American Politics, a member of the 21st National Assembly Electoral Districting Commission, and president of the Korean Association of Party Studies.

Paul Kong Senior Fellow at The Lugar Center

Who will be the next President of the United States? Analysis on Candidates, Policy, and Political Environment (Discussion)

Paul Kong brings a background in both American politics and policymaking. As a top Congressional aide to Senators Chuck Hagel and Dick Lugar, he is also a veteran of seven political campaigns at the federal and state levels across six states. Since 2023, he has been a regular contributor to SBS News' Washington bureau on American politics.

Sohn Byoung Kwon Professor at Chung-Ang University

The 22nd Congress: Expectations and Challenges (Discussion)

Specialist in party politics and electoral systems. His research focuses on political parties and electoral politics in the United States and Korea, as well as foreign policy of East Asia. His research focuses on the role of democracy in polarized societies such as Korea and the United States. He has served as secretary general of the Korean Political Science Association, president of the Korean Association of American Politics, and president of the Korean Association of Party Studies.

Lee Taekyu Principal Researcher at Korea Economic Research Institute

An expert in financial economics and financial systems. He now leads the Global Risk Management Team at KERI under Federation of Korean Industries. He has advised in several committees at the Supreme Court, Financial Supervisory Service, and National Pension Services.

Kwon Oh-in Director of Economic Policy, Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice

A civic activist who has stood for CCEJ for more than 20 years. As the Director of Economic Policy, he works on various issues related to economic justice, including chaebol, taxation, labor, telecommunications, agriculture, and finance. As the head of the CCEJ’s voter campaign headquarters for the 22nd general elections, he analyzed the policies of political parties and evaluated whether lawmakers faithfully performed their duties during their terms.

Choo Moongab Executive Director of Economic Policy Division, Korean Federation of SMES(KBiz)

A policy developer who works for Korean SMEs and proposes them to the government and the National Assembly. He joined the KBIZ in 1995 and gained experience in its Economic Policy Division, the Secretary's Office, and the Planning and Coordination Office. He also led the Public Relations Office for nine years from 2011. He has also served as vice chairman of the Korean Academic Association of Business Administration and the Korean Association of Small Business Studies.

Kang Sunwoo Member of the National Assembly, Democratic Party

An educationalist and politician. She was elected in the 21st general election and won a second term this year. She earned her PhD from University of Wisconsin and taught at South Dakota State University. She was an expert member of the National Education Council, a standing member of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a special member of the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development, and a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea.

Kim Min-jeon Member of the National Assembly-elect, People's Power Party

Political scientist who has entered politics during the 22nd general election as a proportional representative. She was a professor at Kyung Hee University and hosted a number of current affairs programs. After gaining her PhD from the University of Iowa, she has served as a professor at the National Assembly Secretariat, an advisor to the National Assembly Research Service, and a vice president at the central training institute of the People's Power Party.

Ju Hyeon President of Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade

An expert in industrial policy and trade. He joined the KIET in 1985 and worked there for 35 years, serving as head of the SME Research Center, Industrial Economy Research Center, and vice president before becoming the 22nd president in 2021. He served as the Secretary to the President for SMEs. He has also advised Statistics Korea and the Korean Association of Small Business Studies, and was a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley.

Jo Sang Hyeon President of Institute for International Trade

International Trade Specialist. His research focuses on trade policy and import and export trends, export industrialization in the service industry, and overseas market trends. He joined the Korea International Trade Association as a reporter at the Daily Trade Foreign Affairs Department and served as a research fellow at the Korea International Trade Institute, head of the New Growth Industry Division at the Trade Policy Division, and head of the Startup Global Support Division at the Innovation Growth Division.

Chung Hoon Taek Professor at Sejong University, Former Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Hydrogen Industry for Carbon Neutrality

A researcher in hydrogen technologies such as water electrolysis and hydrogen fuel cells that produce green hydrogen. Starting with research on non-platinum-based catalysts for automotive fuel cells at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he conducted technology application research on catalysts and systems for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis, and led the Hydrogen Technology Research Center at Hanwha Solutions Central Research Center to commercialize anion exchange membrane water electrolysis systems. Currently, he conducts research on hydrogen technology, and conducts a wide range of research from fundamental to application in research institutes, industry, and academia.

Lee Hang-Koo Head of the Jeonbuk Institute of Automotive Convergence Technology

The Mobility Transformation and Korea’s Challenges

Distinguished researcher in the automotive industry. He joined the Institute of Industrial Economics in 1987 and focused on the U.S. economy and manufacturing until his retirement in 2019. Since 2020, he has been a research fellow at the Korea Automotive Research Institute and a professor at Hoseo University's Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering. He has contributed to the signing of the Korea-U.S. FTA, the promotion of eco-friendly cars, as well as the development of collaboration models between companies. He has served as a member of the Autonomous Vehicle Convergence Future Forum at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and as an advisor to related ministries, including the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Lee Jae-Seung Professor at Korea University

Survival Strategies for the Korean Economy

A scholar in international political economy. He is currently serving as the Director of Ilmin International Relations Institute. He has authored a number of books and articles on international relations of Korea, East Asia, and Europe. His current research focuses on regional cooperation, energy security and European affairs. In 2023, he is chairing the Korean Society for Contemporary European Studies and serving as a Board Member of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies. Prof. Lee holds a B.A. in political science from Seoul National University, M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. He was recently appointed as SAIS Fellow from Johns Hopkins University. Prof. Lee has contributed regular op-ed articles to major Korean newspapers and has commented on international affairs for BBC, CNN and Korean broadcast stations.

Shin Changhwan Professor at Korea University

Survival Strategies for the Korean Economy

An academic researcher on silicon semiconductor devices and processes. For more than 20 years, he has been conducting research on ultra-low voltage silicon semiconductor devices and circuits using new materials and new structures. He has also studied semiconductor industry policy, including semiconductor supply chain risk analysis. He has served as an executive of a domestic device company and an etching equipment company, and program committee member of several international semiconductor conferences.