Roundtables

Watershed Year: Predicting North Korea in light of the U.S. and ROK 2012 Presidential Elections

Tension between North Korea and South Korea has risen since the Cheonan Navy battleship sinking, the revealing of a uranium enrichment facility, and the Yeonpyeong shelling last year. 2012 will be a pivotal year, as North Korea faces a leadership transition from Kim Jung- Il to his third son Kim Jung Eun. Meanwhile, presidential elections will take place in South Korea and the U.S., potentially disrupting the close relationship between Presidents Lee and Obama, who this year shared the joint achievement of the largest free trade agreement in recent history. If these changes ignite hostility in the Korean peninsula, it will destabilize the East Asian region, a disaster not only for Korea but also for its neighbors and allies. This roundtable will consider possible scenarios and consequences these potential changes in leadership have for inter-Korea relations, U.S.-Korea relations, and the Asia Pacific region as a whole.
Roundtable leaders: Kelsey Williams and Geonwoo Kang.

Strengthening U.S.-Korea Relations through Education

With the world rapidly globalizing, education has placed more emphasis on foreign language study and better understanding of other nations around the world. Education in the U.S. and Korea is very different and does affect the way the two countries understand and interact with each other. There has also been a noticeable imbalance in how much emphasis each country’s education places on appreciating and learning about one another, notably due to the importance of the English language in the international community. In this roundtable, we will explore the academic curriculum and the foreign language study programs in both the U.S. and Korea to better understand each nation through its students and its academic background. We strongly believe that the close relationship that Korea and the United States have established thus far can be further strengthened through education.
Roundtable leaders: Yookyung Kim and Yoon Il-Hyun.

Korea and the U.S. Connected through Social Enterprises

Different from traditional enterprises in the past that only focused on benefit maximization, today’s enterprises are changing, developing and forming under the new paradigm of social enterprises. Based on the slogan “Not hiring to sell the bread, sell the bread to hire”, this new emphasis on social philanthropic value is increasingly becoming influential in the enterprise field. The business Roundtable in 5th Korea America Student Conference will research and examine the traditional and social enterprises within the context of social welfare activities in both South Korea and the United States. Furthermore, we will explore new types of for-profit social enterprises in both countries and discuss the business social responsibility goals these social entrepreneurs and enterprises must attain.
Roundtable leaders: Xiaoyi Ze and Meejin Lee .

Aestheticism and Arts: The Effects of Korea-U.S. Convergence

As the Korea-U.S. alliance grows closer, economic, political and cultural interactions between the two countries have also significantly increased. As a result, the alliance has created a new culture, one that has roots extending to both countries. Notably, the cultural exchange between the two allies has created prosperous developments in ways of thinking and many exciting new changes for today’s generation; however, due to societal modernization and westernization, Korean traditions are often thought to be lost and viewed as “history”. This roundtable will research and discuss the effects of American art and lifestyle in Korean society and evaluate the newly formed culture in today’s Korea-U.S. relations. Over the course of one month, we will try to understand the significance of U.S.-Korea interactions and take a stance on whether we – as representatives of society’s youth – should embrace the new culture or actively reach out to preserve the traditions.
Roundtable leaders: Nancy Huynh and Kang-Hui Choi.

Environmental Law: Determine the Future of our Economy and Environment

Environmental Law is a delicate balance between one's right to protect the environment and one’s duty to build the country and strengthen its economy. It is easy to achieve certain growth at the cost of the environment, but this is not ideal nor is it necessary. The Environmental Roundtable will draft an Environmental Trade Agreement between South Korea and America that is mutually beneficial for both countries, economically and environmentally. We will research past environmental trade agreements and evaluations of their successes and struggles, and the weakest links in both countries’ economic policies and evaluating the effects of addressing these weaknesses. Think carefully as you determine the future both our economy and environment.
Roundtable leaders: Sochantra Mel and Eunjoo Ryoo.