The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs will host a Director's Seminar with the Honorable Y.J. Choi, Republic of Korea Ambassador to the United States, in the Belfer Center Library (L369).
Ambassador Choi says that the rise of East Asia has shifted the center of gravity from the Atlantic to the Pacific, resulting in what he calls a “Pacific Era” that coincides with the regional paradigm shift from “raid to trade.” Countries now compete with one another in the marketplace instead of on the battlefield. The U.S.-Korea alliance, once primarily a military alliance, is evolving into a more comprehensive relationship, making it all the more relevant in the 21st century.
Y.J. Choi was appointed by President Lee Myung-bak as the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States in March 2012.
Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 1972, he has held numerous positions as a Korean diplomat and UN official. Most recently he served as Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Cote D'Ivoire from 2008 to 2011. His leadership is considered to have been instrumental in resolving the post-electoral crisis.
A career diplomat, Choi served as Permanent Representative of Korea to the United Nations from 2005 to 2007, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2004 and, Ambassador to the Republics of Austria and Slovenia in 2002. Between 2000 and 2001, he was the Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations. As Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations from 1998 to 1999, Choi was given the responsibility of overseeing the planning and support for seventeen peacekeeping operations, including those in Kosovo, Timor-Leste, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Choi received his master's and doctorate degrees in international relations from the University of Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne), and, prior to his graduate studies, studied medicine for four years at Yonsei University. His most recent publication is East and West: Understanding the Rise of China (2010).
POSITIVE RSVP ONLINE ONLY:
http://belfercenter.hks.harvard.edu/events/choi.html
As space is limited for this event, RSVPs will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Belfer Center Seminars are strictly off-the-record. By requesting to attend the seminar, you agree that you will comply with the Belfer Center's strict policy against recording or disclosing the contents of the seminar. Your access is conditioned on your compliance with these restrictions. Should you violate these rules, the Center will pursue all available legal options and you will be excluded from all future events.
