Unraveling North Korean Complexities: Security, Human Rights, and Diplomacy

November 2023

Past Event

Unraveling North Korean Complexities: Security, Human Rights, and Diplomacy

Past Event

Hudson Institute

November 07, 2023

Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia, on September 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia, on September 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel via Getty Images)

November 2023

Past Event

Speakers:

Patrick M. Cronin

Asia-Pacific Security Chair

Ambassador Shin-wha Lee

South Korean Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights

Dr. Shin-wha Lee is professor of political science and international relations at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. In 2022, the Yoon administration appointed Professor Lee as ambassador for international cooperation and North Korean human rights, a post created when South Korea’s National Assembly passed the North Korean Human Rights Act in 2016. She also served as special advisor to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s independent inquiry on the Rwandan Genocide, an advisory board member of the secretary general’s Peacebuilding Fund, and as chair’s advisor to the East Asian Vision Group (EAVG).

Listen to Event Audio

Patrick M. Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at Hudson Institute, will moderate a discussion with Ambassador Shin-wha Lee, South Korean ambassador for international cooperation on North Korean human rights.

As North Korea’s nuclear buildup, political repression, and strengthening ties with Russia and China undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia, Ambassador Lee will explore these issues and identify the most important avenues for bilateral cooperation in the United States–South Korea relationship as well as opportunities for multilateral cooperation throughout the region.

February 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Opportunity and Uncertainty in the Middle East: Next Steps for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Featured Speakers:

Rebar Ahmed

Joel Rayburn

February 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Opportunity and Uncertainty in the Middle East: Next Steps for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Join Hudson for a deep dive into these topics with Interior Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Rebar Ahmed, one of the region’s most experienced and respected statesmen.