The Inaugural Meeting of the Annual Rountable Series on Korea
Dec. 2-3, 2004 @ the International House, Columbia University
============================================
Background: The purpose of this Roundtable series was to bring together roughly 25-30 eminent scholars and practitioners engaged in the study of North Korea and inter-Korea relations to Columbia University. It was designed to provide a forum wherein participants were given the opportunity to engage in "creative" and "imaginative" discussion with peers and colleagues without regard to how thoughts expressed at the roundtable would be received by the public at large. To achieve this goal, the Roundtable was not open to the public.
After checking into their hotels Thursday afternoon, many weary participants managed to show up for the Welcoming dinner at Faculty House and greet their fellow colleagues, some of whom had not seen each other for many years.
The next morning in the Edmonds Room of the International House, water, name cards, and delegate folders were inspected at 8am sharp.
The conference began after breakfast in the Hall of History, also in the International House, where the attendees were welcomed by the Dean of the Law School, David M. Schizer.
Opening speech by Deputy Minister Lee Kwan Sei of the Ministry of Unification (L-R, John Merrill, Young Mok Kim, Lee Kwan Sei. Far right, Meredith Woo-Cumings)
Panel I, from 9:00-10:30, was entitled "Policy Direction towards the Korean Peninsula in the aftermath of the U.S. elections." Aleksandr Ilitchev (UN Secretariat), performed as lead commentator and Leon Sigal (SSRC), chaired the panel. (L-R: Kongdan (Katy) Oh, Chang-Seok Yang, Aleksandr Ilitchev, Leon Sigal, David Hawk)
Robert Carlin (KEDO), also spoke as lead commentator for Panel I. (L-R: Leon Sigal, David Hawk, Robert Carlin, K.A. Namkung, Choo Mi-Ae)
Panel II, from 10:45 - 12:15, was entitled "Strategic Implications of Security in the Northeast Asia Region." Robert Templer (International Crisis Group) was one of the lead commentators. (L-R: Frank Januzzi, Robert Templer)
Bruce Cumings (University of Chicago), center, submitted a point paper for Panel II . . . (L-R: Han S. Park, Bruce Cumings, Jeong-Ho Roh)
. . .as did K.A. Namkung. (L-R: Robert Carlin, K.A. Namkung, Mi-Ae Choo)
Former Congresswoman Mi-Ae Choo with K.A. Namkung.
L-R: Karin Lee, Felix Lutz, Kongdan (Katy) Oh
John Merrill (US Department of State) and Young-Mok Kim (KEDO) proved the conference was not without its light moments. (L-R: Robert Immerman, Youngwoo Chun, John Merrill, Young-Mok Kim)
After a working lunch, Ruediger Frank (University of Vienna), center, discussed his point paper submission for Panel III. The theme for Panel III was "Developments in North Korea after the July 2002 Economic Reforms."
The fourth and final Panel was themed "Human Rights, Refugees," for which Frank Jannuzi (Senate Foreign Relations Committee), center, spoke as a lead Commentator.
L-R: Felix Lutz, Kongdan (Katy) Oh, Chang-Seok Yang, Alexsandr Ilitchev
After checking into their hotels Thursday afternoon, many weary participants managed to show up for the Welcoming dinner at Faculty House and greet their fellow colleagues, some of whom had not seen each other for many years. 
. . .as did K.A. Namkung. (L-R: Robert Carlin, K.A. Namkung, Mi-Ae Choo)
