Past Events and Activities | Columbia Law School

Past Events

2017 Events

Conferences

Precarious Equilibrium: East Asian Power Dynamics and the Question of Peace in Korea

On October 20, 2017 together with the Korea Institue for National Unification, the Center held an all-day conferenece exploring the Korean Question from a balance of power perspective. Participantsand included Bradley Babson, Bowdoin College; Kuyoun Chung, KINU; John Delury, Yonsei University; Alexis Dudden, University of Connecticut; Henri Féron '16, Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia Law School; Kyu-Chang Lee, KINU; Terence Roehrig, U.S. Naval War College; Jeong-Ho Roh '88, Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia Law School; and Chang-Seok Yang, Ignis Community.

Columbia-KIOST Joint Project on International Dispute Resolution
October 13, 2017

On October 13, 2017, together with the Korea Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), the Center held an all-day conference on international dispute resolution with a focus on issues related to optional exceptions to compulsory jurisdiction under UNCLOS and the implications of the Philippines v. China merits award. Panelists included Richard Barnes, University of Hull; Henri Féron '16, Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia Law School; Nong Hong, Institute for China America Studies/China Institute, University of Alberta; Changyoul Lee, KIOST; Simon Olleson, Three Stone; Jeong-Ho Roh '88, Center for Korean Legal Studies at Columbia Law School; and Christine Sim, National University of Singapore. Additional research contributors include Penelope Nevill of 20 Essex Street.

Lectures

Japan at the Crossroads: The Constitutional Debate and the Korea Factor
November 10, 2017

Professor Alexis Dudden, University of Connecticut

There are deep divisions within Japanese society over possible constitutional changes, most pressingly the redefinition of Article 9’s proscription against waging war abroad. In the mix, ideas about North and South Korea inform Japan’s debate in significant ways—not only in terms of Japan's military posture but also other critical issues such as the reach of the state and official reflection on the nation’s past history. Professor Dudden spoke about the ways in which Korea continues to be a necessary foil in Japanese discussions about Japan with topics as diverse as ICBMs to surviving victims of Japan’s colonial and wartime era.

A New Vision for Peace on the Korean Peninsula
November 13, 2017

Professor Ki-Jung Kim, Yonsei University

The Korean Peninsula is today on the brink of war. The rapid acceleration of North Korea's nuclear weapons development is destabilizing the precarious Armistice Agreement that suspended armed conflict between the Koreas and their allies in 1953. This represents an existential problem for South Korea, which would be first in the line of nuclear fire if hostilities broke out.  Professor Kim explained the Moon administration's search for a new mechanism to ensure peace endures on the Korean Peninsula.

Korea's Multilateral Diplomacy: Challenges and Vision
April 18, 2017

His Excellency Cho Tae-yul, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the U.N.

Since the end of World War II, South Korea’s foreign policy has been largely shaped by security concerns triggered by North Korea and the interface among the powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula. Today, the growing nuclear threat posed by the Kim Jong-un regime has increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The near future outlook for peace and stability is far from certain. Ambassador Cho addressed these issues, and during an extended Q&A, opened the discussion to include, among others, the North Korean nuclear issue, the autocratic regime of Kim Jong-un, the future of the US-Korea alliance, the triangular relationship between the US, China and Korea, the deployment of THAAD, and Japan-Korea relations. 

2016 Events

Conferences

Columbia-KIOST Joint Project on International Dispute Resolution

On September 8, 2016, together with the Korea Institute for Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), the Center held an all-day conference on procedures related to territorial dispute resolution under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Panelists included Nong Hong, Institute for China America Studies/China Institute, University of Alberta; Changyoul Lee, KIOST; Penelope Nevill, 20 Essex Street; Simon Olleson, Three Stone; Jeong-Ho Roh '88, Columbia Law School; Wan Jun Seow '15 LL.M., Center for Korean Legal Studies; and Christine Sim, National University of Singapore. Additional research contributors include Douglas Guilfoyle, Monash University; and Robert Beckman, National University of Singapore.

See photos of the 2016 conference.

Pathways to a Peaceful Korean Peninsula: Denuclearization, Reconciliation and Cooperation

On September 21, 2016 together with the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), the Center held an all-day conference exploring the complex issues surrounding South Korea-North Korea unification, with an emphasis on denuclearization, cooperation and reconciliation. Topics discussed included the legal framwork of diplomacy under the San Francisco system, nuclear diplomacy, the sanctions regime against North Korea, conditions for rapprochement, state succession, and models for unification.  Panelists included Kyung-ok Do, KINU; Henri Feron, Columbia Law School; Ruediger Frank, University of Vienna; Alexandre Mansourov, U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS; Ye Joon Rim, KINU; Jeong-Ho Roh, Columbia Law School; Leon Sigal, Social Science Research Council; Hazel Smith, UCLAN; Joel S. Wit, U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS; and Chang-Seok Yang, Ignis Community.

See photos from the conference.

The book published following the conference, Pathways to a Peaceful Korean Peninsula: Denuclearlization, Reconciliation and Cooperation is available. Please send inquires to Joan Wargo, jw3410@columbia.edu.

Lectures

Who are 'We the People'?: Politics of Constitution-making in Postwar Japan and Korea

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Professor Chaihark Hahm,  Yonsei University

What does it mean to say that it is "We the People" who "ordain and establish" a constitution? Who are those sovereign people, and how can they be so? Can a sovereign "people" exist prior to the constitution making process? Interweaving history and theory, Professor Chaihark Hahm discussed these questions by revisiting the constitutional politics of postwar Japan and Korea.

Bearing Witness:  Abduction, Coercion, and Japanese Military Sexual Slavery in Korea, 1931-1945

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 

From 1931 to 1945, between 100,000 and 200,000 girls and young women were forced into sexual servitude in Japanese military "comfort stations," but only in recent years have survivors begun to come forward to talk about their experiences.  The Center for Korean Legal Studies, the Korean Graduate Student Association, and House of Sharing presented a rare opportunity to hear the personal stories of two of the remaining survivors. You can see pictures from the event in our photo gallery.

2015 Events

2015 Columbia-KINU Speaker Series

Engaging North Korea Through Economic Incentives: The Kaesong Industrial Park

December 2, 2015

Dr. Chang-Seok Yang, Auditor, Kaesong Industrial District Foundation

As part of the Columbia-KINU Speaker Series on Inter-Korean Law and Policy, the Center for Korean Legal Studies hosted Dr. Chang-Seok Yang, who spoke about the Kaesong Industrial Park, a joint economic venture between South Korea and North Korea. In the Kaesong Industrial Park, more than 120 South Korean companies employ approximately 53,000 North Korean workers in a variety of industries, giving South Korean companies access to skilled, affordable labor and North Korea access to much needed foreign currency. 

View photos from the event.

Improving Healthcare for Children in North Korea: Implementing Cerebral Palsy Treatment in the DPRK

November 23, 2015

Dr. Stephen Yoon, Co-Director and Professor, Kim Il Sung University Pyongyang Medical College

As part of the Columbia-KINU Speaker Series on Inter-Korean Law and Policy, the Center for Korean Legal Studies hosted Dr. Stephen Yoon, the first foreign doctor to receive a Ph.D. from Kim Il Sung University Pyongyang Medical College. He conducts research, trains doctors, and treats children with cerebral palsy. 

View photos from the event.

Foreign Investment and International Arbitration in the DPRK

October 23, 2015

Dr. Michael Hay, Principal, Hay, Kalb & Associates

As part of the Columbia-KINU Speaker Series on Inter-Korean Law and Policy, the Center for Korean Legal Studies hosted Michael Hay, who spoke about recent changes in North Korean law and how those changes affect foreign companies doing business in the DPRK. Hay, Kalb & Associates is the only foriegn law firm and business consulting firm in North Korea. Dr. Hay shared unique insights on his work and experience in one of the world's most elusive legal systems.

View photos from the event.

Conferences

Columbia-KIOST Joint Project on International Dispute Resolution

November 20, 2015

The Center for Korean Legal Studies and the Korea Institute for Ocean Science Technology (KIOST) co-hosted an all-day conference on procedures related to territorial dispute resolution. Panelists included Seong-Phil Hong, Yonsei University School of Law; Sanghyun Kim, prosecutor of the Republic of Korea; Changyoul Lee, KIOST; Young Dawng Moh, KIOST; Jeong-Ho Roh '88, Columbia Law School; Wan Jun Seow '15 LL.M., Center for Korean Legal Studies; and Sienho Yee, Wuhan University.

View photos from the event.

Korean Minister of Justice Visits Columbia Law School

November 4, 2015

Hyun-Woong Kim, the Minister of Justice for the Republic of Korea, visited the Law School in conjunction with his donation of 100 books to the Arthur W. Diamond Law Library. While at the Law School he met with Gillian Lester, Dean and the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law;  Kent McKeever; and Jeong-Ho Roh '88, director of the Center for Korean Legal Studies. See photos of the visit.

Inter-Korean Relations and the Unification Process in Regional and Global Contexts

October 22, 2015

The Center for Korean Legal Studies, in partnership with the Korea Institute on National Unification (KINU), hosted an all-day conference exploring the complex issues surrounding South Korea-North Korea unification. Panelists included Charles Armstrong, The Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies in the Social Sciences, Columbia University; Douglas Arner, University of Hong Kong; Jung-Hyun Cho, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School; Kyung-Ok Doh, KINU; Barry K. Gills, University of Helsinki; Joseph Harte, Columbia Law School; Michael A. Hay, Hay, Kalb & Associates (Pyongyang Law Offices); Kyu-Chang Lee, KINU; Jong-Chul Park, KINU; Jeong-Ho Roh '88, Columbia Law School; Rhea Siers, Georgetown University; Sue Mi Terry, Bower Group Asia; and Chang-Seok Yang, Kaesong Industrial District Foundation.

View photos from the event.

2012 Events

Roundtable: Leadership Succession in North Korea—Regional and Global Implications

The Center for Korean Legal Studies co-sponsored a special roundtable discussion hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Center for Korean Research. It was co-sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Study Center.

2011 Events

Forum: Korean Comfort Women Survivors’ Encounter with Holocaust Survivors

The Center for Korean Legal Studies was proud to support the 2011 Impact Forum on Survivors of WWII Military Sexual Slavery. This event is part of a series of events held in tandem with similar events worldwide marking the 1000th Wednesday survivor's rally on Dec. 14, 2011. Co-Sponsors: Northeast Asian History Foundation, Center for Korean Research, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Korean American Voter's Council.

Conference: Power Shifts in Northeast Asia

The Center for Korean Legal Studies co-sponsored an all-day conference on approaching leadership changes in Northeast Asia. The event drew more than150 attendees, including specialists and scholars, the general public, and the press. View Columbia Law School's News Release.

Ambassador Young-Mok Kim, Korean Consul-General to New York	Ambassador Mark Minton, President, Korea Society and former Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Seoul	Jeong-Ho Roh '88, Director, Center for Korean Legal Studies, Columbia Law School

Charles Armstrong, Korea Foundation; Professor of Korean Studies, Columbia University; and Director, Center for Korean Research	Noah Kim, Center for Korean Legal Studies visiting scholar, and Peter Park, Columbia Law School 3L student.

2005 Events

Roundtable: New Paradigm for South-North Korean Cooperation: The Incheon-Kaesong Joint Development Zone

Resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue has been and remains one of the greatest priorities on the Korean Peninsula. Even so, significant efforts have been made to foster a climate of cooperation and reconciliation between North and South Korea. Against this backdrop, The Incheon Free Economic Zone has been studying the feasibility of creating a Joint Development Zone with the Kaesong Industrial Zone in the North. The geographic proximity of Incheon and Kaesong, along with their complementary economic activities, presents the possibility of creating a new paradigm for future cooperation between North and South, and has far-reaching implications for inter-Korean relations. 

The Future of the Korea-U.S. Alliance

The Center for Korean Legal Studies, Columbia Law School, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, and the Korea Society welcomed The Hon. Park Geun Hye, the chairwoman of the Grand National Party of the Republic of Korea.

Honorable Park Geun Hye is the daughter of former President Park Chung Hee. The subject of her lecture was the future of the Korea-U.S. Alliance. Ambassador Gregg and various Korean delegates were in attendance during the lecture.

2004

Roundtable: Series on Korea

The inaugural meeting of the "Roundtable: Series on Korea" was designed to bring together 25 eminent scholars and practitioners engaged in the study of North Korea and inter-Korea relations.

Forum: Korea Law

Ambassador Chun Yung-woo, deputy permanent representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations presented, “The North Korea Nuclear Issue: A South Korean Perspective.”

2003 Events

The Honorable Jeong Se-Hyun, minister of unification, Republic of Korea presented, “The Future of Inter-Korean Relations: The Current Standoff and Roadmap for Peace and Prosperity.”

The Honorable Ban Ki Moon, advisor for foreign affairs to the president (currently, minister of foreign affairs and trade of the Republic of Korea).

Minister of Justice, Korea Law Forum.

Lee Tae-Sik, deputy executive director, Korea Energy Development Organization (KEDO) presented, “KEDO'S Experiment with North Korea: Prognosis for the Future.”

Other Notable Events

• Visit by Kim Woo-choong, September 2002
• Fifth Anniversary Celebration, November 1999
• Four Party Talks Conference, October 1997