Advancing the U.S.-Korea Economic Agenda
VIEW EVENT DETAILSReport Launch & Panel Discussion
With the new amendments to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement scheduled to go into effect soon, now is an opportune time for the United States and the Republic of Korea to explore ways to strengthen and expand their economic ties. With an eye to the future, a number of areas – including stronger trade and investment ties, energy, digital and advanced technologies, infrastructure, and women’s empowerment – are ripe for closer cooperation.
Join the Asia Society Policy Institute for the launch of its latest issue brief: Advancing the U.S.-Korea Economic Agenda. In this brief, ASPI vice president Wendy Cutler and co-author Hye-min Lee, former G20 sherpa and ambassador for international economic affairs for the Republic of Korea, provide recommendations for how the two countries can bolster cooperation in the economic sphere.
To discuss the findings of the report and explore the prospects for advancing the broader U.S.-Korea economic agenda, ASPI will host a public panel discussion with brief co-authors Ms. Cutler and Amb. Lee, along with former Congressman Charles Boustany and the U.S. Chamber’s David Gossack. Bloomberg anchor Shery Ahn will moderate the discussion, with opening remarks by Korean ambassador to the U.S., Cho Yoon-je.
Speakers
Ambassador Cho Yoon-je has served as the Ambassador to the U.S. of the Republic of Korea since 2017. He previously served as the Senior Counselor to the Deputy Prime Minister, and to the Minister of Finance and Economy, as well as the Ambassador of Korea to the United Kingdom. He has also served in positions at the World Bank and the IMF, and a professor at Seoul’s Sogang University, teaching courses on economics, finance and development.
Wendy Cutler is vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and the managing director of the Washington D.C. Office. She joined ASPI following an illustrious career of nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), including serving as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, during which she worked on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region, including on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. She was also the Chief Negotiator to the U.S.-Korea (Korus) Free Trade Agreement.
Ambassador Hye-min Lee is a visiting professor of the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University. He previously served as G20 sherpa and the ambassador for international economic affairs for the Republic of Korea. During his career, he has also served as ambassador to the Philippines and France, and was the chief negotiator for the Korea-EU FTA and deputy chief negotiator for the Korea-US FTA.
Charles Boustany is currently a partner at Capitol Counsel LLC and a counselor for the National Bureau of Asian Research. He served as the United States Representative from Louisiana’s 7th district from 2005-2013 and the 3rd district from 2013-2017 following the elimination of Louisiana’s 7th district. During his years in Congress, Boustany served on the influential House Ways and Means Committee and was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Tax Policy, where he established himself as an expert and leader on tax, trade, health care, and entitlement policy. As Congressman, he authored legislation on a wide range of subjects, including trade enforcement language that created the tools for more effective trade enforcement in an effort to stop abusive practices.
David Gossack is the vice president for Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he develops Chamber programs and policies across the region. He concurrently serves as president of the U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC) and president of the U.S.-Korea Business Council (USKBC). Prior to joining the Chamber, Gossack spent more than 24 years in Asia as one of America’s most senior commercial diplomats and an advocate for American business interests. He served in East Asia’s largest economies before retiring in July 2018 as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Minister-Counselor rank.
Shery Ahn (Moderator) is the co-anchor of “Bloomberg Markets,” “Bloomberg Daybreak Asia,” and “Bloomberg Daybreak Australia.” As a journalist with Bloomberg, Ahn has covered global market events including the G20 summit from Hangzhou and BOJ policy decisions from Tokyo, as well as interviewing many of the most influential people in business and international economics, including Baidu Chairman Robin Li, Danone CEO Emmanuel Faber, Director-General of the WTO Roberto Azevedo, OECD’s Angel Gurria and ADB’s Takehiko Nakao.
Event Details
1779 Massachusetts Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036