Don Oberdorfer, Diplomatic Correspondent and Chairman Emeritus, US-Korea Institute, Dies at 84
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Published on July 30, 2015
Don Oberdorfer, 84, Chairman Emeritus of the US-Korea Institute (USKI) at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, died July 23 in Washington, DC.
Oberdorfer graduated from Princeton University and went to South Korea as a U.S. Army lieutenant during the Korean War. He started his career in journalism with The Charlotte Observer, The Saturday Evening Post, and Knight Newspapers before working for The Washington Post. During his twenty five years with The Washington Post, he served as a White House, Northeast Asia, and diplomatic correspondent. Oberdorfer has authored several books and is celebrated as an expert in Asian Affairs.
In a statement, USKI chairman Stephen Bosworth lauded Oberdofer’s legacy as a great thinker in Asian affairs.
“Don Oberdorfer was a giant among American journalists covering Asia in the second half of the 20th century. Don covered virtually every major development in the region from the Vietnam War to the People Power revolution in the Philippines and the growth of democracy in Korea. His book, The Two Koreas is the essential work for anyone trying to understand the contemporary history of the Korean Peninsula.”
After retiring from The Washington Post in 1993, Oberdorfer was appointed Distinguished Journalist in Residence by George R. Packard, former dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS. In addition to teaching a popular and well-received course on News Media in International Affairs, Oberdorfer was instrumental in the launch of the US-Korea Institute and in 2006 was appointed Chairman.
“He was the founding Chairman of the US-Korea Institute which has become a leading academic center at SAIS focused on research and teaching about Korea. Don Oberdorfer will be much missed,” said Bosworth.
Jae Ku, Director of the USKI, remembered Oberdorfer in a statement on the institute’s website.
“Don’s understanding of Korea was unparalleled. He not only understood, but had internalized Korea’s geostrategic predicament and the Korean people’s sentiments. His deep knowledge of Korea came from his own eyewitness accounts of modern Korean development. Simply put, Don was Korea’s best friend.”
A memorial service for Don Oberdorfer will be held Saturday, August 1 at 11:30a.m. It will take place at Ingleside at Rock Creek, 3050 Military Road, NW, Washington, DC.
Read a tribute by Robert Carlin honoring Don’s life and legacy at USKI’s 38 North.
