“Father Kapaun has been called a shepherd in combat boots…Today we bestow another title on him—recipient of our nation’s highest military decoration.” ~ President Barack Obama at the Medal of Honor ceremony for Father Emil J. Kapaun (April 11, 2013)

On the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, Dennis P. Halpin, former House Foreign Relations Committee staff member and current Visiting Scholar at the US-Korea Institute at SAIS, takes a moment to remember the work of Father Emil J. Kapaun, a U.S. Army chaplain who was captured during the Korean War and whose ministry to his fellow POWs has been characterized as “saintly.” He also reflects on the estimated 500 POWs believed to remain alive inside North Korea, in violation of the Armistice-linked exchange agreements: Big Switch and Little Switch.

Download USKI Policy Brief “The Forgotten War’s POW Saint” by Dennis P. Halpin.

Dennis P. Halpin is currently a visiting scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea, U.S. consul in Pusan, and a House Foreign Affairs Committee staff member for over twelve years. 

The U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS proudly invites you to a Congressional event on July 25, 2013 to honor Korean War veterans for their brave service to America in defense of South Korea and to commemorate 60 years of U.S.-ROK Alliance on this milestone anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

Keynote speakers include Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), who served in the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion in the U.S. Army and Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC), who served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War.

Other featured guest speakers:

• Former Senator John Warner (R-VA), who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War
• General Walter Sharp, former commander of U.S. Combined Forces Command & U.S. Forces Korea, U.S. Army
• Ray Kapaun, newphew of Father Emil J. Kapaun, a U.S. Army chaplain who died as a POW in the Korean War and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor
• Steven S. Lee, U.S. Navy commander who was the first Korean American graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy to command at sea (former commander of the USS Gonzalez)

Time: 1:30-3:30pm, Thursday, July 25, 2013
Location: Capitol Visitor Center, Room HVC-201

To RSVP for this event, click here.

* Please note that the proceedings will begin promptly at 1:30pm; early arrival is suggested. Photo ID will be required for building entry. Refreshments will be provided. Directions to the Capitol Visitor Center can be found at http://visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/getting-the-capitol.

Thursday, Jul 25, 2013 – Honoring Six Decades of Service: Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Felisa Neuringer Klubes
202.663.5626

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Stephen Bosworth Named Chairman of the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS

Washington, D.C.—June 25, 2013— Stephen Bosworth, former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea, will join the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) as the new chairman of the U.S.-Korea Institute (USKI) at SAIS, effective July 1.

Bosworth recently retired as dean of Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a position he assumed in 2001 after a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Department of State.

“Ambassador Bosworth is one of America’s most distinguished diplomats with deep knowledge of Korea, its global role and regional interests. He will be a valuable addition to SAIS’s Korean Studies Program and the U.S.-Korea Institute’s critical work on Korea and Asia,” said SAIS Dean Vali Nasr.

During his 30 years in the foreign service, Bosworth served as U.S. ambassador to Tunisia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea as well as director of Policy Planning at the State Department. After leaving the government, Bosworth was president of the United States-Japan Foundation from 1987 to 1995 and the executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization from 1995 to 1997. He also served as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy for the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011.

He has authored numerous articles and studies on public policy and international affairs. In 2006, he co-authored with Morton Abramowitz, Chasing the Sun: Rethinking East Asian Policy.

As USKI’s new chairman, Bosworth succeeds Don Oberdorfer, the founder of the institute, who will become chairman emeritus.

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“I explained that Americans expected Beijing, a communist dictatorship, neither to understand nor appreciate our Bill of Rights. But it is far more disturbing that an American ally, who aspires to the same democratic values that we do, would demonstrate such a lack of understanding.” ~ Dennis P. Halpin

In 2010, the community of Palisades Park, New Jersey dedicated a small memorial to the memory of the “comfort women,” the tens of thousands of women, many of whom were Korean, who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese military during World War II. In May 2012, the Japanese government sent two delegations of Japanese officials to Palisades Park to implore the local government to remove the memorial; their efforts were unsuccessful and have thus, inspired other Korean communities across the United States to erect similar memorials.

On the first anniversary of this international incident, Dennis P. Halpin, former House Foreign Relations Committee staff member and current Visiting Scholar at the US-Korea Institute at SAIS, discusses discusses why the Japanese government’s efforts, beyond being ineffective, were unconstitutional and should not be repeated. Download USKI Policy Brief “Palisades Park and the First Amendment,” by Dennis P. Halpin.

Dennis P. Halpin is currently a visiting scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea, U.S. consul in Pusan, and a House Foreign Affairs Committee staff member for over twelve years. 

The U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS (USKI) and the Global America Business Institute (GABI) are pleased to invite you to a speaker and discussion series featuring presentations on subjects relevant to the 123 Agreement between the US and South Korea:

Next Discussion

US 123 Agreements: Perspective of the Nuclear Industry

Guest Speaker: Amir Shahkarami, Senior Vice President and CEO, Exelon Nuclear Partners

Amir Shahkarami is Senior Vice President of Exelon Generation Company and CEO of Exelon Nuclear Partners, where he is responsible for all domestic and international business development projects. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry, with ten years at Exelon. Most recently, he was Exelon Nuclear Senior Vice President of Technical Services, in which he was responsible for nuclear fuel, engineering, project management, license renewal, industry organizations, innovation, and Exelon Nuclear’s international exchange program. Prior to joining Exelon, Mr. Shahkarami held several key positions of increasing responsibility at Entergy at several nuclear sites and corporate for ten years. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering from Tulane University, his MBA from Mississippi College, and his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Louisiana State University.

Join us for a film screening of  “Unfortunate Brothers: Korea’s Reunification Dilemma”, co-hosted by the Sejong Society of Washington, D.C., the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, and the David M. Kennedy Center.

Explore the historical and current issues surrounding Korea’s unification through this provocative documentary which follows Mr. Lee, a North Korean defector attempting to adjust to his new life in South Korea. Gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances and concerns with respect to Korean unification as you watch the story unfold.

This event will be held April 26, 2013 in the Rome Auditorium. Join us for a light reception at 6:30 PM with the film commencing at 7:00 PM.

For more information or to RSVP click here.