The Korea Economic Institute of America 한미경제연구소

 

KEI is the premier U.S. think tank and public outreach organization solely dedicated to helping Americans understand the breadth and importance of our relations with the Republic of Korea. Through its publications, social media, programs, and public events, KEI seeks to advance scholarship and understanding of Korea in ways that will inform policy-makers and the American public of the security, economic, and political implications of our connections to the Korean Peninsula.

To produce accurate and in-depth analysis, KEI draws on the expertise of its resident staff; provides a platform on which leading writers, thinkers and commentators from the United States, Korea, and third countries can share their research and opinion; promotes scholarship by commissioning and publishing original articles; and hosts public and off-the-record conversations among policy makers and opinion leaders. The point of these activities is to ensure that decisions – whether made by government officials or private citizens – are soundly based within the context of the Korean Peninsula’s complexity and significance.

KEI maintains strong connections with its partner think tanks in Washington and with the academic community throughout the United States. Its “Academic Paper Series,” “Academic Symposium,” and “University Programs” ensure that the best in research and scholarship on Korea are shared among experts and are available to students and the general public. All KEI’s publications are accessible free of charge.

Although most of its activities take place at its Washington, DC headquarters, KEI is committed to engaging the public throughout the United States. Programs such as the “Future of Korea,” held in partnership with the World Affairs Councils of America, and the “Ambassadors’ Dialogue” bring Korean and American diplomats to venues across the country to discuss current events and the overall U.S.-ROK relationship. Participating officials value the opportunities KEI provide to speak to, and hear from, communities beyond the Washington DC area.

KEI continues to expand its social media presence. Its blog, “The Peninsula”; podcast, “Korea Kontext,” and livestream and recorded video allow those interested in Korea outside the Washington, DC beltway to engage with KEI and the U.S.-Korea alliance on issues of trade, culture, and security. KEI invites you to like its Facebook page and to follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Although the U.S. partnership with the Republic of Korea is strong and based on enduring values and interests, it cannot be taken for granted. KEI is committed to keeping our understanding of the relationship current.

KEI is a non-for-profit, educational organizations partnered with the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), a public policy research institute funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea. KEI is registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as an agent of KIEP. The required registration statement and the materials on this website are available for public inspection at the Department of Justice. Registration does not indicate U.S. government approval of the contents of this website. KEI is not engaged in the practice of law, does not render legal services, and is not a lobbying organization. http://www.keia.org/.

Amb. Kathleen Stephens, President & CEO of KEI

 

Ambassador (retired) Kathleen Stephens assumed leadership of KEI as President and CEO in September 2018. Ambassador Stephens was a career diplomat in the United States Foreign Service, 1978-2015. She was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea 2008-2011, the first woman and first Korean-speaker to serve in that position. Other overseas assignments included postings to China, former Yugoslavia, Portugal, Northern Ireland, where she was U.S. Consul General in Belfast during the negotiations culminating in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and India, where she was U.S. Charge ‘d Affaires (2014-2015).
Ambassador Stephens served in a number of policy positions in Washington at the Department of State and the White House. These included acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (2012), Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (2005-2007), Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2003-2005), and National Security Council Director for European Affairs at the Clinton White House.
Korea has been a leit motif of Ambassador Stephens’ life and career since she served in rural Korea as a Peace Corps volunteer and trainer, 1975-1977. She was in Korea 1983-1989, first as a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul reporting on Korea’s domestic political and human rights scene, and later leading the U.S. Consulate in Busan.
Stephens was William J. Perry Fellow for Korea at Stanford University’s Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center, 2015-2018. She has also been Endowed Chair Professor for Language and Diplomacy at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, and Senior State Department Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. She is a Mansfield Foundation Distinguished Fellow, Pacific Century Institute Board Chairman, Vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of The Asia Foundation, and on the board of The Korea Society. She is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Ambassador Stephens has received U.S. government awards including the Presidential Meritorious Service Award (2009) and Linguist of the Year (2010). She holds the Kwanghwa Medal of Diplomatic Merit, the Sejong Cultural Award, the Korean-American Friendship Association Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the American Chamber of Commerce in Seoul, the Korea YWCA Special Prize for Leadership, and was Hangul Goodwill Ambassador as well as Korea National Museum Goodwill Ambassador. She holds honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Maryland and Chungnam National University.
Stephens was an undergraduate at Prescott College, University of Hong Kong and Oxford University, and holds a BA Honors from Prescott. She holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. http://keia.org/staffmember/kathleen-stephens.