South Korea, long seen as a rare success in adopting the American presidential system, recently weathered a martial law crisis and secured a democratic government. President Lee Jae-myung now must reinforce liberal constitutional democracy and navigate growing global uncertainty. Many abroad still misunderstand how his administration will address these challenges. Professor Byong-jin Ahn, a former member of Lee’s National Policy Planning Committee, offers an insider view on the administration’s priorities, Lee’s leadership style, and the role of technology alliances in the geopolitics of South Korea, the United States, and Northeast Asia.

About the speaker:
Byong-jin Ahn is a 2025-26 Visiting Scholar at APARC and he is a professor at Kyung Hee University's Global Academy for Future Civilizations. He has recently served at the State Affairs Planning Committee, Lee's presidential transition team. He has appeared on major Korean media and newspapers on the U.S. presidential election specials and has been often quoted by the New York Times. His recent publications include a chapter, “Why Is Korean Democracy Majoritarian but Not Liberal?“ in the edited volume South Korea's Democracy In Crisis: The Threats of Illiberalism, Populism, and Polarization (Gi-Wook Shin and Ho-Ki Kim, Stanford University Press, 2022). He earned his Ph.D. in American politics from the New School for Social Research.