Embedded Files
ROK-US Alliance beyond 70: Overcoming Uncertainties and Opening New Opportunities
ROK-US Alliance beyond 70: Overcoming Uncertainties and Opening New Opportunities
January 27, 2023
Invited speaker at the closed meeting “ROK-US Alliance beyond 70: Overcoming Uncertainties and Opening New Opportunities” cohosted by the Ilmin International Relations Institute and the Wilson Center, held at the Shilla Hotel, Seoul.
14th Asia Human Rights Forum
14th Asia Human Rights Forum
September 29, 2022
Invited discussant at the 14th Asia Human Rights Forum on Human Rights Impact of New Technology on Persons with Disabilities held at ONSO Square, Seoul. It was one of the few chances to have a face-to-face conference during the height of COVID-19.
Seoul Peace Initiative Conference (SPIC)
Seoul Peace Initiative Conference (SPIC)
November 8, 2021
Invited discussant at the Seoul Peace Initiative Conference (SPIC) held in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. The video of my session is available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2WfegceFsw&t=9478s
Radio Interview
July 13, 2020Radio Interview
I was invited to share my thoughts on the recent controversy involving defector groups and their leaflet campaigns on KBS World Radio's Korea 24 program. This is not an easy topic to tackle. As I discuss in my interview, the Korean government is trapped between its own embrace of participatory diplomacy, human rights norms, security interests, and structural changes in contemporary diplomacy. The link to the interview is here: http://world.kbs.co.kr/down.htm?inpage_id=86674&Type=MP3
Advanced Program on Korea's Public Diplomacy
June 16, 2020Advanced Program on Korea's Public Diplomacy
It was my pleasure to return to Korea University again (virtually) to give a lecture for the KUGSIS Advanced Program on Korea's Public Diplomacy sponsored by Korea Foundation. The students enrolled in the program were highly motivated and it was a real pleasure to talk about the theory and practice of public diplomacy in the context of Korea.
NBR Interview
May 28, 2020NBR Interview
It was a busy semester teaching (remotely) at a new university but fortunately I had the opportunity to do an interview with the National Bureau of Asian Research. It was conducted by Sanghoon Kim, a Korea Foundation Research Fellow with the Political and Security Affairs group at NBR and a former student of mine from KUGSIS.
For the full interview click here: https://www.nbr.org/publication/the-comprehensive-military-agreement-and-south-koreas-maritime-security/
During Covid-19 many face-to-face events were cancelled and replaced by online-only events. Only a few of these online-only events are recorded here...
New Job!
March 2, 2020New Job!
My research position at Korea University was going to run out of funding in August 2020, so my job search became rather more urgent throughout the end of 2019. This meant that last semester was extremely busy with the job search, publications and teaching/filming four courses. Nevertheless, it had a happy ending when I got an assistant professor position at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Division of International Studies. I signed my contract today and looking forward to a new semester, even though Covid-19 has delayed the beginning of classes. Stay healthy everyone!
What does the 4IR mean for International Relations?
November 25, 2019What does the 4IR mean for International Relations?
I was invited by the Ilmin Institute to contribute a short piece on the Fourth Industrial Revolution's impact on international relations. Although the request came at a busy time of the semester, I welcomed the opportunity to organize my thoughts on the topic and develop some arguments that had been percolating in my brain for awhile now. If you would like to read it, click on the image to download the PDF.
North Korea and Reunification
November 13, 2019North Korea and Reunification
I was the moderator and a presenter at the 2019 Global Korea Workshop for Future Asia-Pacific Leaders held at Korea University. The program, which is held annually by the Ilmin International Relations Institute and Korea University, gives young scholars from around the region a chance to visit Korea and engage with policymakers and academics on the issue of North Korea. My talk, "Reverse Nuclear Sharing and Korean Unification" introduced the recent article written by Alexander Hynd and myself and explained how it relates to the complex question of North-South reunification.
Shortcuts, Gaps and Traps
October 29, 2019Shortcuts, Gaps and Traps
I was an invited speaker at the 2019 Asian Business and Human Rights Forum held in the FKI Conference Center, Seoul. The meeting was attended by a fascinating mix of international human rights experts and technologists. My talk drew upon a historical perspective of algorithms to examine their implications on governance (both private and public). As the title suggests, I outlined three major features of current debates and policy making on the issue.
World Congress for Korean Politics and Society 2019
June 24, 2019World Congress for Korean Politics and Society 2019
I served as a discussant in several panels and gave a talk on a co-authored paper, “Why are we still giving aid to India” at the World Congress hosted by the Korean Political Science Association (KPSA) at Konkuk University. It was enjoyable experience--despite the summer heat--and I was excited to meet up with a number of old friends from various parts of Korea.
Regional Initiatives and APEC Connections
April 26, 2019Regional Initiatives and APEC Connections
I was an invited speaker to a conference organized by the APEC Studies Association of Korea (ASAK) held at the National Assembly Building in Yeouido. The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomatic officials from numerous member states including Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, The Philippines, and the United States. My presentation discussed some of the opportunities and challenges facing APEC in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and highlighted the need for human rights education alongside the existing focus on enhancing competitiveness through digital literacy.
It was my first time in the building. It was quite impressive!
Human Rights in the 4th Industrial Revolution: How Should UN Mechanisms Respond?
December 10, 2018 Human Rights in the 4th Industrial Revolution: How Should UN Mechanisms Respond?
I was an invited speaker at a conference on the Fourth Industrial Revolution sponsored by KACUNs and the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I presented my draft paper on A Holistic Approach to the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s Impact on Human Rights. Essentially, it argues that we have to have a better understanding of the philosophical and theoretical concepts underlying these technological practices and business models before we can evaluate their human rights impacts. Any technological artifact can be used for good or bad, but the context in which they are created and deployed determines their actual impact. This context can only be fully understood by stepping back and adopting an assemblage perspective.
Discussion Group on Human Rights and Human Agency
December 4, 2018 (and again in the follow-up meeting on April 24, 2019)Discussion Group on Human Rights and Human Agency
I was invited to participate in the UN Secretary-General's High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation's Discussion Group on Human Rights and Human Agency. It was a fascinating conversation with experts around the world. For more on the meeting, check out the summary here.
14th Peacekeeping Operations Seminar
November 11, 2018 14th Peacekeeping Operations Seminar
I was the discussant of Major Choi Pilyong’s paper “25 years of ROK overseas deployments since joining the UN: Retrospect and Prospect” at this conference, which was organized by the ROK-PKO Center and KACUNS to showcase Korea’s successes in the area of peacekeeping operations but also its current challenges. My panel included the former commander of the Hanbit Unit in South Sudan and I was excited to learn more about his experiences in the field while chatting before our panel. Oh, and one of my former students was attending the event as a reporter for a defense magazine and sent me the article and picture of them event. Though, personally, that unflattering picture makes me look like an evil goblin, ha ha.
13th International Human Rights Network Meeting, Student Session
October 27, 2018 13th International Human Rights Network Meeting, Student Session
Dr. Nam and I were invited to give a talk on human rights and technology on Saturday down at K-Hotel. There was a strong turnout even though it was the weekend. Dr. Chalfie was moderating our session, so this was our first time to meet a Nobel laureate! Dr. Nam and I gave a joint-presentation. I began with a broad overview of the 4IR, what it means, and the different ways we can conceptualize technology and its relationship with human rights. Dr. Nam situated the problems in terms of international law and updated everyone on the progress of our blockchain paper.
Fall Semester CAMPUS Asia Academic Writing Workshop
October 4, 2018Fall Semester CAMPUS Asia Academic Writing Workshop
It was great to see so many students attending this semester's workshop on academic writing, hosted by CAMPUS Asia as part of our Thesis Support Program. Perhaps it was the title "How to get an A+ Paper" or the free sandwiches, but there were so many students that we had to switch rooms and still ran out of chairs! The lecture covered the basics of academic writing--from devising a research question, critical note-taking, structuring your argument, and macro- and micro-proofreading after the paper is finished. I was excited to see so many students interested in improving their writing and thank you for the questions afterwards!
2018 International Model UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review
July 31 - August 3, 20182018 International Model UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review
It was my honour to serve as a jury member for this year's Model UPR held at Korea University, which was the first time that teams from Japan and Hong Kong participated. The Hong Kong team represented mainland China and one of the two South Korean teams represented the DPRK, so we had a total of four countries under review as well as an essay contest. This was my first time being a juror, so the first day was a bit hectic, but at least it kept me out of the record-breaking 39.6 degrees Celsius summer heat that was hitting Seoul at the time! I was especially impressed by the public-speaking ability and overall preparedness of all teams. Honestly, it was tough to pick a clear winner. Thanks also goes out to my fellow jurors who helped make the experience thoroughly enjoyable! They were: Dr. Buhm-Suk Baek (Kyung-Hee University), Pok Yin Stephenson Chow (City University of Hong Kong), and Georgios Mousourakis (Ritsumeikan University).
2018 Korean International Relations Association Summer Conference
June 22, 20182018 Korean International Relations Association Summer Conference
I presented my paper Technology, Law, and Public Policy: The Case of the Regulation of Unpiloted Aircraft and received some excellent feedback from Dr. Moon Young-il, one of the panel's discussants (not pictured).
2018 Seoul Conference on the International Mobility Convention
May 28, 2018 2018 Seoul Conference on the International Mobility Convention
I was one of the technology experts invited to discuss the Model International Mobility Convention, which is an innovative treaty developed by the Columbia Global Policy Initiative, headed by Michael W. Doyle. It was a great opportunity to meet Professor Doyle and hear his passionate arguments in favor of the convention. For those interested in learning more or who want to sign the treaty, please check out this link: http://globalpolicy.columbia.edu/mobility-convention
Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB) Election ICT Capacity Building Program
May 11, 2018Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB) Election ICT Capacity Building Program
I have been invited to AWEB capacity building programs several times over the last couple years. This May I was invited to lead a session with election officials from Mongolia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. My seminars explore current and emerging socio-technical threats to elections, including hacking fake news, and emotional AI. They encourage participants to discuss common challenges, compare best practices, and anticipate new vulnerabilities in the electoral process. What role does voter education play in “hardening” electoral systems against these emerging threats? Can elections survive in a post-truth era?
Not only is it amazing to interact with election officials from around the world, its always nice to have an excuse to visit Songdo City!
2018 Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference
April 5-8, 2018 2018 Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference
It was my first time in Chicago and I was excited to chair a couple panels, attend several fascinating talks, and present my working paper “The Technopolitics of THAAD.” My colleague Dr. Yu Youngsoo was an invaluable guide as we explored the Windy City. I thoroughly enjoyed the second leg of our American conference trip.
In this picture, I am apparently talking about the finer points of missile defense. I was definitely enjoying myself!
2018 SSK Human Rights Conference
April 2, 2018 2018 SSK Human Rights Conference
This was an exciting gathering of innovative young scholars at Michigan University and somehow I smuggled myself onto the program :) But in all honesty, it was truly an eye-opening experience and I learned a lot, despite the jet lag! I gave a presentation on the issue of drone lawfare and we were all treated to an excellent keynote presentation by Professor Beth Simmons. If you are interested in learning more, see the coverage of the event at http://sskhumanrights.org/the-2018-human-rights-conference-frontiers-of-human-rights-research-methodological-innovations-and-new-rights-issues/
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