Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Korean Peninsula Affairs Center present:

Alexander Vorontsov, Head of the Department for Korean and Mongolian Studies, The Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russia Academy of Sciences Associate Professor, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)

The Korean Peninsula Between War and Peace: A Russian Perspective

Last year was a period of extreme military tension on the Korean Peninsula. To illustrate the dramatic nature of the situation, suffice it to say that my North Korean interlocutors were convinced that the Pentagon had launched the contact reconnaissance phase of a military operation it was planning to undertake on the peninsula. They even were saying things such as “Our soldiers have long been sleeping without removing their boots.” In response to the talk in Washington of a “Bloody Nose" scenario, in Pyongyang I heard people saying: "If the Americans hit us on the nose, we’ll crush their spinal column."  During the Olympic peace pause,  however, the situation suddenly was transformed in a magical way and now we are anticipating not one, but two summits, back-to-back, one between North and South Korea and another between the U.S. and North Korea. There’s definitely a lot to discuss and to analyze if we are to make sense of these dramatic developments.

Alexander Vorontsov is the head of the Department for Korean and Mongolian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russia Academy of Sciences and an associate professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He routinely participates in Track II meetings on Korean Peninsular issues. Previously, he served as second secretary in the Russian Federation’s Embassy in Pyongyang from 2000 to 2002. Vorontsov holds a Ph.D. in history from the Institute of Oriental Studies at the U.S.S.R. Academy.

Lunch will be served.

For information on accessibility, or to request accommodation, please contact Marc Albert 315-443-9248.

Sponsored by the Korean Peninsula Affairs Center at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs