The Asan Plenum 2025: “80 Years of Independence and
60 Years of Korea-Japan Normalization”

 
The Asan Institute for Policy Studies (Chairman, Yoon Young-kwan) will host the Asan Plenum 2025 on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt Seoul under the theme “80 Years of Independence and 60 Years of Korea-Japan Normalization.” This year’s Plenum looks back at the changes on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asian relations over the past 80 and 60 years. It will assess the state of the region at a time of intensifying great power competition and ongoing challenges to progress and reconciliation. The Plenum will canvass how to move beyond the past and towards a future that ensures regional security and prosperity.

At this year’s Asan Plenum, Honorary Chairman Dr. M.J. Chung will deliver the welcoming remarks, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, and Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Mizushima Koichi will give congratulatory remarks. This will be followed by a keynote speech by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Dr. Kurt Campbell.

This year’s Plenum will feature over 50 international foreign and security policy experts, including Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and former World Bank President; Karen House, former publisher of The Wall Street Journal; John Hamre, CEO of CSIS; Randall Schriver, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea Chair; Jia Qingguo, Professor at Peking University; Kim Sung-han, Professor at Korea University and former National Security Advisor; Ahn Ho-Young, Chair Professor at Kyungnam University and former Korean Ambassador to the U.S.; and Nagamine Yasumasa, former Japanese Ambassador to South Korea.

The Asan Plenum, which aims to envision the future of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, consists of seven sessions. Participants will discuss key issues affecting the security and prosperity of Korea and Northeast Asia, including South Korea’s relations with its neighbors, future visions for Northeast Asia, Asia’s emerging security architecture, the changing nature of warfare, new horizons in economic security, and North Korea’s nuclear threat.


* Please note that only members of the media with an official Asan press badge will be permitted entry. You should carry your official press badge and/or press credentials and a personal ID with you while at the venue.
* All sessions will be conducted in English with simultaneous Korean interpretation provided.