Special Lecture by Siegfried S. Hecker, a World-renowned Expert on the North Korean Nuclear Program
The Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) invited Dr. Siegfried S. Hecker, a world-renowned expert on the North Korean nuclear program, to host a special lecture at Lee Sam-bong Hall of the ECC building on November 7, 2023 (Tue.).
This special lecture was organized as part of the William J. Perry Lecture Series, which was launched in 2016 in collaboration between Ewha Womans University and the Pacific Century Institute (PCI), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, and named after William J. Perry, an elder statesman of U.S. foreign policy who served as Secretary of Defense and North Korea policy coordinator for the U.S. The program has offered insights for the promotion of peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula through a series of lectures by experts including former Secretary Perry.
Dr. Hecker presented a special lecture under the theme of “Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program.” Siegfried S. Hecker is the world’s leading expert on the North Korean nuclear program and one of the world’s top nuclear physicists who is recognized for over 30 years of international expertise in denuclearization, nuclear weapon policy, and nuclear security. He is also an emeritus director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and professor emeritus of Stanford University. “Hinge Points,” the subject of the lecture, originated from the title of his new book that seeks to present incisive insight into the North Korean nuclear issue. In the special lecture, he delivered his latest opinions on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the mitigation of the nuclear crisis. Looking back at the history of North Korea’s nuclear development, Dr. Hecker indicated that previous U.S. administrations were erroneous in their decisions, hence creating the titular “hinge points” of his book. In particular, he expressed his concerns about the close ties developed by North Korea and Russia in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and also criticized Russia’s own actions with regard to its nuclear arsenal.
The special lecture was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dean Brendan Howe of the GSIS. Panelists included Dr. Hecker, Professor Won Gon Park of the Department of North Korean Studies, Professor Min Hee Go of the Department of Political Science & International Relations, Professor Leif Eric Easley of the Department of International Studies, and Professor Lynn Sue Pyun of the Department of International Studies. There was also a Q&A session with students and other audience members participating in the discussion.
Ewha Womans University has established an academic foundation for North Korean studies and fostered women scholars and experts in North Korean studies by introducing North Korean studies as an interdisciplinary program in 1998, launching the interdisciplinary major of North Korean Studies in the undergraduate program in 2000, and expanding it into the Department of North Korean Studies in 2013. In addition, the university has been leading and promoting the academic discipline and research of North Korean studies, for example, by launching the Yoon Hoo-Jung Unification Forum in 2013 to discuss the overcoming of the national division, one of the most urgent issues in our society.
