I just got word that Kim Byung-kook, the President of the East Asia Institute, and a (very senior, and sadly very distant) colleague on the Chicago Council’s Public Opinion Studies in East Asia, has been asked by the new Korean President Lee Myung-bak to be South Korea’s new Senior Secretary of Foreign Affairs and National Security. Congratulations, Kim Byung–kook!
This is a very good sign for a president who, before ever entering office, has caused some serious ruckus. I’ll be totally honest, I’ve never been a big LMB fan- I didn’t care for his campaign. He’s too religious and too business-like, and his shaking up of the Korean bureacracy is interesting, but I’m not sure ultimately worth while or worth the controversy- but it shows good judgment having KBK on board.
KBK’s excellent scholarship and visions of the future of East Asia can be found in an upcoming edited volume by the East Asia Institute. I can’t link to it because it’s not out yet, and I can’t post it for the same reason. If you can get your hands on it, it’s worth a serious read.
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