Obama Administration and U.S.-ROK Policy Challenges

President Obama’s inauguration one week from today invites us to consider the
immediate agenda and outlook for U.S.-ROK relations. That agenda might usefully
address the following items:

• Setting an appropriate tone and atmosphere for the bilateral relationship
• Identifying first year goals for the alliance – and beyond
• Crafting a mutually agreed vision and strategy for managing the challenges posed
• by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, economic frailty and looming succession
• Confirming and strengthening overall alliance and security policy
• Finding a way to proceed on KORUS – the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement