EVENTS

With North Korea launching a record number of missiles in recent weeks, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula has once again become highly tense. Though the current North Korean provocation has been in response to a large-scale US-ROK joint military exercise, the security situation has been simmering over the last year, particularly after the political change in South Korea in May 2022. Recent events reflect a complete breakdown of the peace processes that were set in motion in 2018. Unlike the previous instances of volatility, the heightened regional security tension in East Asia with the intensifying strategic rivalry between the US and China makes the current situation on the Korean Peninsula alarming. Taking account of the events unfolding in the Korean Peninsula, the seminar aims to evaluate the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and their implications for East Asia.

About the Speakers

Dr. Jojin V. John is an Assistant Professor School of International relations and Politics at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala. Previously Dr. John was affiliated with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) as Research Fellow for East Asia for five years. Prior to his stint at ICWA, he taught political science in Christ University, Bangalore and held visiting research positions at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul (July -September 2022); National Chengchi University, Taipei (2015); Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi (2013-14); Seoul National University (2012)and Academy of Korean Studies, Korea (2010-11). Dr. John received his Ph. D from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has several publications to his credit, including monographs, book chapters and articles that appeared in academic journals, including Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies, China Report, The Journal of International Relations, Strategic Analysis, India Quarterly and Area Studies.

Prof. Vyjayanti Raghavan was a Professor of Korean Language and Culture at the Centre for Korean Studies, JNU. She has also been the Chairperson of the Centre from 2013-15 and 2017-19. She has done her Masters in History from Seoul National University and her PhD in International Relations from JNU. Her association with Korea has been since 1976, and she has been teaching at JNU since 2000. She has several publications to her credit pertaining to all aspects of Korea. Some of her recent publications are Colonization: A Comparative Study of India and Korea (co-edited); Sino-Indian and Sino-South Korean Relations: Compulsions, Comparisons and Contrasts (co-authored); Comparative Security Dynamics in North East Asia and South Asia (co-authored). She is currently working on a book titled, Super Power Dynamics in North East Asia and South Asia: The Xi-Trump Effect under a grant from ICWA. Prof. Raghavan is a member of various academic boards. She has played a significant role in setting up the Centre for Korean Studies in JNU, and in recognition of her efforts, she was awarded for contribution to the promotion of Korean in India by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea in 2015.

About the Chair

Amb. Skand Ranjan Tayal is a graduate of Allahabad University and has a Post-Graduate Degree in Chemistry from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. After joining the Indian Foreign Service (1976), Ambassador Tayal served in Indian Missions in Sofia, Warsaw, Geneva and Moscow. He was India’s Consul General in Johannesburg (1996-98) and Houston (2002-05), and Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan (2005-08). He was the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea during 2008-11. Ambassador Tayal was Secretary of the Indian National Commission for UNESCO during 1991-95 and served briefly as the Director in charge of IITs in the Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development. He was Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa) in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Chief Passport Officer of India during 1999-2002. He introduced far-reaching reforms in the passport issue system, including comprehensive computerization, machine printing of passports and the Tatkal Scheme for fast track issues of passports. Ambassador Tayal has a broad experience in both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy and has been a frequent speaker on contemporary affairs. He regularly writes for academic journals and Asian Age.

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