[News Figures] New Director of the US-Korea Economic Institute, US Think Tank, 'Scott Snyder'

Scott Snyder, newly appointed president of the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), a U.S. think tank specializing in Korea-U.S. relations, is a leading American expert on the Korean Peninsula.

Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), stated at the Brown Bag Seminar hosted by the New York Consulate General that "in responding to the North Korean nuclear and missile issues, South Korea and the United States must strengthen dialogue and communication with China."

After graduating from Rice University, Snyder earned a master's degree from Harvard University’s East Asian Regional Studies program. He has served as a senior fellow for Korea at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) for over 10 years. Prior to that, he worked as a senior fellow in the International Relations program at the Asia Foundation. During his tenure at the Asia Foundation, he established the Korea Policy Center and served as the foundation’s representative in Korea from 2000 to 2004.

In his book South Korea at the Cross Road, which analyzes South Korea’s foreign policy through the concept of strategic autonomy, Snyder assessed South Korea’s diplomatic policy over the past 50 years. He noted that while South Korea’s status has risen as a middle power, it remains relatively weak compared to other major powers in Northeast Asia. He emphasized that South Korea needs to adopt and implement a strategic autonomy policy that is flexible and creative in order to protect its interests in relations with major powers such as the United States and China. He also advised that South Korea should pursue balanced diplomacy by maintaining its alliance with the U.S. while developing cooperative relations with China, and consistently express its position on North Korea’s nuclear and human rights issues. Furthermore, he suggested that South Korea should demonstrate innovative leadership to strengthen cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region and address issues such as new technologies and the environment.

Regarding the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Snyder believes South Korea must develop the capability to respond in real time to scenarios involving North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons. At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the 4th, Snyder stated, “Kim Jong-un, Chairman of North Korea, does not want to give up nuclear weapons,” and argued that “the U.S. should provide training to South Korean forces on nuclear weapon response and containment in preparation for nuclear use on the Korean Peninsula.”

Meanwhile, the Korea Economic Institute of America was established in 1982 in the U.S. as a nonprofit organization dedicated solely to Korea-U.S. relations. Through various research programs and events, KEI analyzes issues and current affairs in Korea-U.S. relations and offers diverse policy recommendations. Snyder is scheduled to assume the presidency in April next year, while the current president, former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens, will retire this December.

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