On November 21, the fifth cohort of the Bridging the Divide Program reconvened in Washington, DC, to reflect on their experiences and insights from their summer study trip to South Korea. Supported by the Korea Foundation, the Bridging the Divide Program deepens U.S.-based Asia experts’ understanding of South Korea and issues related to the Korean Peninsula.
This gathering marked the culmination of the 2025 program, providing a valuable opportunity not only to reflect on key lessons from the trip, but also to strengthen professional networks among academic scholars and policy practitioners. Participants were joined by DC-based colleagues working on Asia policy and regional affairs.
During the first session, participants discussed how their on-the-ground experience challenged prior assumptions and reshaped their overall impressions of Korea. A central theme of the conversation was identifying distinctly Korean perspectives on global issues including industrial policy, China’s regional role, and evolving views on security. Many shared how the program sparked new ideas for future research projects and policy writing.
Participants emphasized that the trip allowed them to recalibrate their analytical frameworks across core issues such as the U.S.-ROK alliance, China, and North Korea. The field trip to the 5.18 Archives in Gwangju was highlighted as a particularly meaningful component, offering an essential window into Korea’s democratization history and regional identities beyond Seoul.
The second half of the event brought together alumni from the Network for the Future and the Mansfield-Luce Asia Scholars Network, fostering deeper cross-cohort and cross-program connections. Mansfield Foundation Senior Fellow Bruce Klingner opened the session with an assessment of the first months of the Lee administration, offering insights into evolving domestic politics, foreign policy priorities, and Seoul’s approach to managing relations with Washington, Tokyo, and Beijing. This was followed by President Frank Jannuzi’s remarks on the U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral context, including public attitudes toward trilateral cooperation and the opportunities and friction points shaping the months ahead.
This synthesis meeting underscored the program’s contribution to strengthening expert networks and shaping informed, nuanced analysis of the Indo-Pacific region.