As part of the Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship, pre-doctoral Fellows in our 4th cohort visited the Republic of Korea. For a week in June 2024, Fellows and staff participated in seminars on classic Asian security texts, traveled to Korean War battle sites, and engaged in discussions of policy with Korean academics and policymakers.
Each day featured seminar discussions, ranging in topics from morality and grand strategy to the legalists of Ancient China to modern implications. These seminars offered Fellows the chance to dive into texts that have informed the evolution of Chinese policy and thought from dynastic China to the present. Aided by faculty guest Alastair Iain Johnston, Fellows and staff engaged in lively debates on the meaning and modern relevance of classical text by thinkers such as Fu Xi, Confucius, Mencius, Han Feizi, Wei Liao Tzu; influences of these thinkers and their ideas on more contemporary Chinese leaders such as Mao Tse-Tung and Xi Jinping; and how academia presents these topics. At their core, these sessions were framed by two questions: what theory of insecurity or root threat is being presented, and what is the relevance of each text to grand strategy?
In addition to seminars, this trip featured Korean War staff rides. Staff rides are historical studies of battles or campaigns that go beyond simple battlefield tours to examine the dynamics of a battle from the terrain to the human dimension. Deployed by the military, these training exercises offer current leaders the opportunity to connect with and learn from history. For this trip, Fellows and staff visited Incheon, Chipyeong-ni, and the DMZ to study the characters and events of the Korean War. Portraying real historical figures from GEN Douglas MacArthur, commander of United Nations forces, to Eddie Ko, a South Korean teenager who assisted in reconnaissance, to General Nam Il, Chief of Staff of the Army for North Korea, participants gained insight into the experiences of those involved on all sides of the war.
Bringing together the academic and the operational, Fellows participated in discussions with current academics and policymakers from the Republic of Korea. Visiting both Korea University and the Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense, Fellows were briefed on Korea’s current security environment assessment and defense policy. These unique opportunities allowed Fellows to engage policy practitioners, asking questions and gaining further insights into an ally’s understanding of its security posture and how the US does (and should) fit into that.
If you are interested in learning more about grand strategy, the history of security doctrine, or current grand strategic challenges, check out NDISC and our Morgenthau Fellowship Program! Be sure to visit the Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship page on our website, and reach out to our program’s directors to get started.
Originally published by at ndisc.nd.edu on August 16, 2024.