KIM Yoosuk is President of Chey Institute for Advanced Studies (CHEY) and Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS). He has been with SK for more than 15 years, serving in numerous key positions, which include Executive Vice President of SK Inc, CFO at SK On (EV Battery Business), CFO at SK Energy (Oil Refinery and Marketing), and Vice President of SK China. Before joining SK, he was the Director of Alternative En- ergy Division at bp plc., and a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. His career began as a diplomat in the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Kim holds an MBA from Yale University and a B.A. in philoso- phy from Seoul National University.

CHEY Tae-won is Chairman of the Chey Institute for Ad- vanced Studies and Chairman and CEO of SK Group, a global conglomerate with nearly 150 affiliates spanning energy, ICT, semiconductors, and bio industries. He also serves as Chair- man of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Korea’s largest business organization, representing over 190,000 member companies. Under his leadership, KCCI plays a key role in trade promotion, economic diplomacy, and fostering international cooperation. Additionally, he is Chairman of the 2025 APEC CEO Summit, which will be held in Korea.

Chuck HAGEL served as the 24th U.S. Secretary of Defense. Mr. Hagel’s current commitments include service on the Board of Trustees of RAND Corporation, Centennial Scholar at Georgetown Walsh School of Foreign Service, Distin- guished Statesman at Atlantic Council, Chairman of the Vet- eran’s Justice Commission, Board of Governors of PBS, and Board of Visitors of West Point Military Academy. He also served two terms in the U.S. Senate, representing Nebraska, during which he was a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha.

HAYASHI Yoshimasa is Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan and concurrently holds the post of Minister in charge of the abduction issue. Mr. Hayashi previously held five cabinet posi- tions which include Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2023, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology from 2017 to 2018, Minister of Agriculture, For- estry and Fisheries from 2012 to 2014 and in 2015, Minister of State for Eco- nomic and Fiscal Policy in 2009, and Minister of Defense in 2008. He holds a M.P.A. from Harvard Kennedy School and a L.L.B. from University of Tokyo.

CHO Hyun-dong is Korean Ambassador to the United States. Since joining MOFA in 1985, Amb. Cho served various key roles, including Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordi- nation, Deputy Chief of Mission of the ROK embassy in the U.S., and Minister Counselor at the ROK Embassy in India. Prior to his current role, he held the position of First Vice Min- ister of Foreign Affairs. He also served as the representative of the Korea Invest- ment Promotion Office for the United Nations Industrial Development Organi- zation (UNIDO).

YAMADA Shigeo Shigeo is Japanese Ambassador to the United States, a position he assumed in December 2023. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986. Prior to his current role, he served as Political Director for Japan’s 2023 G7 Presi- dency and as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Foreign Policy, where he played a key role in the G7 Summit in Hiro- shima and the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nagano. He also held positions as Deputy Director-General for North American Affairs Bureau, Director for Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, and Director for the Status of U.S. Forces Agreement. He holds a B.A. in law from Keio University and a B.A. in political science from Carleton College.

Robert O’BRIEN is Member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and Co-Founder and Chairman of American Global Strategies LLC. He served as the 27th U.S. National Security Advisor from 2019 to 2021, advising the President on national security matters. Prior to this role, he was Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and co-chaired the U.S. Department of State’s Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghani- stan. He has also held key diplomatic roles under multiple administrations. He holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

LEE Chung Min is Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Until recently, he was a University Profes- sor at Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology. He is also Chairman of the International Advisory Council of IISS. He has worked at leading think tanks and universities in the U.S., Korea, Japan, and Singapore. He also served as ROK Ambassador for National Security Affairs and Ambassador for International Se- curity Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. and an MALD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and his B.A. in political science from Yonsei University.

Andy KIM is a U.S. Senator from New Jersey. Before his elec- tion to the Senate, he represented New Jersey’s 3rd Congres- sional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms, serving parts of Burlington, Ocean, Mercer, and Mon- mouth Counties. Senator Kim has an extensive background in public service, working across bipartisan administrations at USAID, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the NSC. He also served as an advisor to Generals Petraeus and Allen in Afghanistan. He holds a D.Phil. and a M.Phil. from Magdalen College, Oxford, and a B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Victor CHA is President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Poli- cy Department, and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Dr. Cha is also a Distin- guished University Professor and Professor of Government at Georgetown University. He previously served on the Defense Policy Board as an advisor to the Secretary of Defense and was Head of U.S. Delegation at the Six-Party Talks in Beijing. He received two Out- standing Service commendations during his tenure at the NSC. He holds a Ph.D., MIA, and B.A. in political science from Columbia University.

KIM Jaechun is Professor of International Relations and Dean of Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Sogang University. Prof. Kim is a member of the advisory boards for Korea’s National Security Council, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Unification. He also chairs the Subcommittee for International Cooperation of the Unified Future Planning Committee. He previously served as an advisory mem- ber to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a member of the Government Per- formance Evaluation Committee and the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation. He holds his Ph.D., M.Phil., and M.A. in political science from Yale University, and his B.A. in political science from Yonsei University.

John J. MEARSHEIMER is the R. Wendell Harrison Distin- guished Service Professor of Political Science and Co-Direc- tor of the Program on International Security Policy at the Uni- versity of Chicago. In 2020, he won the James Madison Award. He has written extensively about security issues and interna- tional politics. Among his six books, The Tragedy of Great Pow- er Politics won the Joseph Lepgold Book Prize and The Israel Lobby and U.S. For- eign Policy with Stephen M. Walt, made the New York Times bestseller list. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Cornell University and is a graduate of West Point.

SUGIYAMA Shinsuke is Professor of International Law at Waseda University. He previously served as Ambassador to the United States from 2018 to 2020. Mr. Sugiyama has had an illustrious career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving in positions such as Political Minister at the Japanese Embassy in Korea, Deputy Director-General for the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Adviser to the Min- ister for Foreign Affairs. He studied at Waseda University and the University of Oxford.

KIM Gunn is a member of the 22nd National Assembly, rep- resenting the People Power Party. He serves as the Ranking Member of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unifi- cation Committee. Previously, he was the Head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to the Unit- ed Kingdom, and Ambassador for International Security Affairs. He has also held key roles in North Korean nuclear diplomacy and North American affairs. He holds an M.A. in political science from the State University of New York at Buf- falo and a B.A. in political science from Seoul National University.

Evan MEDEIROS is Professor and Penner Family Chair in Asia Studies in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He previously served for six years on the staff of the National Security Council as Director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia and then as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia. In the latter role, he was President Obama’s top advisor on the Asia-Pacific. He holds a Ph.D. in international rela- tions from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

YU Jeong Joon( JJ) is Vice Chairman of SK Group. He also serves as Co-CEO of SK On and CEO of SK Americas. As CEO of PassKey, a New York subsidiary of SK E&S, he leads the development of businesses and technologies. Since joining SK in 1998, he has held several executive leadership positions, including roles at SK Inc., SK Group’s strategic investment arm, SK Energy, SK E&S, and the SUPEX Council, leading advisory panel across all SK Group companies. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

Dan SULLIVAN is an American politician, attorney, and Ma- rine Corps veteran who has been serving as a United States Senator from Alaska since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Senator Sullivan previously served as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources from 2010 to 2013 and as Alaska Attorney General from 2009 to 2010. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1993 after completing his law and for- eign service degrees. He was on active duty from 1993 to 1997, when he transi- tioned to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He holds a joint Law and M.S. degree from Georgetown University and a B.A. in economics from Harvard University.

KIM Sung-han is Professor of International Relations at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Korea University. Professor Kim has held key positions in govern- ment, including National Security Advisor and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Weapon of Mass Destruc- tion and served as Director of the Ilmin International Relations Institute. Earlier in his career, he was a professor at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ann BLUNTZER is Executive Director at the Hamm Institute for American Energy at Oklahoma State University. A busi- ness-minded educator, Dr. Bluntzer specializes in nurturing leaders within the energy sector. She has been a faculty member at Texas Christian University since 2013, where she also served as Executive Director of the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute, Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Management, Executive Educa- tion Professor at the Neeley School of Business, and Director of the Energy MBA and Evening Graduate Programs. She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Manage- ment and Education Administration from the University of South Carolina.

TERAZAWA Tatsuya has served as Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) since July 2021. Previously, he served as Senior Advisor to the Cabinet Office, supporting the Japanese government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the formulation of Japan’s Green New Deal. He also held key positions at the Ministry of Econ- omy, Trade, and Industry, including as Vice Minister for International Affairs. Between June 2011 and December 2012, he worked as Executive Secretary to Prime Minister NODA Yoshihiko during the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He is also a Specially Appointed Professor at Tokyo University of Science. He holds an MBA from Harvard University.

Jane NAKANO is Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and specializes in U.S. ener- gy policy, energy geopolitics, and energy security and climate issues in Asia-Pacific. She has testified before Congress on China’s competitiveness in energy technology manufacturing and exports, U.S. LNG exports, and U.S.-China nuclear ener- gy engagement. Prior to joining CSIS, she worked in the Office of International Affairs in the U.S. Department of Energy. She holds an M.A. from Columbia Uni- versity’s School of International and Public Affairs and is a graduate of George- town University’s School of Foreign Service.

TANAKA Nobuo is Executive Director Emeritus of the Inter- national Energy Agency (IEA) and Chairman of the steering committee for the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF). He previously served as Chairman and President of the Sa- sakawa Peace Foundation and as Executive Director of the IEA. He held senior roles in Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, including Director-General of Multilateral Trade System De- partment and Minister for Industry, Trade, and Energy at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. He also served as Director for Science, Technology, and In- dustry at the OECD. He is a Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University’s Cen- ter on Global Energy Policy and a member of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ). He holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and graduated from the University of Tokyo.

Daniel B. PONEMAN is Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). From 2015 to 2023, he served as Pres- ident and CEO of Centrus Energy Corp. Previously, he served as Deputy Secretary of Energy, and as Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy. In prior tours in government, he served as a White House Fellow and on the National Secu- rity Council. He was a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and Inter- national Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. He holds an M.Litt. in politics from the University of Oxford and a J.D. and an A.B. with honors from Harvard University.

LEE Jae-Seung is Professor and Jean Monnet Chair at the College of International Studies and Director of the Ilmin In- ternational Relations Institute (IIRI) at Korea University. He previously served as Dean of Graduate School of International Studies and directed the Jean Monnet EU Centre of Excel- lence. He is a leading scholar in international political econo- my, focusing on Korea’s foreign policy, energy security, and Korea-EU/NATO relations. He is also a member of the Policy Advisory Board of the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in political science from Yale University, and a B.A. in political science from Seoul National University.

SOHN Jie-Ae is Professor at Ewha Womans University after spending 15 years as CNN’s Bureau Chief and Seoul Corre- spondent. She is an advisor to the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and recently served as ROK Ambassador for Cultural Cooperation. She also served as the spokesperson for the Presidential Committee for the Seoul G20 Summit in 2010 and as Presidential Secretary of Overseas Public Relations. She was President and CEO of Arirang TV and Radio. She holds an M.A. in journalism and mass communication from Yonsei University and a B.A. in political science and inter- national relations from Ewha Womans University.

Kurt CAMPBELL is Chairman and Co-Founder of The Asia Group. Most recently, Dr. Campbell served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. Prior to his role as Deputy Secretary, he was Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs at the NSC and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He is a for- mer CEO and Co-Founder of the Center for a New American Society and was awarded the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award for his advancement of a comprehensive U.S. strategy in Asia. He received his Ph.D. in international relations from Brasenose College at Oxford University and B.A. from the University of California, San Diego.

SASAE Kenichiro is President of the Japan Institute of Inter- national Affairs ( JIIA). He previously served as Japanese Am- bassador to the United States from 2012 to 2018, Vice Minis- ter for Foreign Affairs, Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau, and Director-General of the Asian and Ocea- nia Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Executive Assistant to the Prime Minister. In addition to his role at JIIA, he is an Outside Director of Asahi Group Holdings, SEIREN CO., LTD., Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, and Fujitsu Limited. He holds an L.L.B. from the University of Tokyo.

PARK Jin formerly served as Korea’s Foreign Minister and four-term Member of National Assembly. He is currently Vis- iting Professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Advisor to the Democracy Promotion Coun- cil. Previously, he led the Asia Future Institute (AFI), chaired the Korea-America Association (KAA), and served as an en- dowed Chair Professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Elected to the National Assembly in 2002, he chaired the Foreign Affairs, Trade, and National Unification Committee, passing key laws such as the KORUS FTA and the North Korea Human Rights Act. He also served as Presidential Secretary for Press and Political Affairs under the KIM Young-sam administration.