Category: Events

As a U.S. delegate at the inaugural U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit in Busan, South Korea, I had the privilege to:

• Moderate a fireside chat with U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Philip S. Goldberg, discussing the crucial role of the U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral relationship. (See my previous post for additional photos and information.)
• Receive a letter from U.S. President Joseph Biden commending our cohort for shaping the future of the U.S.-ROK-Japan partnership and recognizing the importance of our contributions to strengthening trilateral cooperation.
• Serve on the facilitating panel for the Camp David Summit Plus simulation at the Nurimaru APEC House, guiding negotiations and providing recommendations among the U.S., the ROK, and Japan delegations.
• Co-author the final report titled “Roadmap for the Trilateral Partnership,” summarizing the policy recommendations proposed, negotiated, and agreed upon during the simulation.
• Co-develop a policy proposal on the potential impact and benefits of a Trilateral Nuclear Consultative Group for expanded security cooperation and human security, presented during the Camp David Pitch Competition.
• Engage in four monthly workshops with the East-West Center, focusing on the intersection of diplomacy, security, climate change, and technological innovation within the trilateral relationship.

The Summit featured invaluable contributions from Deputy Prime Minister of Korea Ju-Ho Lee, U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth Allen, U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima, Busan Mayor Heong-joon Park, and U.S. State Department Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues Abby Finkenauer.

I am deeply grateful to the East-West Center in Washington, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo Japan, the Embassy of the United States, Seoul, the Ministry of Education, Korea, and the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) for making this opportunity possible. More about YOUNG TRILATERAL LEADERS (YTL).

The Importance of the U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Relationship

I had the honor of moderating a Fireside Chat with the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Philip S. Goldberg, on the importance of the U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral relationship.

Our conversation covered vital topics, including the threat posed by aggressive actors to security issues in Northeast Asia and regional stability, the impact of upcoming elections on the resilience of this new era of US-ROK-Japan relations, and the trilateral relationship’s role in cooperation with Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of people-to-people collaboration and youth engagement in building on the progress achieved between our three nations and pursuing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Embassy of the United States Seoul staff for presenting me with this opportunity. Special thanks to Grace Lee, Public Diplomacy Officer Joshua Lustig, and the U.S. Consulate in Busan’s Principal Officer Nolan Barkhouse for their support and guidance. Additionally, thank you to the East-West Center for selecting me as a U.S. Delegate at this summit and facilitating this incredible opportunity.

This Fireside Chat was a key component of the US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit, which featured a range of significant events over three days. I look forward to fully reflecting on the summit and its highlights in a future post.

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the 2024 NATO Youth Summit. As NATO’s cooperation with its partner countries in the Indo-Pacific strengthens, I am eager to see how NATO-IP4 relations will continue evolving to address global challenges and cross-cutting security issues.

Thank you to NATO, The Aspen Institute, Aspen Institute Romania, Försvarshögskolan – Swedish Defence University, and MSB (Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency) for organizing this event.

This week, I graduated from Keio University with a Master of Arts in Media and Governance, specializing in the Research Field of Global Governance and Regional Strategy. This accomplishment marks the completion of my second Master’s Degree, both obtained while residing in East Asia (Yonsei 2020-2022, Keio 2021-2023).

During my first year of the Master’s Degree Program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, I was honored to be selected as a Yonsei-Keio Dual Degree Representative through a joint university nomination and selection process.

As a dual degree student, I had the unique opportunity to utilize the resources provided by both Yonsei University and Keio University while living in Seoul and Tokyo over the last three years.

During my time at Keio University, I dedicated myself to completing my thesis, titled “U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateralism From Obama to Biden: Expanding Theoretical Norms of Understanding Through Aspects of Building Trilateralism and U.S. Involvement in Japan-Korea Conflict Issues.”

This challenging endeavor would not have been possible without the invaluable guidance and supervision of Ken Jimbo as my Thesis Advisor, and Michito Tsuruoka and Koichiro Tanaka as my Co-Advisors.

I am profoundly grateful for the guidance provided by Keio University, its faculty, and the extensive support both universities have offered throughout my studies during this unique opportunity as a dual degree student.

My time in East Asia has been truly transformative, and I eagerly anticipate the exciting opportunities that await me in the future.

As a U.S.-Japan-ROK relations researcher and dual-degree master’s student at Yonsei University and Keio University, I had the privilege of attending the lecture titled “The Future Generation of Korea and Japan” by the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, at Keio University earlier this year. His visit, marked by a summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, emphasized the commitment to improving bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan.

An unexpected moment arose when I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with President Yoon and shake his hand as he left the lecture hall. It was a meaningful experience, highlighting the importance of diplomatic engagement and dialogue.

This week, I graduated from Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies.

Over the last two years in Korea, while obtaining a Master of Global Affairs and Policy with a dual concentration in International Security & Foreign Policy and International Law & Organizations, I additionally …

• Was selected to be a Dual-Degree Representative between Yonsei University and Keio University in Tokyo, Japan.
• Worked as a Think Tank Research Intern at the renowned East Asia Institute 동아시아 연구원(EAI).
• Continue to work as an Academic Journal Intern at the indexed Journals of North Korean Review and Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies (JTMS).
• Published a book review and independent research with academic journals, [i.e., “Review of The North Korean Conundrum: Balancing Human Rights and Nuclear Security, by King, Robert R., and Gi-Wook Shin,” Fleming, M. (Forthcoming, 2022), North Korean Review, 18 (2), and “The Japanese Government and Immigration: A Duality of Policy in Media and Governmental Documents,” Fleming, M. (2021), Yonsei Journal of International Studies, 13 (1), pp. 72–83.]
• Published with Global Affairs Magazines, Academic Blogs, and Journals’ web-based extensions, with nine articles in Yonsei University’s Global Affairs Magazine NOVAsia, and research and interviews with the North Korean Review Blog and the Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies Online.
• Participated as a panelist at the 2022 Korea Political Science Association’s Summer Conference, presenting research titled “Denuclearization In DPRK Post-Russian Invasion Into Ukraine: Conversation On The Value Of Security Assurances And Nuclear Deterrence.”
• Was invited to participate as part of the online audience for the 10th Annual Seoul Defense Dialogue, a high-level multilateral security dialogue for global security issues by the Ministry of National Defense, Republic of Korea.

My time in Seoul has changed my trajectory in a way I could have never predicted. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support Yonsei University has presented me with, and I look forward to what the future might hold.

I am grateful to the Korea Political Science Association, North Korean Review, and The Yonsei Institute for North Korea Studies for presenting me with the opportunity to participate as a panelist on the “Contemporary Perspectives On North Korea” Panel at the 2022 Korea Political Science Association Summer Conference this week. It was an honor presenting my paper titled “Denuclearization in DPRK Post-Russian Invasion Into Ukraine: Conversation on the Value of Security Assurances and Nuclear Deterrence,” and having this opportunity for discussion and debate led by the panel’s chairperson Lonnie Edge, its discussants Whi Chang and Kyungho Song, and my fellow panelists Elizabeth Campbell and Junhyoung Lee.

The 2021 Seoul Defense Dialogue was held in Seoul by the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea from September 8-10. This high-level multilateral dialogue, launched in 2012, aims to contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula and enhance security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The 2021 dialogue, conducted both online and offline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressed a wide range of global security issues under the theme “Borderless Security Crises and Multilateral Responses.”

As a graduate student at Yonsei University, Fleming was selected to attend as an audience member for Plenary Session 3: “Global Public Health Crises and the Development of Civil-Military Relations”; Plenary Session 2: “Regional Stability in a Rapidly Changing Global Security Environment”; Special Dialogue: “Achievements and Prospects of Multilateral Cooperation”; and Plenary Session 1: “Advancing the Korean Peninsula Peace Process and the Role of Arms Control.”