PAST EVENT: DPRK and the Geopolitics of Health

The European Institute organised a Briefing Seminar on the “DPRK and the Geopolitics of Health”, which took place on Monday, 23 October 2023, from 15:00 to 16:30 at the European Institute for Asian Studies, Rue de la Loi 26, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium.

Date: Monday, 23 October 2023
Time: 15:00-16:30
Registration: 14:30-15:00
Venue: EIAS, Rue de la Loi 26, 10th floor, B-1040 Brussels

At this event the renowned Director of the North Korea Program at the Korean American Medical Association, Dr Kee Park, addressed the geopolitical factors influencing the health care system in North Korea and the deep interlinks between international security, human rights, and health. Lucy Roberts from the American Friends Service Committee was invited as a discussant.

Dr Kee B. Park is a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School where he studies the complex geopolitical factors influencing health in North Korea and the relationships between international security, health, and human rights and health diplomacy. His recent publications include “The Human Cost of UN Sanctions and Funding Shortfalls for Humanitarian Aid in North Korea”, “North Korea’s Vaccination Capabilities” and “Why North Korea’s Covid-19 Outbreak Could Shock the World.” Dr Park is also the Director of the Korea Health Policy Project (KHPP). The programme is a collaboration by researchers, physicians, and global health experts that aims to better understand the internal and external factors that influence health outcomes in North Korea. KHPP utilizes a combined public health, medical, and international policy approach to study the structural determinants of health in North Korea and the relationships between international security, health, and human rights diplomacy. Since 2007, he has visited North Korea over 20 times to work alongside North Korean doctors. His last visit was in November 2019.

Programme

14:30-15:00 Registration

15:00-15:10   Opening Remarks
Lin Goethals, Director, European Institute for Asian Studies
Alison Lee, North East Asia Peace Program Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS)

15:10-15:30   Keynote Speech
Dr. Kee B. Park, Lecturer on Global Health and Social Policy (including Korea Health Policy), Harvard Medical School

15:30-15:45  Moderated Discussion
Moderator: Marialaura De Angelis, Co-Founder, Asia Guild
Discussant: Lucy Roberts, Amercian Friends Service Committee

15:45-16:30  Interactive Q&A Session with the Audience
16:30  End of the Programme

Photo credits: Nicor CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons