Ex-US envoy takes new job
By Rachel Lee
Kathleen Stephens
Former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens has been named to lead the advisory council of the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington, D.C.
Stephens, who served as the top U.S. envoy to Korea from 2008-2011, took over the position previously held by late Stephen Warren Bosworth, Thursday. She will provide advice to the organization on its direction. Bosworth was U.S. Ambassador to Korea from 1997 to 2001.
“I have long admired and benefitted from KEI’s efforts to deepen understanding and cooperation between the United States and Korea,” Stephens said. “I am honored to chair the Advisory Council and look forward to working together to deepen this important relationship even further.”
Stephens served in the U.S. Foreign Service for 35 years, and has held posts in countries including India, China, the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland. She is now the William J. Perry Distinguished Fellow at Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. She also is a trustee of the Asia Foundation.
Her relations with Korea date to 1975, when she was a Peace Corps volunteer here for two years. She was also Hangeul Goodwill Ambassador in 2008.
KEI President Donald Manzullo said: “She has had a distinguished career in helping build bridges between the United States and South Korea, which fits in perfectly with our goals here at KEI.”
The KEI is a non-profit institution set up in 1982 to promote understanding between Korea and the U.S. on economic, political and security relations. The Korean government supports it with about 3 billion won annually. The KEI Advisory Council has over 20 American and Korean experts from public, private and academic sectors, according to the institution.