North Dakota State University -- NDSU Agriculture Communication
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo ND, 58105-5655, Tel: 701-231-7881, Fax: 701-231-7044
agcomm@ndsuext.nodak.edu

September 22, 2003

 

NDSU Conference on North Korea Set for Sept. 26

A conference to examine North Korea’s agriculture, economic policies and security will be held at North Dakota State University Friday, Sept. 26.

This event is free and open to the public, and no registration is necessary. The conference will be held from 9:15a.m. until 5 p.m. in the Century Theater of NDSU’s Memorial Union. Please contact the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at (701) 231-7334 with any questions. The conference schedule will be posted on the center’s Web site at www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/capts . The conference is organized by the Korean Economics Institute of America, the NDSU Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies, and the NDSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

The conference, titled "North Korea in Crisis: Food Production, Economics and Security," will open with a keynote address by U.S. Congressman Earl Pomeroy. Following the address, the conference will introduce North Korea’s agricultural issues, including the state of its production technology and the international effort to relieve the widespread famine. The conference will then examine the country’s economic and political issues: the current international nuclear crisis, the country’s relations with neighboring South Korea, and the developing U.S. foreign policy strategy toward North Korea. The event will end with a panel discussion focusing on future prospects and challenges for North Korea.

"Recent headlines have underscored the dangerous state of affairs in our relations with North Korea," notes Won Koo, director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies. "Yet, despite increased media coverage, little is known about the reclusive country. In light of the country's internal and external conditions – a famine which threatens the food supply, international isolation, the country’s economic ruin, and the tension accompanying its relations with neighboring states and the U.S. under its nuclear program – North Korea demands closer examination by academics and policymakers alike."

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Source: Won Koo, (701) 231-7334, wkoo@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu