In 2023, KEI has set out on its "Rethinking Korea initiative," which explores the evolution of U.S.-Korea relations, Korea's place in the world, and rapid changes in Korean society itself. The initiative involves both retrospective inquiry as well as prospective analysis about future trends. As part of this initiative, KEI looks to build upon its previous programs and publications and deepen understanding of the key issues they explore. Today’s two guests help us do so.

Dr. Jerome Kim, is the Director General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), based in South Korea, and an international expert on the development and evaluation of vaccines. Interviewing Dr. Kim is Salome Da Silva Duarte Lepez, a researcher and analyst in health policy with a background in neuroscience and rare neuromuscular diseases. Previously, Salome coauthored a paper published in KEI’s On Korea 2023, titled, “South Korea as a Global Vaccine Hub.”

During their conversation, Dr. Kim and Ms. Lepez explore a range of issues, including the history and evolution of IVI; the IVI’s role in working with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) biomanufacturing training hub established in South Korea in 2022; the nature of the training and coursework IVI and the biomanufacturing hub provide and how it aims to improve public health in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs); how these efforts fit into a broader array of public and private institutions, an uncertain geopolitical environment, and South Korea’s own science diplomacy; and how such efforts may evolve in the future, particularly as the world moves beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.