On February 25, Republic of Korea president-elect Roh Mu Hyun will be inaugurated in South Korea. He assumes office on the heels of a fiercely contested and ideologically charged electoral campaign, in which his critics accused him of playing on anti-American sentiment. A dark-horse candidate only a year ago, Mr. Roh--a former human rights activist and labor lawyer--is still in many ways an unfamiliar figure to the outside world; in contrast to many contemporary leading South Korean politicians, he has never visited the United States.

Who is Roh Mu Hyun, and what does he stand for? How will his presidency, his cabinet, and his policies differ from those of preceding South Korean administrations? How will the South’s new administration handle the future of the ROK-U.S. alliance? And how will it respond to the increasingly menacing nuclear drama that seems to be gathering in North Korea, just across the demilitarized zone?

These critical questions will be addressed by Chung-in Moon of Yonsei University. Mr. Moon--a prolific scholar and a familiar face on South Korean television for his political analysis--traveled to Pyongyang with outgoing ROK president Kim Dae Jung for the historic summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Il. He has also served incoming President Roh Mu Hyun, both on his Presidential Transition Team and as a member of his Presidential Envoy mission to Washington earlier this month.