The Asia Foundation

Expertise: Political, economic, social and security issues in North and South Korea; Northeast Asian security issues; regional economic cooperation; democratization and economic development strategies.

Peter Beck joined The Asia Foundation as Country Representative in Korea on January 3, 2012. He is a seasoned Korea specialist and former Asia Foundation Haas intern.  Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Beck was the Council on Foreign Relations Hitachi Fellow at Keio University in Tokyo, and the Pantech Research Fellow at Stanford University. Previously, Mr. Beck was the Northeast Asia Director for the International Crisis Group in Seoul (2004-2007) and Director of Research at the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, DC (1997-2004).  He has also served as a member of the Ministry of Unification's Policy Advisory Committee (2005 – 2007).

Mr. Beck has published over 100 articles, including in such journals as Asian Survey and Foreign Affairs as well as the Bangkok Post, Japan Times and Wall Street Journal.  He has served as a columnist for the Korea Herald, Weekly Chosun and Daily Dong-a.

Education:  Mr. Beck received his B.A. in Asian Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and conducted his graduate studies in Comparative Public Policy and International Relations at the University of California at San Diego's Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. Mr. Beck studied Korean at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Hanguk University of Foreign Studies.