Asian Studies Center Director Walter Lohman of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank based in the nation’s capital, hosted a forum on October 20 on the impact of President Lee Myung-bak’s visit last month on U.S.-Korean relations.

He noted that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was accorded “great accolades during his state visit.” These included an address to a joint session of Congress, formal state dinner, the first foreign leader to ever be invited into ‘the tank’ at the Pentagon, and even a road trip to Detroit with President Obama. “All of these are a reflection of the current strength of the U.S.-South Korean military, economic, and political relationship,” he stressed.

The timing was perfect: The U.S. Congress finally passed the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, “an outstanding success for both countries.” Lohman said the two presidents also discussed “a range of security and economic challenges that transcend the Korean Peninsula, reflecting Seoul’s growing international role.”

The forum also featured Dr. Michael J. Green, Senior Advisor and Japan Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies and and Associate Professor at Georgetown University; Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy, Council on Foreign Relations; and Bruce Klingner, Heritage Foundation’s Senior Research Fellow, Northeast Asia, Asian Studies Center.