By Ethan Wong and Lily Boland
Introduction
On 13 June 2024, the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) facilitated a one-day tabletop scenario exercise in Seoul on the national security implications of the energy transition and continued dependence on fossil fuels for South Korea. The energy security of countries that rely heavily on fossil fuel imports, such as South Korea, is increasingly challenged by climate hazards, conflict, and economic shocks. At the same time, the transition to clean energy sources can provide opportunities to enhance national security. This workshop follows a similar exercise that CSR developed and ran in Tokyo. It is part of a project that aims to engage South Korean, Japanese, and American security and foreign affairs leaders in an exploration of these risks and opportunities.
The Honorable John Conger, Director Emeritus at the Center for Climate and Security and former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), provided keynote framing remarks and participated throughout the exercise. Ellen Laipson, Director of the International Security Program at George Mason University, former Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a member of the Center for Climate and Security Advisory Board, also joined the exercise and provided closing remarks.
The event was held under Chatham House Rule and featured participation from the Korean Institute for Defense Analyses, Sejong Institute, Seoul National University, other think tanks and academia, and the US Embassy in Seoul. Participants were split into two teams and assigned different scenarios (see Annex 1), one acute crisis and one slow-onset crisis, that they had to address throughout the workshop.
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