HONOLULU (Feb. 27, 2025) – The East-West Center (EWC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jean H. Lee as the Center’s inaugural Presidential Chair. This prestigious position is funded through the Charles Morrison Endowed Fund, made possible by a private donor in recognition of former EWC President Charles E. Morrison’s exceptional service to the Center.

The establishment of the Presidential Chair underscores EWC’s commitment to seeking out exceptional leaders who will drive transformative discoveries and inspire innovation across the Center’s endeavors. In this role, Lee will work closely with the EWC president to pursue interdisciplinary initiatives that advance the Center’s federally mandated mission of fostering cooperative study, research, and dialogue centered on US relations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Lee, who first joined EWC in 2023 as a visiting fellow, brings a distinguished career as an award-winning journalist, commentator, and expert on North Korea. Co-host of the Peabody Award-nominated podcast The Lazarus Heist for the BBC World Service, Lee’s extensive experience includes her tenure as the Associated Press bureau chief for the Korean Peninsula, where she became the first American reporter to join Pyongyang’s foreign press corps. Her groundbreaking work includes opening AP’s Pyongyang bureau in 2012, producing exclusive, award-winning coverage of North Korea.

Lee’s career reflects her commitment to fostering global understanding, with reporting assignments spanning Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa and North America. As a policy expert, she has held leadership positions at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where she served as director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy, and is an active member of the Council of Korean Americans and the National Committee on North Korea. A respected analyst and sought-after speaker, she has been invited to testify before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and speak at the Aspen Security Forum, and regularly provides analysis to major media outlets and documentaries exploring Korea issues.

“This appointment is a testament to the importance of private philanthropic support in advancing EWC’s mission during a pivotal time,” said EWC Interim President Dr. James K. Scott. “We are grateful to the private donor whose dedicated support has enabled Center to recruit an internationally known authority of Jean Lee’s caliber as our inaugural Presidential Chair. Her experience and expertise will be vital in helping the Center fulfill our collaborative mission while rising to meet the needs of a fast-changing region and world.”