Meetings & Interns
Professional Exchange and Team Growth
On 16 March 2026, Dr. Park Kyung-Seok visited HSS Korea and met with Felix J. Glenk, the new Representative of HSF for the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia, to discuss potential future cooperation in the field of forestry.
Dr. Park is a forestry expert who worked for approximately 30 years as a senior researcher at the National Institute of Forest Science. He currently serves as Director of the North Korea Research Department at CSK & Partners Co., Ltd. In this role, he is working together with the HSS team to support inter-Korean cooperation in the forestry sector.
Felix J. Glenk, Representative of HSF for the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia, together with Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi of HSF Korea, participated in a briefing session on preparations for the 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development (2018–2028),” which will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from 25 to 28 May 2026. The briefing was held on 15 April 2026 at the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Seoul and brought together key stakeholders to discuss upcoming global efforts on water sustainability.
Looking ahead, HSF Korea will host a side event on 25 May at the Rumi Hotel under HSF’s GMACC framework as part of HSF Korea’s CAF project, focusing on the topic: “Nature-Based Pathways along Flyways: Integrating Water, Wetland and Food Systems for Climate Resilience.”
The event will explore integrated approaches to strengthening climate resilience by linking water, wetlands, and food systems, with the participation of experts from Central Asia and Korea. We look forward to meaningful discussions and continued cooperation.
In addition, the Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea is delighted to welcome two new interns to the team.
Since November 2025, Kim Carolin Kretschmer has been supporting the office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea for a period of six months. In 2025, she successfully completed her Bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies at the Free University of Berlin. During her studies, she focused particularly on political issues and spent a year abroad at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. This experience also shaped her Bachelor’s thesis, which examined the political representation of women in South Korean politics. With her academic focus on Korea and her interest in political and social developments, she brings valuable perspectives to the work of HSS Korea.
Since April 2026, Leonie Foth has been supporting the team as an intern for a period of two months. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Politics & Technology at the Technical University of Munich, where she previously completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. During her undergraduate studies, she developed a strong interest in global health and international development, which she was able to deepen further during a semester abroad at Sogang University in Seoul. In her Bachelor’s thesis, she examined interventions addressing intimate partner violence in India and Bangladesh, thereby strengthening her academic profile in the field of global health with a regional focus on Asia. With her combination of interests in politics, technology, and social policy issues, her academic background aligns very well with the work of HSS Korea, which promotes international exchange, sustainable development, and dialogue on political and societal issues shaping the future of the Korean Peninsula.
An internship at HSS Korea offers not only valuable insights into the work of a political foundation, but also the opportunity to engage closely with questions of international cooperation, sustainable development, and political processes in Korea and the wider region. At the same time, it supports interns in their academic and professional development.