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As the year draws to a close, the Asia Program traditionally likes to look back at the previous January to see what we had predicted would be major events to watch for in the coming months.  This exercise is typically a simple reflection where we can see what we got right and where we missed the mark.  It should go without saying that no experts could have foreseen exactly where 2020 would take us.  A year ago, the world was only just starting to learn that a viral infection was being tracked in Wuhan.  It would be over a week into 2020 when the first death would be attributed to the virus later identified as COVID-19.

As the world looks to quieter celebrations to ring in the new year, they also are celebrating the first vaccine doses being administered.  But that comes at the end of a long worldwide struggle, with 78 million confirmed cases and 1.7 million deaths in 214 countries

Like most of the United States, the Wilson Center and the Asia Program team transitioned to remote work in March, starting with our first virtual event, Geopolitical Implications of the Coronavirus for the Indo-Pacific.  The team was able to ensure that we continued our work providing insights and analysis on current events throughout this unpredictable year. 



While the coronavirus remained the top news story for much of 2020, it was also a year full of significant events and anniversaries.  A few highlights of the Asia Program and the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy from this year include:

Thank you for your continued support this year.  As always, you can keep up to date with our newest analysis, publications, and events on our website or by following us on social media:

Twitter: AsiaProgram and Korea_Center

Facebook: Asia Program

Instagram: WilsonCenterKorea

About the Author

A photo of Mary Ratliff

Mary Ratliff

Communications Specialist, Indo-Pacific Program
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Indo-Pacific Program

The Indo-Pacific Program promotes policy debate and intellectual discussions on US interests in the Asia-Pacific as well as political, economic, security, and social issues relating to the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region.   Read more

Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy

The Center for Korean History and Public Policy was established in 2015 with the generous support of the Hyundai Motor Company and the Korea Foundation to provide a coherent, long-term platform for improving historical understanding of Korea and informing the public policy debate on the Korean peninsula in the United States and beyond.  Read more