Independent Research. Grounded in East Asia.
A research institute advancing original perspectives from within the region.
BESETO Institute
An Independent Research Institute on East Asia
The BESETO Institute is an independent research institute dedicated to East Asia–centered comparative international studies. Grounded in perspectives shaped by Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo, the Institute approaches the region not as a distant object of analysis, but as a lived and contested political space in which regional and global dynamics are actively produced. Focusing on comparative inquiry and interpretive analysis, the Institute examines how political, economic, social, and historical forces in East Asia interact, converge, and diverge over time. Free from institutional or political affiliation, BESETO is committed to intellectual independence—advancing original insights that move beyond inherited assumptions and conventional binaries. Its work is developed for international publication and long-form research, with the aim of contributing meaningfully to academic, policy, and public discourse on East Asia.
Min PIAO
Founding Director
Min PIAO is the Founding Director of the BESETO Institute, where he develops comparative and interpretive analyses of East Asian international politics, with particular attention to regional structures, shared trajectories, and evolving political dynamics. A Korean Chinese with over two decades of lived experience in China and more than ten years in Japan, he brings a deeply cross-cultural and multilayered understanding of East Asia shaped by sustained engagement across societies and institutions. Trained in international relations and law, and informed by extensive professional experience in global technology and consulting firms, his work bridges analytical rigor, cultural insight, and strategic perspective. He offers a grounded approach to East Asian affairs that integrates lived realities with structural and comparative inquiry.
|🇺🇸 Former Amazonian ; Cognizant Regional SDM
|🇯🇵 M.A. in Law, The University of Tokyo
|🇰🇷 B.A. in Political Science and International Relations, Seoul National University
|🇨🇳 Formative years in China
🎙️ Languages : Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English
|🇺🇸 Former Amazonian ; Cognizant Regional SDM |🇯🇵 M.A. in Law, The University of Tokyo |🇰🇷 B.A. in Political Science and International Relations, Seoul National University |🇨🇳 Formative years in China 🎙️ Languages : Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English
Research Ethos
The work of the BESETO Institute is guided by a commitment to intellectual rigor, analytical openness, and sustained regional engagement. Research is driven by questions rather than conclusions, and by careful interpretation rather than ideological alignment. The Institute approaches East Asia as a complex and evolving field shaped by historical depth, lived experience, and contemporary transformation. BESETO values comparative insight without flattening difference, and creative interpretation without sacrificing analytical discipline. Its research seeks to clarify complexity rather than simplify it, and to contribute perspectives that remain attentive to context, structure, and change. Through this ethos, the Institute aims to foster deeper understanding of East Asia as it is experienced from within and engaged with globally.
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For direct correspondence : director@ibeseto.com