Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held the 'Seoul Diplomacy Forum 2025' under the theme of "Foreign Policy Paradigm of the Republic of Korea's New Administration: Pragmatism, Peace, and Prosperity" in the auditorium of the academy. On November 18. In his keynote speech, Minister Cho Hyun explained the need to develop policy tools appropriate to the Post-post Cold War era's perspective in order to adapt to the changing global order. (PHOTO: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Korea National Diplomatic Academy (Chancellor: Choe Hyoung-chan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held the ‘Seoul Diplomacy Forum 2025’ under the theme of “Foreign Policy Paradigm of the Republic of Korea’s New Administration: Pragmatism, Peace, and Prosperity” in the auditorium of the academy. On November 18.
In his opening remarks, Chancellor Choe Hyoung-chan explained the importance of the new Korean administration’s national interest-centered, pragmatic diplomacy strategy, launched this year, amidst a weakening of the leadership of the rules-based international order and a growing tendency toward self-preservation.
He further emphasized the importance of bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the U.S., China, Japan, ASEAN, and other like-minded countries, building on the Korean government’s pragmatic diplomacy to proactively respond to change and expand strategic space for achieving peace, stability, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.
He expressed his hope that today’s forum would serve as a forum to discuss ways to enhance such cooperation.
In his keynote speech, Minister Cho Hyun explained the need to develop policy tools appropriate to the Post-post Cold War era’s perspective in order to adapt to the changing global order.
He emphasized that the new South Korean administration’s pragmatic diplomacy, centered on national interests, includes South Korea’s role in fulfilling its global responsibilities. He also emphasized the crucial role and support of China and Japan in a phased approach to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
He expressed his hope that the APEC summit held in Gyeongju this year could serve as a bridge to the US-China summit, and that APEC would serve as an opportunity for South Korea to continue expanding its role in cooperation and governance in science and technology, including AI.
Minister Cho said, “The Korean government will make every effort to advance denuclearization and build a peace regime through a phased approach that stops North Korea’s arsenals, reduces them, and ultimately dismantles them.”
The first session, entitled “Korea’s Practical Diplomacy in the Changing International Order,” moderated by Director Lee Moon-hee, discussed expectations and challenges for cooperation between Korea and major neighboring countries, based on an assessment and outlook on the current direction of the international order.
Japanese Ambassador to Korea Mizushima Koichi underlined that Japan’s foreign policy, emphasizing strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) regional strategy, and building partnerships with the Global South, aligns with Korea’s policies and emphasizes that the two countries are key strategic partners.
He expressed hope for the continuation of successful Korea-Japan shuttle diplomacy and expressed his anticipation for the deepening diplomatic relations between two countries through advancements in Korea-U.S.-Japan and Korea-China-Japan cooperation.
Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing stated that the current international order is experiencing a vacuum due to its inability to effectively respond to the new geopolitical environment, the securitization of economic development, the rapid pace of technological development.
He expressed hope that the successful Korea-China summit held during APEC will lead to the advancement of stable and sustainable bilateral cooperation in the future, and noted that China intends to contribute to global economic prosperity by exploring opportunities for cooper-ation with various countries, including Korea.
Ambassador Wong Kai Jun of Singapore to Korea emphasized the importance of cooperation with Korea in rebuilding an open, inclusive, and stable rules-based international order.
He also expressed hope that cooperation for regional peace and economic development will adv-ance through the Contributor-Springboard-Partner (CSP) vision presented in the Korea-ASEAN relationship. He explained that Korea and Singapore can serve as guides for regional cooperation in comprehensive areas such as AI, energy transition, and the digital economy.
Zack Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, explained that with no major power currently presenting a clear blueprint for a new international order, the role of middle powers, including Korea, is more important than ever.
He stated that there is a possibility that an international order driven by multiple countries, including middle powers, will be established in the future.
Furthermore, while evaluating the new South Korean administration’s pragmatic foreign policy approach, he noted the need to further strengthen long-term policy coordination in terms of enhancing regional security and North Korea policy.
Professor Jeon Jae-seong of Seoul National University stated that despite the need for structural reform of the international order, the fundamental trend of globalization will remain unchanged.
He also predicted that a new international order based on collective leadership, rather than one dominated by a single hegemonic power, could be established in the future.
He noted that while the South Korean administration’s pragmatic foreign policy approach may poten-tially conflict with its role as a res-ponsible global power in the short term, it could develop into a sound model for middle power diplomacy by appropriately balancing its policies.
The second session, entitled “Diplomacy for Sustainable Peace on the Korean Peninsula,” moderated by Professor Kim Han-kwon of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, discussed the perspectives of Korea’s neighbors on building peace on the Korean Peninsula and explored effective implementation methods for the Korean government’s E.N.D. initiative.
Professor Hwang Ji-hwan of the University of Seoul explained that the Lee Jae-myung administration’s discussions on building peace on the Korean Peninsula appear to be seeking to resolve structural factors of conflict and institutionalize a more balanced and permanent bilateral relationship. However, he noted that the realization of the E.N.D. initiative presents numerous challenges, both short-term and long-term, requiring a more pragmatic and realistic approach.
Professor Lief-Eric Easley of Ewha Womans University explained the strategic elements of peace building on the Korean Peninsula, named after the Korean alphabet word “PYEONGWHA” in English “Peace.” The plan emphasized peace(P), a whip for progress(Y), economic exchanges(E), operational readiness based on the ROK-U.S. alliance(O), normalization of inter-Korean dialogue(N), geopolitical risk management(G), humanitarian assistance(H), war prevention and tension reduction(W), and acco-untability(A).
Liu Aming, Professor of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences assessed that the E.N.D. initiative differs from existing strategies in that it prioritizes normalizing relations for denuclearization and pursues policy implementation through trust-building centered on inter-Korean dialogue.
He stated that for successful implementation, activating regional multilateral cooperation, easing great power competition and tensions, emphasizing inter-Korean dialogue and consultation, and securing international legitimacy are key tasks.
Professor Miyamoto Satoru of Seigakuin University explained that prioritizing long-term denuclear-ization and short-term risk mitigation is crucial for the realization of the E.N.D. initiative.
However, he noted that optimistic expectations regarding the possibility of denuclearization should be avoided, and that efforts to strengthen North Korea’s sense of responsibility should be supported.
Hong Ji-young, a senior researcher at the Export-Import Bank of Korea, suggested the following as ways to promote economic cooperation for the advancement of inter-Korean relations as utilizing multilateral organizations, trilateral cooperation, and utilizing hybrid finance.
She emphasized the need for efforts to build sustainable inter-Korean economic cooperation even amidst political instability.
The third session, entitled ‘Economic Security Diplomacy for the Great AI Transformation’, chaired by Professor Lee Hyo-young of the National Diplomatic Academy, discussed diplomatic efforts and international cooperation strategies to strengthen artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which will be central to economic prosperity and future security.
Kim Yu-cheol, Head of Strategy at LG AI Research, emphasized the need for Korea to advance specialized industrial data-based technologies through policies encouraging the use of domestic AI models and services, rather than closed policies such as export controls, to build an independent AI ecosystem.
He stated that alongside a strategy to lead AI development through global standard cooperation, a model enabling the export of Korea’s AI systems overseas must be established.
Professor Shim Hyun-jung of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) noted the importance of concurrently implementing policies to promote AI growth and manage risks.
She stressed the need to pursue a balanced strategy, advancing tech-nology through a “secure first, build trust later” approach, enabling Korea to establish itself as a responsible technological powerhouse.
Seong Nak-ho, Chief Technology Officer/Executive Vice President at Naver Cloud, explained that AI technology will bring about a major transformation by creating an economy where highly compressed efficiency is maximised.
He noted that the window for catching up in the AI race is not always open from the leading group. He stressed the importance of sovereign AI to secure control over social judgement, which could be lost due to non-neutral AI technology, and to ensure the stability of related supply chains. He stated that Korea could lead diplomatic cooperation by acting as a platform partner supporting each nation in building its own sovereign AI.
Professor Lee Wang-hwi of Ajou University stated that the scope of sovereignty implied by sovereign AI must be clarified to curb political misuse or abuse of the concept.
He particularly emphasized the importance of interoperability in applying AI to security domains and highlighted the significance of international cooperation for the sound development of AI norms and governance.
Professor Baek Seo-in of Hanyang University outlined the challenges in advancing Korea’s AI strategy: the practical difficulties in securing a position as a mid-tier AI nation, the difficulty in concurrently attracting leading overseas companies dome-stically while nurturing domestic AI firms.
He stressed that for success, Korea must focus on, enhancing compatibility with global AI initiatives and expanding opportunities for Korean companies to enter global markets.
The meeting was a meaningful opportunity to enhance understanding of the Korean government’s diplomatic vision and to explore diplomatic challenges and cooperative approaches facing Korea in the rapidly changing international environment.
An official from the National Diplomatic Academy stated that efforts to strengthen two-way communication between the govern-ment and the public through various occasions, including academic conf-erences, will continue.★
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