Jeju Forum 75 sessions to chart Asia's future
A session is held during the 11th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, themed “Asia’s New Order and Cooperative Leadership,” at the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, in 2016. This year’s forum under the theme of “Sharing a Common Vision for Asia’s Future” will take place at the same venue from May 31 to June 2, drawing more than 5,000 participants from 70 countries. / Courtesy of Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity Organizing Committee
By Yi Whan-woo
The 12th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity kicks off on Jeju Island on May 31, with the aim of bolstering cooperation in Asia on addressing political, economic, security, climate change and other regional challenges amid growing protectionist and nationalist movements.
This will be the largest international meeting taking place on Jeju Island after a new government was launched in Korea, May 10.
The multinational forum runs through June 2 at the International Convention Center in Seogwipo, drawing more than 5,000 politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, scholars, entrepreneurs, journalists and representatives of international organizations from 70 countries around the globe.
The theme, “Sharing a Common Vision for Asia’s Future,” was chosen by the Organizing Committee to reflect the intensified security risks in the region and the forum’s goal of offering an opportunity to exchange views to develop a “cooperative Asia.”
“Sharing a vision is necessary to settle common problems found worldwide,” said Won Hee-ryong, the chairman of the Organizing Committee and the governor of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
“The forum this year will deal with global challenges in a more detailed manner after having expanded its agendas on peace.
“We’ve worked hard in our preparation for this meeting, which hopes to serve as a new momentum for peace in an era of uncertainty and become a new ray of light for humankind,” he added.
Among the prominent international guests at the forum are former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and three former heads of states — Anibal Cavaco Silva of Portugal, Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia and Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat of Mongolia.
Also taking part in the annual forum are former foreign ministers from the Asia-Pacific countries — Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia, George Yeo of Singapore, Gareth Evans of Australia, and Nyamosor Tuya of Mongolia.
France’s former Minister of State for State Reform and Simplification Jean-Vincent Place is attending, and so is former chairman of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Michael Kirby, among other former senior U.N. officials.
A group of ambassadors and other high-ranking diplomatic representatives in Korea will also gather together in Jeju to share their vision for Asia’s future. British Ambassador Charles Hay, Australia’s Ambassador James Choi, India’s Ambassador Vikram Kumar Doraiswami, Secretary-General of China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat Yang Houlan, Japanese Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, and Marc Knapper, Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, are scheduled to attend the Ambassadors Roundtable session.
The forum has served as a platform to focus on impending diplomatic and security threats.
What will be presented and discussed by both Korean and foreign experts on such issues will be of great use to the new Korean government that needs to formulate new foreign and security policies. It is, therefore, hardly surprising why many Korean leaders gather in Jeju for the Jeju Forum, according to the Organizing Committee.
Korean participants include Moon Chung-in, a political science professor who has been tapped as President Moon Jae-in’s special advisor on unification, foreign and security affairs; two former senior presidential secretaries for security and foreign affairs, Chun Young-woo and Ju Chul-ki; former Foreign Ministers Yoon Young-kwan and Kim Sung-hwan; former Korean Ambassador to Japan and Vice Foreign Minister Shin Gak-soo; and former Permanent Representative of Korea to the U.N. Oh Joon.
Forum Chairman Won will host a formal banquet on June 1 and Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC) Chairman Lee Kwang-hee will host the farewell dinner on June 2.
The three-day annual forum is co-hosted by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, International Peace Foundation, East Asia Foundation and JoongAng Ilbo and is organized by Jeju Peace Institute.
It is also jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and JDC.
The forum has 75 sessions — four plenary sessions and 71 concurrent sessions.
The 75 sessions, which are jointly organized by over 40 groups, including the U.N., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, universities, think tanks and media outlets, are categorized into five main agendas: peace, prosperity, sustainability, diversity and a global Jeju. They will cover a wide range of topics, from low growth to cyber security, nuclear threats, green growth and inter-Korean unification.
Three of the four plenary sessions will take place on June 1 — the opening ceremony, featuring speeches by forum Chairman Won and former U.S. Vice President Gore; a special lecture given by Gore; and the “World Leaders Session” jointly led by former presidents Silva, Sukarnoputri and Ochirbat. The remaining one is a special dialogue between Won and former French Minister Place; that will run on June 2.
The 71 concurrent sessions will run from May 31 to June 2. All 75 sessions will take place in Korean and English, and French translation will be available in some sessions.
Al Gore, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on global warming, has been invited to visit Jeju Island for the first time.
He will talk about the possibility of sustainable development amid conflicting national interests at the session titled “Challenge and Opportunity of Climate Change: Is a Better Growth Possible?”
His participation at the Jeju Forum will reflect Korea’s strong determination to put environment at the top of its global agenda.
Meanwhile, Silva, Sukarnoputri and Ochirbat will each speak on how to bolster cooperation among Asian countries to pursue a shared vision.
Titled “Democracy in the Digital Era: Seizing the Initiatives for More Open, Agile Government,” Won’s dialogue with Place will focus on how a government can flexibly cope with changes in the administrative system and democracy that will be brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. They also will discuss how a government can capitalize on Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as big data and the Internet of things, to facilitate cooperation on administration and offer simplified administrative services.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), The Korea Times and Jeju Peace Institute will jointly organize a roundtable session titled “The Future of ASEAN-Korea Cooperation” on May 31.
Moderated by Park Jin, “Global Leader’s Session in Diplomacy and Security,” a discussion among a group of former and active foreign ministers will focus on the middle power’s role in Asia on June 1.
This session deserves the public’s attention given that ministers of foreign affairs from major middle powers and MIKTA states, such as Australia, Indonesia, and Singapore, gather in one place.
Meanwhile, the forum titled “Why They Suffer: A Reality Report on North Korea’s Human Rights,” will feature a session on Pyongyang’s dire human rights record. In the forum, moderated by Oh Joon, Kirby and other international experts on repressive regimes will address the Kim Jong-un regime’s crimes against humanity.
The Jeju Forum started in 2001 as a biennial event and has been held annually since 2011.