Ieodo International Seminar on Jeju to address maritime security in East Asia

Ieodo Ocean Research Station / Courtesy of Ieodo

The ninth Ieodo International Seminar will convene in Jeju City from Thursday to Saturday, drawing experts from around the world to address maritime security challenges in East Asia, organizers said Sunday.

Hosted by the Society of Ieodo Research, a Jeju-based think tank founded in 2007, and co-organized by The Korea Times, the three-day gathering at Hotel The One will bring together maritime security experts from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

This year’s seminar, held under the theme “New Strategic Responses to Maritime Security Threats in East Asia,” will tackle China’s gray-zone tactics, territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas and the prospects for legal remedies and multilateral cooperation.

Koh Choong-suk, chairman of the Society of Ieodo Research / Courtesy of Society of Ieodo Research

Ieodo, known internationally as Socotra Rock, lies 149 kilometers south of Mara Island, Korea’s southernmost point, and sits at the center of a territorial dispute between Seoul and Beijing, as it falls within overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).

Koh Choong-suk, chairman of the Society of Ieodo Research, said the seminar will offer a chance to share Korea’s perspective with the international community while fostering trust and cooperation.

“The Society of Ieodo Research will continue to work closely with domestic and foreign scholars to convey Korea’s maritime security vision and peace message to academia and the global community,” Koh said.