DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy

Three years have passed since the leaders of the two Koreas met in April 2018 to jointly adopt the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Unfortunately, there still remain a number of challenges for our people and nations to overcome together. Inter-Korean relations have both improved and deteriorated over the years, but the overall momentum has continued toward the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

In joint with the provincial government of Gangwon, the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities, and Social Sciences (NRC) and Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) will be hosting the 2021 DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy on ‘Building Resilience for Peace and International Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula.’ We have invited prominent participants from Korea and abroad for a first-hand experience of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which remains today as a symbol of division on the Korean Peninsula. Forum participants will gain a better appreciation for the reality of the division between the two Koreas and the need for lasting peace, as they discuss the establishment of a new order on the Korean Peninsula based on the fundamental values of peace, co-existence and inclusiveness, and share their visions for the new Korean Peninsula regime and a peace economy.

We are confident the 2021 DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy will serve as a venue for meaningful communication within Korea and throughout the international community, and lead to various ideas to support the peace economy on the Korean Peninsula. We ask for your continued interest in the forum.

Thank you.

We are entering the second autumn since the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out. Pre-pandemic life has not been restored yet, but efforts for a return to normal life have been continued. Despite difficulties in the global community, it is with great pleasure we will hold the 2021 DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy. This is the third year we are holding the Forum, this time in Goseong, Gangwon Province ‒ the gateway to Mount Geumgang in the North, along the east coast border ‒ on November 25‒26. We extend a heartful thanks to the provincial government of Gangwon for co-sponsoring the event.

The year 2021 also marks the thirtieth since the two Koreas simultaneously gained full membership to the United Nations. Upon joining the UN in 1991, South and North Korea pledged to contribute to international peace and prosperity, but the Korean Peninsula continues to fluctuate between tension and peace even today. Official inter-Korean communication channels were restored in July this year, per request by the North, only to be disconnected two weeks later. In September, tensions rose once again on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launched long-range ballistic missiles and strategic cruise missiles. This was followed by President Moon’s proposal at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly to formally end the Korean War. North Korea’s response to this proposal has been favorable, bringing a mood of peace to the Korean Peninsula once again.

This year we have organized the Forum around the theme of “Building Resilience for Peace and International Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula.” On the first day, November 25, we will invite distinguished participants from overseas, delegates from diplomatic offices or international organizations, and experts on Korean Peninsula issues for a tour of the Demilitarized Zone in Goseong, Gangwon Province, during which they will gain first-hand experience of the realities of a divided nation and better appreciation of the need for peace on the Peninsula. On the 26th, leaders of major think tanks in the U.S., Australia, Germany, France, Austria, Russia, Norway and India will be sharing their opinions on diverse topics, such as establishing peace and a peace-based economy on the Korean Peninsula, or a look at policies and measures to promote international cooperation for the Korean Peninsula in the next administration. Parallel sessions will be conducted on the themes of “The Present and Future of the Policy on the Korean Peninsula: Assessing the Moon Jae-in Administration and Expectations toward the Next Administration,” “Inter-Korean Cooperation and the Gangwon Special Economic Zone for Peace,” and “Strategies for the Early Establishment of the Gangwon Peace Special Self-Governing.”

All proceedings will be live broadcast online to allow global participation under COVID-19 conditions. We warmly ask for your kind interest in the 2021 DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy. Your participation will help us to make this year’s Forum even more significant.

Thank you.