ERI is a leading national research institute contributing to the Russian government’s strategy for the socio-economic development of the Russian Far East. Following their signing of an MOU in 2005, KIEP and ERI co-hosted annual joint seminars from 2006 to 2019.

This year’s seminar marked the resumption of the bilateral academic exchange after a six-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The event sought to explore new issues and policy agendas in Far East and Arctic cooperation and to lay the groundwork for future-oriented economic cooperation between Korea and Russia.

In his opening remarks, Vice President Sungbae An of KIEP highlighted the significance of this seminar in rebuilding the cooperative network between Korean and Russian research institutes. He emphasized that, amid rapidly changing global dynamics, the deliberations would help identify new approaches and practical tasks for Korea-Russia Far East cooperation.

Vice President An further expressed his hope that the outcomes of the seminar would go beyond interstate cooperation to contribute to generating new growth engines and fostering peace and co-prosperity in Northeast Asia.

The seminar was attended by Vice President Sungbae An of KIEP, Director Artyom Gennadyevich Isaevv of ERI, and Consul General Byungkyu Ha of the Republic of Korea in Vladivostok, along with a wide range of experts from both countries.

On the Korean side, participants included Dr. Joungho Park, Senior Research Fellow at KIEP; Dr. Jangho Choi, Research Fellow at KIEP; Dr. Jaeyoung Lee, former President of KIEP; Mr. Jae-hoon Lee, Senior Reporter at Hankyoreh; Dr. Jun Kee Baek, President of the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Hanshin University; Professor Sang Nam Park of Hanshin University; Dr. Dongjun Chun, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Environment Institute; and Mr. Jungho Cho, Director at Luko Energy.

On the Russian side, distinguished participants included Mr. Sergey Yurchenko, Head of the Primorsky Branch at Sberbank; Dr. Dmitry Izotov, Leading Researcher at ERI; Dr. Anna Bardal, Leading Researcher at ERI; Dr. Elena Zaostrovskikh, Leading Researcher at ERI; Dr. Artyom Lukin, Director  of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Far Eastern Federal University; Dr. Marina Kukla, Professor of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Far Eastern Federal University; and Dr. Vladimir Karakin, Leading Researcher at the Pacific Geographical Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences. Their contributions deepened the scope and quality of the discussions.

- Title: The 15th KIEP-ERI International Seminar

- Topic: A New Paradigm and Practical Tasks for Korea-Russia Far East Cooperation in the Era of Global Transformation

- Date & Time: Sunday–Monday, September 14–15, 2025

- Venue: Lotte Hotel, Vladivostok, Russia

- Hosts: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), Economic Research Institute (ERI) of the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (FEB RAS)

- Contact: Jiyoung Min, Senior Researcher, Russia and Eurasia Team (jymin@kiep.go.kr)