The Forum was organized by KIEP and the Research Institute for Gangwon, and sponsored by the Ministry of Unification and Goseong-gun. Prime Minister Boo-kyum Kim attended the event online, and Minister of Unification In-young Lee and Governor Bok-Soo Choi of Gangwon-do attended in person. 

The Forum was attended by prominent foreign speakers such as Chair Andrey Bystritskiy of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion, Board Chair Kathleen Stephens of the Korea Society (President & CEO, Korea Economic Institute of America), Director Asle Toje of the International Forum for Peace and Understanding, U.K. (Member, Norwegian Nobel Committee, Norway), and Founder & Executive Chair Steve Killelea of the Institute for Economics and Peace Australia. Also, other leading think tank heads, foreign ambassadors, and experts on Korean Peninsula issues attended the forum online and on-site. Participants shared their wisdom on strategies to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, under the themes of the peace economy, the next government's policy on the Korean Peninsula, and ways to promote cooperation with neighboring countries and the international community for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

This year’s forum carried the geographical significance of being held in Gangwon-do, a border region with North Korea. Domestic experts discussed practical development directions for inter-Korean cooperation and the Gangwon Special Economic Zone for Peace, and strategies for the early establishment of the Gangwon Peace Special Self-Governing Province.

On the 25th, the first day of the event, forum participants walked through Gangwon-do near the DMZ, visually confirming the reality of the division between the two Koreas and gaining an appreciation for the need of a peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula. Forum participants visited the DMZ Museum and the Unification Observatory Tower in Goseong, Gangwon-do, during which they held an unveiling event for a commemorative plaque and planted a tree with wishes for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula at the DMZ Peace Experience Ceremony.

At the DMZ Peace Economy International Forum held on the 26th, overseas scholars and domestic and foreign experts discussed the achievements and directions of the peace economy on the Korean Peninsula under the theme of “Building Resilience for Peace and International Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula.” The forum proceeded with an opening ceremony, plenary session, and three parallel sessions.

Prime Minister Boo-kyum Kim gave an online congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony, and Minister of Unification Lee In-young delivered the keynote speech. The plenary session was chaired by President Heung-chong Kim of KIEP, with Chair Andrey Bystritskiy of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion, Board Chair Kathleen Stephens of the Korea Society, Director Asle Toje of the International Forum for Peace and Understanding, U.K., and Founder & Executive Chair Steve Killelea of the Institute for Economics and Peace Australia participating online with various ideas to support the peace economy on the Korean Peninsula. 

In the afternoon, KIEP, Gangwon Province, and the research institute for Gangwon hosted the three parallel sessions on the themes of “The Present and the Future of the Policy on the Korean Peninsula: Assessing the Moon Jae-in Administration and Expectations towards 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 Province.”

Serving as an opportunity for in-depth discussions on the direction and contents of inter-Korean exchange cooperation for permanent peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, the 2021 DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy was evaluated as contributing to the international consensus on the need for peace by establishing a continuous and practical network among global prominent institutions.

1. Title: 2021 DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy

2. Theme: Building Resilience for Peace and International Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula

3. Venue: Sono Calm Del Pino, Goseong, Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea

4. Date & Time: November 25-26, 2021

5. Hosted by: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), National Research Council for Economics, Humanities, and Social Sciences (NRC), Gangwon Province

6. Organized by: KIEP, Research Institute for Ganwon

7. Supported by: Ministry of Unification, Gosung-Gun