본문으로 바로가기

KIEP News

News & Event

2021 KIEP New Northern Policy Seminar

  • Date2021/12/23
  • Hit3831

2021 KIEP New Northern Policy Seminar 1

2021 KIEP New Northern Policy Seminar 2

2021 KIEP New Northern Policy Seminar 3

The Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) held the “2021 KIEP New Northern Policy Seminar” at Lotte Hotel in Jeju for two days from December 22 (Wed) to 23 (Thu). The event celebrated the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Russia, extended to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, intensive discussions were held on practical tasks to consider the future of Korea’s northern policy and enhance cooperation with Russia, a key partner for Korea in northern policy and northern cooperation, amid the U.S.-China strategic competition, a deadlock in North Korea-U.S. negotiations, inter-Korean relations, and the coronavirus crisis.

Attendants to the seminar included President Heungchong Kim of KIEP; Chair Hae-Gu Jung of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences; former Ambassador to Russia Woo Yoon-keun; Vice-Chair Keun Lee of the National Economic Advisory Council; former Advisor to the President for Economic Affairs Jun Kee Baek; President of the Science and Technology Policy Institute Mi Ock Mun; and former Advisor to the President for Economic Affairs Bokyeong Park. Participants looked back on the achievements of the New Northern Policy promoted with the launch of the Moon Jae In government in 2017, considered future directions and new approaches, and sought ways to develop sustainable and future-oriented Korea-Russia relations.

In his opening remarks, President Heungchong Kim of KIEP stressed that "to internalize northern policy, we need to find a new approach based on a shift in ideas" in today's world of the Great Transformation, COVID-19, digital transformation, and climate change. Director Kim pointed out the importance of cooperative strategies reflecting changes in technology and industry trends in Korea’s partners to the north, and proposed cooperation in the digital sector (data, AI, electric car, mobility, healthcare, fintech, etc.), hydrogen energy, and space-related projects.

The keynote session was hosted by President Heungchong Kim, during which Vice-Chair Keun Lee of the National Economic Advisory Council, President Ki-jung Kim of the Institute for National Security Strategy, President Jun Kee Baek of the National Institute for Unification Education, former Advisor to the President for Economic Affairs Bokyeong Park, Professor Yon-Jong Wang of Dongduk Women's University, and Professor Sunghoon Park of the Korea University shared their insights into the challenges facing Korea's diplomacy and economy amid the rapidly changing global environment.

The second to fifth sessions were held as working-level sessions to explore practical tasks related to the northern policy and Korea-Russia relations. In the second session, the direction and tasks of new cooperation between Korea and Russia in the area of space projects were discussed, and the third session pointed out the present and future of the New Northern Policy. Participants sought new practical tasks for Korea-Russia cooperation in the energy sector in the fourth session. In the fifth session, the future of Korea-Russia cooperation in the digital sector was discussed.