On Thursday, March 16, the Sejong Institute held the 33rd Sejong National Strategy Forum on the topic of “Administrative Priorities for the Next Administration: Foreign Affairs, National Security, and Unification.” Beginning with opening remarks and welcoming speech from President Jin Chang Soo and Chairman Park Joon-woo, the forum consisted of four sessions. At the first session moderated by Professor Chung Jin-Young (Kyung Hee University), Dr. Lee Sang Hyun (Vice President for Research, the Sejong Institute), Dr. Kim Soung-Chul (Senior Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute), and Professor Lee Wang-Hwi (Ajou University) presented on “Korea’s Global Diplomacy,” “Korea’s Foreign Policy on East Asia,” and “Korea’s Policy on Trade and Economy” respectively. Discussants, including Choi Kang (Vice President, Asan Institute for Policy Studies), Chun Chaesung (Professor, Seoul National University), Moon Don (Professor, Kyung Hee University), and Park Jeeyoung (Visiting Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute) commented on “Major Agendas for Korea’s Global Diplomacy.” 

Professor Yoo Kil-jae of the University of North Korean Studies (former unification minister) moderated the second session on “Korea’s Policy on National Security, North Korea, and North Korean Nuclear Issue.” Director Lee Dae-woo (the Sejong Institute), Dr. Hong Hyun-ik (Senior Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute), and Director Chung Seong-chang (the Sejong Institute) gave a presentation on “the Next Administration’s National Security Policy,” “Defense Posture and Measures to Solve the North Korean Nuclear Issue,” and “the Next Administration’s Policy Orientation on North Korea: Managing North Korean Nuclear Threat and the Reconfiguration of the Issues Surrounding the Korean Peninsula.” Shin Boem-Chul (Research Fellow, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses), Kim Yeol-soo (Professor, Sungshin Women’s University), Koh Yoo-hwan (Professor, Dongguk University), and Lee Yunkeol (Visiting Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute) participated in the session as discussants.  

At the third session, Rector Song Min-soon from the University of North Korean Studies (former foreign minister) moderated the discussion on “Korea’s Policy on Its Neighbors” with presentations from Kim Hyun-Wook (Professor, Korea National Diplomatic Academy), Dr. Lee Tai Hwan (Vice President for Education and Training, the Sejong Institute), and Director Lee Myon-woo (the Sejong Institute) respective on Korea’s policy on the U.S., China, and Japan. David Straub (Visiting Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute), Lee Hee-ok (Professor, SungKyunKwan University), Chung Jae-jeong (Professor, University of Seoul), and Kang Seok Ryul (Visiting Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute) debated on the next administration’s policy on the U.S., China, and Japan as discussants.  

Moderated by President Jin Chang Soo, the wrap-up session brought together the participants to discuss the policy recommendations for the next administration.