Jeju Peace Forum

The first forum was held from June 15 to June 17, 2001 under the title, "Building Common Peace and Prosperity in Northeast Asia." Its objective is to address the region's prospects for peace, stability, and prosperity in the 21st century.[3]

The second forum was held from October 30 to November 1, 2003 under the title, "Building a Northeast Asian Community: Challenges and New visions." It was launched as a meeting for the public and private sector leaders to promote common peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. With the inauguration of Roh Moo-hyun the Second Jeju Forum discussed geopolitical and economic developments within the region and its implications for bureaucratic, economic, and policy environments.[4]

The third forum held from June 9 to June 11, 2005 with the Government of South Korea's full support launched an agenda to address economic cooperation in addition to security related issues within the region. Under the title, "Building a Northeast Asian Community: Towards Peace and Prosperity," the forum talked about the ways to facilitate regional cooperation in free trade agreements, financial and banking sectors, transportation and energy security areas.[5]

The fourth forum titled "Peace and Prosperity in Northeast Asia: Exploring the European Experience" discussed Europe's previous experience in political, security and economic issues, such as the Cold War, Germany's reunification and the European Union integration and its possible applications in Northeast Asian region. The meeting also addressed the importance of the institutionalization process of peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia.[6]

Under the title "Shaping New Regional Governance in East Asia: A Common Vision for Mutual Benefit and Common Prosperity," the 5th Jeju Peace Forum approached more broader concepts than in previous forums and held various sessions dealing with broader themes such as history, economy and international cooperation. The forum also addressed key security issues, such as North Korea's nuclear development, as well as nontraditional security issues, such as East Asia's historical antagonism, its use of soft power and other relevant events. The Secretary General Ban Ki-moon discussed about the three pillars of multilateralism in East Asia, such as security, economy and environment and their implications in the future.[7]

The 6th Jeju Forum was held from May 27 to May 29, 2011 introduced Northeast Asia's key issues such as China's rising power and its implications on Asia's economy and orders in Asian financial markets.[8] With the title, "New Asia: For peace and Prosperity," the 6th forum held an extensive discussions about Asia's security, including nuclear security, maritime security, security on the Korean peninsula related with Korean reunification.[9]

The 7th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity was held in Jeju Island from 31 May to 2 June 2012 under the theme of “New Trends and the Future of Asia” Asia is the most dynamic region in the world. Half of the world's population lives in Asia and the cultural variety found in the region enhances its potential. Asia is undergoing rapid change, thereby contributing greatly to the historic advancement of the world. Achieving peace and prosperity in Asia is one of the most significant tasks for the realization of global peace and prosperity. After the end of the Cold War and in light of economic crises around the world, the nations of Asia are moving toward dialogue and cooperation in order to overcome their differences and conflict. The interdependence among Asian nations has been expanding, enhancing a recognition of common interest. Regional cooperation in East Asia has been greatly promoted though some countries such as North Korea remain isolated from the international community. Active discussion in various formats is underway for regional cooperation in East Asia. In this island of Jeju, many international meetings have been held to promote such cooperation, including summit meetings among Korea, Japan and China and between Korea and ASEAN countries, meetings which help nations to overcome their differences and thus promote reconciliation and cooperation. The 7th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity reviewed these changes within historic context and highlight the future of Asia. The work of the forum was to pursue peace and common prosperity of the region on the basis of a sense of community. The interdependence and cultural fusion in Asia surely contribute to the promotion of this sense of community.

The year 2013 was a transitional point for the international community as the United States, Japan, China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea all underwent changes of the administrations. The adoption of major policy changes by the new governments was anticipated and the new role and paradigm of the Asia-Pacific region, where tensions remained high due to territorial disputes and the nuclear weapons of North Korea, were discussed during the 8th forum.

The 9th forum dealt with international cooperation and security, business and economy, culture, gender, the environment, sustainability, and community development. The former and incumbent leaders of the Asia-Pacific region shared their perspectives on these issues. More than 60 sessions were held for participants to discuss solutions to unravel the paradoxes within the region in search of ‘New Asia.’

The 10th forum focused on building a more solid mechanism for a multilateral cooperation in Asia. The year 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of key historical events including the end of World War II, the founding of the United Nations, and the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule. One of the highlights of the forum was the review of progress made towards maintaining a peaceful coexistence within the region.

Asia's political and economic situation is in transition, fraught with a mix of old and new problems. As witnessing a daunting array of challenges, many peoples are also seeing rays of hope in the cooperation between Korea, China, and Japan. The 11th Jeju Forum, with the theme "Asia's New Order and Cooperative Leadership," has comprehensive agendas for 69 sessions operated by 39 organizations, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, and the Korea Foundation, as well as U.N.-affiliated agencies and business organizations. More than 4,000 participants from 60 countries are expected to attend. The forum's agendas cover all aspects of current issues, including North Korea's nuclear threats, the new climate system after the Paris Agreement, the safety of nuclear energy, responses to terrorism, the startup ecosystem, and the electric car revolution.[10]