Forum on Lee Jae Myung government's first year in diplomacy and security concludes

'President's philosophy must be firmly backed,' lawmaker says

Participants pose for a group photo at a policy forum titled "One Year of the Lee Jae Myung Government: Assessment and Tasks in Peace, Diplomacy and Security," hosted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil. [Provided by Rep. Song Young-gil's office]
Participants pose for a group photo at a policy forum titled "One Year of the Lee Jae Myung Government: Assessment and Tasks in Peace, Diplomacy and Security," hosted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil. [Provided by Rep. Song Young-gil's office]

"Just as former Ambassador Lee Gyeong-ryeol pointed out — that we have foreign affairs but no real diplomacy — we need to make our own efforts to secure an independent diplomatic space in a rapidly changing multipolar order."

A policy forum titled "One Year of the Lee Jae Myung Government: Assessment and Tasks in Peace, Diplomacy and Security," hosted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil, drew a large audience Thursday morning at Conference Room 9 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building.

Song's office organized the forum alongside co-hosts the Multipolarity Forum, the Korean Peninsula Peace Economy Council, the News Tomato K-Peace Research Institute and the Minplus Research Institute. The event was convened to explore South Korea's survival strategy in diplomacy and security amid a multipolar order shaped by the United States, China, Russia and North Korea.

Addressing the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and the need for the diplomatic establishment to reform itself, Song invoked the late President Kim Dae-jung. "Former President Kim once stressed that because our people are surrounded by four major powers, we must become a nation that practices diplomacy," Song said. "We need to make our own efforts to secure an independent diplomatic space."

Song also identified the ruling party's most pressing task as providing firm support for President Lee Jae Myung's foreign policy philosophy. "When a new administration takes office, there must be corresponding changes in diplomacy, defense and economic policy," he said. "Going forward, we must properly back the pragmatism-centered diplomatic philosophy that President Lee holds."


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