National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik launched the Parliamentary Diplomacy Advisory Committee at the Assembly's reception hall Thursday morning, appointing nine members including committee chair Kim Seung-ho.
Cho said the world is facing deepening geopolitical tensions — including the war in the Middle East — and a shift toward nationalism and power-based order, while AI-centered competition in advanced technology and protectionism are spreading across security and military affairs. "The importance of strategic and practical diplomacy to protect South Korea's national interests has never been greater," he said.
He added that the second half of the 22nd National Assembly intends to respond proactively to the rapidly changing international order. To that end, he said, the Assembly established its first-ever foreign affairs and security chief of staff office "to develop parliamentary diplomacy, alongside government diplomacy and public diplomacy, into one of the three pillars of South Korea's diplomatic strategy."
Cho said parliamentary diplomacy must go beyond friendly exchanges and aim for substantive activities that produce results citizens can actually feel. "I expect your advice to serve as a milestone in elevating the quality of parliamentary diplomacy and realizing diplomatic activities centered on the national interest," he said.
He also called on the committee members to establish reasonable and transparent standards in line with public expectations, while ensuring that genuinely necessary diplomatic activities receive full support. "Please be a reliable guide in strengthening the National Assembly's diplomatic capabilities and international credibility," he said.
In response, committee chair Kim said that as South Korea's international standing and global assessments of its democracy continue to rise, demand for diplomatic exchanges with the National Assembly and overseas activities will also increase. "The advisory committee will conduct thorough and objective reviews based on strict standards, so that parliamentary diplomacy is carried out in a manner that fully meets public expectations and is conducted with sound judgment," Kim said.
The Parliamentary Diplomacy Advisory Committee was first established in 2019 to strengthen public trust in Assembly members' overseas activities and improve the substance of parliamentary diplomacy. It has been reconstituted as the advisory body for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly to coincide with Speaker Cho's inauguration.
Going forward, the committee will review and advise on the Assembly's diplomatic activities to help ensure they are carried out in a more systematic and effective manner.
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