Event set for Nov. 5 at Construction Hall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu
Experts to discuss cross-border cooperation amid North Korea-China-Russia ties
HanmiGlobal's Institute for Korean Peninsula Unification and Construction Strategy will hold an international seminar on cross-border cooperation in Northeast Asia, focusing on Arctic shipping routes and Tumen River development.
The institute, jointly with the Korean Association of North Korean Studies, announced Thursday that the seminar will take place Nov. 5 at the Construction Hall in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The event is titled "The Future of Northeast Asian Cross-Border Cooperation and Tumen River Development."
The seminar is designed to examine the potential for cross-border cooperation driven by the rise of Arctic shipping routes and shifting transportation and logistics conditions in Northeast Asia, and to discuss economic cooperation centered on Tumen River development and South Korea's role in it.
Interest in linking Arctic shipping routes with continental transport networks has grown as North Korea-Russia transportation infrastructure cooperation expands — most recently with the opening of a road bridge over the Tumen River connecting the two countries — while China moves to utilize Arctic routes and South Korea pursues pilot Arctic shipping operations.
At the seminar, Incheon National University professor Seong Won-yong will present on "The Future of Arctic Shipping Routes and Tumen River Cross-Border Cooperation," examining how the Arctic shipping era could affect economic cooperation in Northeast Asia.
Daejin University professor Park Young-min will address "Changes in the Northeast Asian Landscape and the Future of Tumen River Development," analyzing development prospects in light of strengthening North Korea-China-Russia cooperation.
International experts will also present. Zhang Dongming, a professor at China's Liaoning University, will discuss development strategies for China's three northeastern provinces and their links to Tumen River cooperation, while Mimura Matsuhiro, a professor at Japan's University of Niigata Prefecture, will address Japan's role in Tumen River development and the direction of Northeast Asian economic cooperation.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Seo Bo-hyuk, president of the Korean Association of North Korean Studies. Panelists include Kang Min-jo, director of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia Research Center at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements; Kim Sung-bae, emeritus professor at Soongsil University; Nam Sung-wook, chair professor at Sookmyung Women's University; Lee Kyong-hee, a senior researcher at the Export-Import Bank of Korea; Lee Sang-jun, director of HanmiGlobal's Institute for Korean Peninsula Unification and Construction Strategy; Lim Kang-taek, standing director of SDG Korea Forum; and Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
Participants are expected to discuss prospects for cross-border cooperation in light of the opening of Arctic shipping routes and changes in the Northeast Asian security environment, as well as key challenges in Tumen River development.
"As the Arctic shipping era arrives, South Korea needs to actively explore new directions for Northeast Asian cooperation together with China, Japan and other relevant countries," said Lee Sang-jun, director of HanmiGlobal's Institute for Korean Peninsula Unification and Construction Strategy. "We look forward to the participation of experts in unification and diplomacy as well as those in the construction industry."
Attendance is free for those who register in advance by Nov. 4. HanmiGlobal's Institute for Korean Peninsula Unification and Construction Strategy, established in 2020, collects and analyzes data on North Korea and unification, and conducts research on strategies for the construction industry's entry into North Korea after reunification.
quq@heraldcorp.com
