1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Korea Foundation (KF) co-hosted an official launching 
ceremony of the “Korea Public Diplomacy Forum” and an academic conference to celebrate the launch at 
the Ministry on May 17.

2. The launching ceremony, held along with a luncheon hosted by Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, was 
attended by about 50 people from a variety of fields, including academia, culture, media and economy. 
Foreign Minister Yu delivered the opening address, followed by congratulatory addresses by lawmakers 
Shin Nak-kyun and Song Young-sun of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification 
Committee.

3. In his opening address, Minister Yu emphasized the need to further strengthen our public diplomacy 
capabilities in order to respond more effectively to the current diplomatic environment, in which public 
diplomacy is playing a larger role and diplomacy using “soft power” such as culture and nation brand is 
becoming increasingly more important. He also noted the significance of the launch of the Korea Public 
Diplomacy Forum.

4. In his congratulatory address, lawmaker Shin Nak-kyun stressed that improving public diplomacy 
capabilities is a task that needs to be pursued continuously based on a mid- to long-term vision. She 
also expected the Forum not only to develop strategies but also play a bridging role between the 
government and people practicing public diplomacy.

5. Lawmaker Song Young-sun said that as not only the government but also the public have become 
the practitioners and targets of diplomacy today, the government needs to develop a comprehensive 
vision and strategy to help all Korean people conduct public diplomacy activities in a responsible way 
as a diplomacy practitioner. In that regard, she added, the launch of the Public Diplomacy Forum is 
timely.

6. Following the launching ceremony, an academic conference was held under the theme “Model and 
Strategy for Korean Public Diplomacy.” The conference featured presentations by public diplomacy 
researchers, including Prof. Lee Keun of Seoul National University and Dr. Han In-taek of the Jeju 
Peace Institute, followed by a free discussion. The seminar participants examined the potential and 
limits of Korea’s public diplomacy, and exchanged views on the future direction of public diplomacy 
and measures to improve the efficiency of conducting public diplomacy.

7. The Korea Public Diplomacy Forum’s launching ceremony and academic conference have provided 
a forum for lively discussion on public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, and established a network of 
experts in various fields of public diplomacy. It also served as an opportunity to identify the future direction 
of Korea’s public diplomacy. 


                          Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT 

* unofficial translation