1. The seventh round of the World Policy Conference (WPC), launched in 2008 as a “French version of the Davos Forum,” will take place in Seoul from December 8 through 10.

◦ The meeting to be hosted by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) will bring together a number of well-known figures, including former President Jose Manuel Barroso of the European Commission; former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; President Richard Haass of the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); Chairman of the Board of Directors Turki al Faisal of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; professor Joseph Nye of Harvard University; and former President Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank.

2. The WPC has grown as a leading international forum on global governance. Its organizer IFRI has selected the Republic of Korea as the first-ever Asian host of the event in recognition of the country’s enhancing international standing in the 21st, Asian century and President Park Geun-hye’s trustpolitik. The IFRI decision is seen to reflect the expectation that the ROK, based on its capacity and experience, can play an important and balanced role in addressing various issues related to global governance, including climate change, sustainable development, cyber security and international healthcare.

3. In the meeting covering a wide range of issues arising from key disputes in such regions as the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia, Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as global challenges, the participants are expected to present constructive ways to strengthen multilateralism and build creative partnerships.

4. For the ROK, the conference is expected to serve as a good opportunity to help the international community better understand the ROK’s key trustpolitik policies -- the Trust-building Process on the Korean Peninsula, the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative, and the Eurasia initiative -- and win broader international support for them.

◦ In particular, on December 8, on its first day, the conference will focus on the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative as well as the security orders of Europe and East Asia. In that light, the conference will mark the finale of the series of the international events held in the second half of this year to raise political awareness on the Initiative and to seek out concrete, relevant projects.

5. The WPC will come shortly before the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit set for December 11 and 12, and thereby is expected to help produce more achievements from the latter. In this vein, these meetings are expected to serve as a good momentum for the ROK’s efforts to play a bigger role in resolving issues facing the international community and thereby realize its vision of “ushering in an era of happiness for the global community.” 


                      Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation