Unification Ministry Holds the Global Korea Forum 2026

Creating Peaceful Coexistence on the Korean Peninsula Together with Civil Society
Unification Ministry Holds the Global Korea Forum 2026 (June 22-23)

[Related National Agenda] 117. Implementation of the Peace and Unification Policy on the Korean Peninsula with the Public

From June 22 to 23, the Ministry of Unification hosted the Global Korea Forum (GKF) 2026 under the theme of "The Role and Recommendations of Civil Society for Peaceful Coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

Launched in 2010, the Global Korea Forum is the Ministry of Unification's flagship international academic conference. Over the years, it has served as a public arena leading international discourse on peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula, drawing participation from domestic and foreign experts on inter-Korean relations, as well as government officials from major nations.

This year's forum was specially organized to mark the 26th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration and to explore the future of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula in tandem with civil society.

The event adopted a bottom-up approach, where civil society directly identified agendas and planned and hosted sessions. Figures from civil society and domestic and foreign experts gathered to discuss practical solutions for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

The forum consisted of a total of seven sessions, including a special panel discussion, five discussion sessions, and a special session.

In his opening address, Minister of Unification Chung Dong Young said, "I sincerely congratulate the Korea Peace Forum-which has awakened our society with the voice of an awakened conscience and intellect at every turning point in inter-Korean relations over the past 17 years-for hosting such a precious international forum once again at this highly critical turning point today," adding, "To turn peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula into a reality, we must precisely inherit the legacy of peace built by democratic governments."

On the first day, June 22, during the special panel discussion, Moon Chung In, Professor Emeritus at Yonsei University, Joel Wit, Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, and Wang Dong, Professor at Peking University, discussed practical solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

Over the two-day course, in-depth discussions were subsequently conducted in each session on the lessons and tasks of the peace legacy of democratic governments, inter-Korean relations for mutual prosperity and peace proposed by civil society, multilateral cooperation plans for resuming inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation, the role of women's peace diplomacy for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, and the North Korea-China-Russia trilateral relationship and measures to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Additionally, through the special session "Dialogue Between Youth and the Minister of Unification," where Minister Chung directly communicated with young people in their 20s and 30s, he listened to the diverse opinions of young people and talked with them about the future of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

The Ministry of Unification plans to continuously make efforts to expand domestic and international consensus on the policy for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula and to strengthen cooperation with civil society and the international community moving forward.