[JEJU FORUM] Jeju Forum goes beyond peace to expand scope

 As its title suggests, the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity has always been driven by a central mission to build peace in East Asia by facilitating a multilateral dialogue on peace, diplomacy and security among related stakeholders.

Though its core vision remains unchanged, the forum has been expanding its scope and boundaries to devote attention to not just international relations, but also a wide range of subjects from other fields.

Mindful of the growing crossover between policymaking, industries and culture, the Jeju Forum today brings in diverse business and sociocultural perspectives to pursue a more comprehensive approach toward peacebuilding in East Asia.

The forum was founded in 2001 as Jeju Peace Forum -- part of the Korean government’s efforts to ignite discussion on regional peacebuilding and security development. It was renamed the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity in 2011, and has since evolved to include insights from business, technology, environment, women, education and culture sectors, in addition to discussing political and diplomatic issues.

For one, the 2012 Jeju Forum invited Steve Wozniak, cofounder of U.S. tech giant Apple, to discuss the end of the personalized computer era and the future of the Internet technology industry, alongside political leaders such as Australia’s former Prime Minister Paul Keating and secretary general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Lamberto Zannier, among others.

In 2013, Quantum Fund cofounder Jim Rogers, a legendary figure in the world of investment and trading, shared his insights on investing in a post-financial crisis economy. Among other presenters, Freda Miriklis, international president of BPW International gave her views on gender equality in the corporate world.

The 2014 Jeju Forum invited Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hakubun Shimomura, and former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina. The forum’s 2015 edition touched on subjects including cybersecurity and terrorism, Asia’s financial markets and trust-building among East Asian states.

This year, around half of the forum’s 70 scheduled sessions will be dedicated to international relations and security, including nuclear security, the Northeast Asia Peace Initiative and sustainable development goals, said Jeju Forum Executive Committee chairman Moon Tae-young.

The other half will focus on important topics regarding the international economy, renewable energy, climate change and women’s rights, Moon said.