H.E. Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea,
Advisor to the President Mun Mi-ock for Science and Technology,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to address the 2018 IFANS Conference on Global Affairs, convened under the theme of “New Horizons in Korean Diplomacy: Challenges, Issues, and Responses in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution” this year. .
I am especially grateful to Mr. Alec Ross, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, for his keynote speech, and Professor Kim Seung-hwan, Dean of Graduate School at POSTECH, for his role as an interlocutor today. I am also delighted to have many other eminent scholars, from home and abroad, here for the IFANS’ annual signature international conference.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is indeed upon us with the startling visions of a world remade. The rapid pace and broad impacts of technological advances forming the revolution is breaking down the walls of the physical, biological, and digital spheres of the world we live in. Technological breakthroughs – big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), are racing beyond our control and imagination, fundamentally reshaping our lives on all fronts.
With the recent wave of groundbreaking innovation, the intersection of international affairs and technological advances has been expanding. Governments on all continents have been, and will be harnessing technological breakthroughs for their military build-ups. In this transformative scenario, the conventional understanding and rules of war and peace in international relations that have endured over the past decades will likely be upended. And it is unknown whether the coming technological change will bring a greater promise and peace, or peril for humanity.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is also fundamentally transforming the aspect of international trade and global commerce. Leaders, experts, and strategists, have all echoed the view that it is time to re-design a set of institutional structures, destroying outdated ones. Governments around the world are sharply divided over the scope and application of digital trade rules. Some insist that digital trade regulations should be lifted while the others want to create a new architecture with more laws and regulations that block cross-border transfers of data. It is one of the critical issues of our time to delve into how such division will affect the post World War II liberal international economic order in the decades to come.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution reflects a fundamental set of shifts in international relations, and redefines various ideas and norms, raising deep questions. “Is Korean diplomacy set to navigate through emerging, daunting challenges posed in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?” This is one of those questions, and we are here today to explore answers together.
Of course, for Korean diplomacy, it is paramount to consider the effective ways to denuclearize North Korea, establishing a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula. To do so, we are channeling all of our diplomatic powers into this mission.
However, tireless academic pursuits, aimed at seeking to understand penetrating ideas of a new era, should always be in the spirit of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), as its name connotes. This is why this year’s conference is convened under the theme of “New Horizons in Korean Diplomacy: Challenges, Issues, and Responses in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Evolution, in a general sense, has no specific long-term goal and does not follow any defined plans. And so does the evolution of technology. After all, what truly matters is humanity’s willpower to maximize the benefits of technological advances and minimize downsides.
I hope today’s conference will provide an opportunity for all of us to gain new insights in charting Korean diplomacy’s ways forward in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
On that note, I would like to thank all of my colleagues at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) for their efforts and meticulous arrangements for today’s conference.
Thank you. /End/ |
