Pyeongtaek City Concludes '2024 Pyeongtaek International Peace and Security Forum'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyeok] Pyeongtaek City held the '2024 Pyeongtaek International Peace and Security Forum' on November 7 at Seoul's Lotte Hotel with the theme 'The Korean Peninsula Situation Following the U.S. Presidential Election.'

During the opening ceremony, opening remarks and congratulatory addresses were delivered by Pyeongtaek Mayor Jung Jang-seon, Chairman of the Pyeongtaek City Council Kang Jeong-gu, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol, and Rep. Hong Gi-won.

Additionally, beginning with a keynote speech by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun and Rep. Wi Sung-lac shared the universal values of the ROK-US alliance through special addresses with attendees.

In Session 1, Chaired by President Ma Sang-yun of the Korean Association of International Studies, Director Kim Hyun-wook of the Sejong Institute, Professor Rolf Erik Iseli of Ewha Womans University's International Studies Division, and Professor Narushige Michishita of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan explored the role of Pyeongtaek City as a city centered on peace and security in light of changes in international situations and security environments under the theme of 'Northeast Asian Strategic Competition and the ROK-US Alliance.'

In Session 2, Senior Research Fellow Kyung Hee-kwon of the Korea Industrial Economics Institute, Professor Kwon Seok-joon of Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Chemical Engineering, Professor Kim Jeong-ho of KAIST's Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Professor Seo Kwang-seok of Seoul National University's Department of Electrical and Information Engineering presented ways to strengthen the ROK-US economic alliance through enhanced cooperation in semiconductors and advanced technologies under the theme of 'Semiconductor Industry Response Strategies as a Core Element in the Era of Economic Security.'

Pyeongtaek Mayor Jung Jang-seon said, "This was a meaningful session in which we reflected on the historical achievements, significance, and importance of the ROK-US alliance, and discussed ways to redefine the role of Pyeongtaek City as a key to Korean peninsula security and a leading city in advanced industries in the face of military and economic security crises surrounding Northeast Asia."