Yonhap News to host annual peace forum

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Yonhap News Agency will host an annual forum in Seoul this week to explore ways to build lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and improve inter-Korean relations amid the growing rivalry between the United States and China. The forum will take place at Lotte Hotel under the main theme of "The future of the Korean Peninsula in the Biden era and intensifying U.S.-China competition for hegemony" on Friday and feature renowned scholars and lawmakers from Washington and Seoul, including National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug and ruling Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil. The forum, co-hosted by the unification ministry, comes amid rising uncertainty on the peninsula as the North has recently released statements that could be seen as unfavorable signs for the early resumption of dialogue with Seoul and Washington, and an impasse in nuclear talks between the U.S. and the North. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum will present a congratulatory message via a video clip while Unification Minister Lee In-young is set to deliver a keynote speech at the forum. The forum is divided into two comprehensive sessions. In the first session, participants will explore ways for peace and coexistence in the Asia-Pacific region. Lee Kwang-jae, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, and Rep. Park Jin of the People Power Party will join the session to discuss strategies South Korea should take amid the heightened Sino-U.S. rivalry U.S. lawmakers, including Korean American congressman Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), will also discuss the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the age of growing competition between Washington and Beijing. The second session will address ways for Seoul to cooperate with Pyongyang and Beijing, as well as the trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, will deliver a presentation on possible diplomatic moves South Korea could take to drive inter-Korean relations forward. The session will also be attended by others scholars, including Kim Han-kwon, a professor of the foreign ministry-affiliated Korea National Diplomatic Academy, and Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University. Due to the new coronavirus, organizers have kept the number of participants to a minimum. The forum will be streamed live at its website (https://www.onekorea2021.co.kr). julesyi@yna.co.kr (END)