By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Jeju Peace Institute, successfully hosted the “2025 East Asia Cooperation Forum” in Seoul on July 15.

This year marks the fourth iteration of the forum, which was themed “Future Cooperation in East Asia Amidst a Changing World.” Approximately 300 participants, including private-sector experts from major countries in the region, representatives from international organizations, diplomatic missions, and forum supporters, attended the event.

The East Asia Cooperation Forum is a Track 2 forum aimed at diagnosing major challenges facing East Asian countries and exploring practical and feasible cooperation measures. It has been held annually since 2022.

In her opening remarks, Kim Jin-ah, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that “in order for East Asian countries to effectively respond to rapidly changing environments such as climate change and digital transformation, they must seek a flexible and inclusive system that goes beyond the existing framework of cooperation.”

She also stated that “the revitalization of regional cooperation will be a very useful response to the uncertain international situation,” and that the Korean government is open to various forms of cooperation that contribute to national interests and regional stability in line with its practical diplomacy policy.

In his keynote speech, Ha Young-sun, President of the East Asia Institute, pointed out the complex crises facing East Asia, including strategic competition between the US and China, economic deglobalization, climate change, and technological revolution, and argued that “a new paradigm of cooperation that transcends the state-centered order is necessary.”

He also emphasized that “a sustainable order of coexistence must be established through multi-layered cooperation encompassing security, economy, environment, and technology.”

This forum is highly regarded for presenting practical and future-oriented models of cooperation in the East Asian region, which is facing various crises, and for contributing greatly to strengthening cooperation among countries in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, “Based on the results of the discussions at this forum, we plan to continue to play an active role in promoting common prosperity and cooperation in the East Asian region.”