By Diplomacy Journal Lee Gil-ju

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the "Korea-Laos Future Forum" in Seoul on November 24, 2025. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Laos, the forum consisted of three sessions: "Session 1: Partners for Peace and Stability," "Session 2: A Springboard for Growth and Innovation," and "Session 3: Facilitators for Achieving Dreams and Hopes."

Approximately 80 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, experts, businesspeople, and academia, attended.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-hye commended the remarkable progress made by Korea and Laos in various fields, including politics, economy, and people-to-people exchanges, since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in 1995.

She expressed her hope that, building on the achievements of this cooperation, the two countries will further develop their bilateral relationship in a comprehensive and profound manner over the next 30 years.

To this end, Vice Minister Chung expressed her hope that the two countries would actively expand and deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, core minerals, and education, building on existing cooperation and laying the foundation for a new leap forward in bilateral relations. She also requested forum participants' support and active encouragement for Korea-Laos relations.

Meanwhile, in his congratulatory remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Phongsamouth Anlavan noted that over the past 30 years, Korea and Laos have developed friendly and cooperative relations across all sectors through active people-to-people exchanges, including high-level exchanges, and various Korean support projects for Laos.

He expressed his hope that this year, marking the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, will elevate bilateral relations to a higher level.

This forum, marking the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Laos, brought together government officials, academia, and businesses from both countries to review the current state of bilateral cooperation and explore ways to further foster mutually beneficial and future-oriented relations over the next 30 years.