A New Role for Europe in the Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula

KGFP Korea Global Forum for Peace 2021

• Theme: A New Role for Europe in the Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula

• Date & Time: September 1, 2021 (Wed) ┃18:00~19:30(KST)

• Organizer: German Institute for International and Security Affairs(SWP)

The previous decade saw a vivid increase in the level and degree of cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Most notably, both sides concluded a strategic partnership, one of only ten strategic partnerships the EU has formed in the world, which, together with the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement, constitutes an important pillar of cooperation. On the other hand, Europe’s role in the peace process on the Korean peninsula is still limited at best, and Brussels proactive engagement in this matter appears to be decreasing rather than increasing. With the EU currently discussing a more active contribution of Europe to the security in the Indo-Pacific, the current time provides an opportunity to critically rethink the role of Europe in the Korean peninsula peace process. Against this background, the proposed panel discusses new and innovative ways to increase Europe’s proactive engagement in and contributions to Korean peninsula peace affairs. The four presentations, held by renowned European experts on Europe-Korea relations from leading research institutions in Berlin, Brussels and Paris, are followed by a reply of the EU ambassador to the Republic of Korea in order to facilitate a policy-relevant debate between scholars and academics from Europe, Korea, and beyond.

 Moderator

  - Gudrun WACKER (German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Senior Fellow)

 Panelist

  - Antoine BONDAZ (Foundation for Strategic Research-Korea Focus, Director)

  - Eric J. BALLBACH (German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Korea Foundation Fellow)

  - Ramon PACHECO-PARDO (Vrije Universiteit Brussel & King’s College London KF-VUB Korea Chair & Professor of International Relations)

  - Tereza NOVOTNA (Freie Universität Berlin, Korea Europe Center Fellow)

  - Maria CASTILLO-FERNANDEZ (EU Ambassador in Korea)