Revealed at the 'Icheon Seohee Policy Forum' Hosted by Icheon City
Mayor Kim Kyung-hee: "We Will Make Icheon City a Diplomatic and Security Hub"
Former UN Ambassador Kim Sook proposed a solution that South Korea should declare a future vision of becoming a "denuclearized leading middle power advanced country" to overcome security crises and reestablish its status in the international community.
Kim, currently serving as the executive director of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation, revealed this diplomatic strategy during his keynote speech at the "2024 Icheon Seohee Policy Forum" held at Icheon Art Hall in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 18th. The forum was hosted by Icheon City and jointly organized by the Icheon Cultural Foundation and the Icheon-si Seohee Seonsaeng Seonyang Project Promotion Committee.
In his keynote speech titled "Seohee and 21st Century South Korea's Diplomatic Strategy," Kim stated, "This year could be a dangerous year in which the accumulated challenging elements of international security reach a critical point and simultaneously explode." He emphasized, "To overcome this, consistent efforts are needed to clearly communicate to the international community and neighboring countries the future vision of becoming a 'denuclearized leading middle power advanced country' after the unification of the Korean Peninsula, based on three fundamental diplomatic directions: realization of constitutional values, prioritization of national interests, and future orientation."
On the 18th, attendees are taking a commemorative photo at the '2024 Icheon Seohee Policy Forum' held at the Small Theater of Icheon Art Hall. [Photo by Icheon City]
He also suggested, "Even after the unification of North and South Korea, the country must progressively build the Korea-US alliance, including in diplomatic and military fields as well as the values of liberal democracy."
Kim added, "The diplomatic skills demonstrated by Seohee 1,000 years ago serve as a model for the present era living 1,000 years later," and proposed, "Icheon City, Seohee's hometown, should leverage its strength as a city of diplomatic security and peace education to nurture second and third generations of Seohee, becoming a learning ground for prospective diplomats."
Mayor Kim Kyung-hee of Icheon emphasized in her welcoming remarks, "Icheon City will gather the capabilities of the local community to inherit and develop Seohee's spirit and achievements as a national spirit, enabling the city to soar as a center of diplomatic culture."
At the forum, Jang Cheol-gyun, representative of the Seohee Diplomatic Forum and former ambassador to Switzerland, served as the chair. Presenters included Jung Hae-eun, senior researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies; Lee In-su, director of the Icheon Cultural Center’s Icheon Studies Institute; Park In-sik, director of the KCJ Institute of International Relations; and Cho Kyung-hwan, adjunct professor at Sungkyunkwan University.
Meanwhile, Seohee, born in Bubal-eup, Icheon City, was a diplomat during the reign of King Seongjong, the 6th ruler of the Goryeo Dynasty. During the First Goryeo-Khitan War, when the Khitan invaded, Seohee negotiated directly with the Khitan commander So Hang-deok, successfully repelling the Khitan army without war. He expanded the territory by developing the Gangdong 6 provinces and 8 castles in what is now North Pyongan Province, and is regarded as a representative historical figure in South Korea’s diplomatic history.
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