November 4 Opening Ceremony at Gimpo Aegibong Peace Ecological Park
November 5-6 KINTEX Ecology, Peace, and Nexus Sessions
Governor Kim Dong-yeon Leads Discussion on "Greater Peace of the Korean Peninsula DMZ Implications for International Conflict Zones"
The 2024 ‘DMZ EcoPeace Forum,’ which discusses the vision for sustainable ecology and peace in the DMZ, will be held for three days from November 4 to 6 at Gimpo Aegibong Peace Ecological Park and KINTEX.
According to Gyeonggi Province on the 22nd, this forum, organized as an academic event of the ‘2024 DMZ OPEN Festival,’ focuses on seeking a vision for the sustainable ‘ecology’ and ‘peace’ of the DMZ.
In particular, based on the harmonious approach to ecology and peace discussed at last year’s EcoPeace Forum, the forum plans to introduce the nexus concept that expands the value of the DMZ into various fields such as tourism, economy, and culture, under the theme of ‘DMZ Ecology, Peace, and Nexus for Greater Peace,’ offering a diverse program.
The forum will begin with an opening ceremony and keynote dialogue on November 4 at Gimpo Aegibong Peace Ecological Park, followed by two days of sessions from November 5 to 6 at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Goyang.
At the opening ceremony, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon will lead discussions to promote peacekeeping. Starting from this, about 70 domestic and international scholars and experts from 10 countries, including Ewha Womans University Chair Professor Choi Jae-chun, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yoon Young-kwan, University of Zurich Professor Gabriela Schaepman Strub, Helmut Schmidt University Professor August Pradetto, and Kyonggi University Professor Han Beom-su, will participate in 18 sessions.
In the peace sessions, the forum will connect peace with people, the planet, and development to realize ‘greater peace,’ concretize peace discourse from various perspectives, and present a vision for peace cooperation on the Korean Peninsula.
In the ecology sessions, international discussions will be held on DMZ ecological conservation from the perspective of commons (shared resources), and through a ‘Visioning Workshop’ involving over 40 experts and the public, discussions will focus on ways for the DMZ to be imprinted as a symbolic space of ecology and peace.
The nexus sessions will broaden perspectives to include northern Gyeonggi, tourism, innovation, economy, and culture surrounding the DMZ, exploring development potential and practical measures for northern Gyeonggi.
Cho Chang-beom, Director of the Peace Cooperation Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, “We hope that this forum will bring about positive changes leading the DMZ to sustainable peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula,” and added, “We ask for the interest and participation of many as this is a special opportunity to reexamine the ecological and peaceful values of the DMZ.”
Meanwhile, applications to participate in the forum’s opening ceremony are open until the 25th, and applications for other forum schedules are accepted until the 31st. More detailed information can be found on the DMZ OPEN Festival website.
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