The 2022 Science and Technology Diplomacy Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT(Minister Jong Ho Lee) and organized by KISTEP, was held on December 1.

 

This forum aimed to discuss S&T diplomacy strategies that Korea should take amidst the global technological hegemony competition.

 

The program was hosted by Dr. Jinha Kim, Director of the Center for International Cooperation Policy at KISTEP starting with the opening remarks of ▲ Tae Seog Oh, 1st Vice Minister of MSIT, and the congratulatory speech of ▲ Sangmin Lee, Member of the National Assembly, congratulatory speech by Hyangja Yang (Member of the National Assembly), and welcoming remarks by ▲ Byung-Seon Jeong, President of KISTEP. There were two presentations by ▲ J. James Kim, Chief of the Center for Regional Studies, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, and by Jun Lee, Director General of the Center for Industrial Policy Research, KIET. After presentations, panel discussions were held and ended with online/offline Q&A sessions.

▲ Opening Speech by Tae Seog Oh, 1st Vice Minister of MSIT

The 1st Vice Minister of MSIT, Tae Seog Oh, stated in his opening remarks: “We are seeking for a variety of R&D and HR development strategies to advance the 12 strategic technologies we need on a national level. It is crucial to strategically broaden the scope of science and technology through S&T diplomacy and international cooperation,” highlighting the importance of the forum.

▲ Congratulatory Speech by Sangmin Lee, a Member of the National Assembly

▲ Congratulatory Speech by Hyangja Yang, a Member of the National Assembly

In a following congratulatory speech, Sangmin Lee, a member of the national assembly stated, “We hope that this forum will play a significant role in S&T diplomacy and that the National Assembly will also widen its horizons to achieve global leadership.” Hyangja Yang, a member of the National Assembly, stated, “Science has no borders because it is the product of humanity, but technology has borders because it is a matter of the state,” adding, “I hope this forum will be a place to seek collaborative solutions and strategies to win the global competition, and I pledge to support it with policies and legislation.”

 

▲Welcome Speech by Byung-Seon Jeong, President of KISTEP

In his welcoming remarks, Byung-Seon Jeong, president of KISTEP, stated, “In the past, pursuing the truth through observation and experimentation was the realm of science, and resolving disputes between sovereign nations through cooperation was the realm of diplomacy. However, today, ‘technology’ is the realm of conflict and also the solution.” Then, he stressed the importance of S&T diplomacy forum stating, “In this regard, it is time for collaboration and cooperation between the two fields.”

▲ Presenting by J. James Kim, Center Chief, Center for Regional Studies, Asan Institute for Policy Studies

In the presentation, ‘Challenges and Tasks: Implications of US High-tech Regulations and Policies,’ J. James Kim, Center Chief, Center for Regional Studies, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, discussed the US technological regulation and policy trends by analyzing the background and cause of the US-China hegemony competition. He also discussed the implications of the future G2 policy stance for Korea.

Center Chief Kim emphasized that the reason for the hegemonic race is intricately intertwined with multiple domains, such as politics, economy, society, and diplomacy, and stated that a multifaceted approach should be made in response. In addition, he noted that “the US policy position appears geared to acquire an advantage in the great power struggle with China by safeguarding the economy and developing technologies” and offered a pessimistic assessment of the future of US-China ties.

 

Kim emphasized, “Rather than viewing this circumstance as a challenge, Korea must find a method to ‘translate’ it into an ‘opportunity’ through internal cooperation between the government and corporations and external cooperation with the US government and corporations.”

▲ Presenting by Jun Lee, Director General, Center for Industrial Policy Research, KIET

Director General of the Center for Industrial Policy Research at the Korea Institute of Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET), Jun Lee, gave a presentation titled ‘Future Strategic Program, Economic Security, and the Road to S&T Diplomacy’ in which he stated that the current era is characterized by unrestricted competition for industrial policies led by the United States. He analyzed the trends of semiconductor and battery industries and proposed the future direction of S&T diplomacy.

 

Director General Lee stressed that “the semiconductor strategy is currently critical.” He indicated that the structure of the semiconductor industry is on the brink of significant changes by US intervention. However, he diagnosed the situation in Korea as, “Rather, the structure itself is rocked, and the memory semiconductor field is at stake, but the system semiconductor market is opening up opportunity.”

 

“We are being forced to make strategic choices in various fields such as semiconductors and batteries,” he suggested, “We need active diplomacy to respond to supply chain issues and reorganization that are difficult to solve on our own.” In particular, Lee urged the government to push forward complex and strategic S&T diplomacies for advanced technologies.

▲ Panel Discussion

▲ Dr. Suk-in Chang, a Senior Research Fellow at Taejae Academy, led the panel discussion and Q&A session with the participation of ▲ Prof. Sung-Hoon Park, Professor at Korea University Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), ▲ Prof. Eun-Young Nam, Professor of the Department of Global Trade at Dongguk University, ▲ Gyu-Pan Kim, Senior Research Fellow of Japan and East Asia Team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), ▲ Prof. Seok Joon Kwon, Professor of the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), ▲ Hyeonkyu Lee, PM of AI·Data at the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation(IITP), and ▲ Heoung-Yeol Kim, Associate Director of Biotech Policy Research Center at Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB).