□ The Export-Import Bank of Korea (www.koreaexim.go.kr, Chairman Yoon Hee-sung, “Korea Eximbank") announced on July 5 that it hosted an international forum titled ”Audacious Initiative for Denuclearized, Peaceful, and Prosperous Korean Peninsula” jointly with the Ministry of Unification and the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies of Seoul National University at Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Korea.

 ㅇ This forum was organized to discuss the current situation on the Korea Peninsula and the Korean government's “Audacious Initiative“ concerning North Korea with experts from domestic and international backgrounds.

 ㅇ The “Audacious Initiative“* refers to the practical and incorporative plans presented by President Yoon Suk-yeol during the last year’s National Liberation Day ceremony. These visionary plans aspire to achieve complete denuclearization of North Korea and foster sustainable peace and prosperity throughout the Korean Peninsula.

    * It is an inclusive initiative composed of economic·policy·military action plans designed to align with North Korea’s denuclearization efforts. If North Korea demonstrates a strong commitment to denuclearization, the initiative can be flexible and practical, taking into account drastic and preemptive measures from the early stages of the negotiation process to facilitate progress in denuclearization talks. 

□ Korea Eximbank Chairman Yoon Hee-sung said during the forum’s opening remarks, “Experts’ insights on the current situation, international organizations’ extensive experiences in development cooperation, and practical policy ideas to improve livelihoods and promote green detente will all serve as a valuable source of ideas to build a denuclearized, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula.“

□ In the welcoming address, the Minister of Unification Kwon Youngse said, “As denuclearization of North Korea forms the fundamental basis for the safety and peace of the Korean Peninsula, the improvement of human rights in North Korea would be the first step towards a free and happy Korean Peninsula.” He went on to say “I hope we have in-depth discussions on topics such as North Korea’s denuclearization, human rights, and livelihood improvement, as we have both domestic and international experts on North Korea to find solutions for the Korean Peninsula's challenges.”

□ In the keynote address, professor Gerard Roland from UC Berkeley praised the government’s Audacious Initiative, saying it is in the right direction with its comprehensive, incremental, and gradual approach. He also highlighted its audacity in moving forward with economic measures to induce North Korea’s denuclearization action as it aims to freeze the size of their nuclear program while maintaining deterrent balances.

 ㅇ During the forum, professor Roland presented a specific example of the first step in the Audacious Initiative ？ providing one-time and easily reversible “food aid“ as an approach to persuading North Korean leaders to engage in negotiations.

□ The forum featured two sessions. In the first session, various presentations were delivered on the topic of “International Organization’s Development Cooperation and Investment: Economic Development and Infrastructure Construction.“ 

□ The second session, professor Park Ihn-Whi from Ewha Womans University presided over a discussion on “Livelihood Improvement and Green Detente Promotion Strategies“ where Research Fellow Na Yong-woo from the Institute of Unification Studies gave a presentation.