From Geopolitics to K-Culture: 27th World Korea Forum to Examine a Changing Global Landscape
Vivek
Sharma, New Delhi, India: New Delhi is set to host the 27th World Korea Forum
2026 from 18 to 20 August 2026, bringing together academics, policymakers,
diplomats, geopolitical experts, business representatives and opinion leaders
from India, South Korea and several other countries for discussions on the
rapidly changing global order.
The
forum comes at a time when strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific is
intensifying, with major powers and regional countries increasingly focusing on
economic, security and geopolitical interests in the region. The organisers
highlight India's Act East Policy, its engagement with the Indo-Pacific and its
role in platforms associated with the Global South, BRICS and the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation as important elements of the changing regional
landscape.
The
central discussions of the forum will cover a broad range of subjects,
including Korea-India relations, the Indo-Pacific, the Korean Peninsula,
international security, the global economy, multilateralism, the Global South,
diaspora, culture and future international cooperation.
The
opening sessions are scheduled to address the changing geopolitical order and
India's role in the emerging international environment. The programme includes
discussions on the status of Korea-China-Japan studies and education in India,
India's future development, Korea-India relations and strategic solidarity in
the Indo-Pacific era. It also features discussions on strengthening Korea-India
diplomatic and economic partnerships in an era of multipolarity.
The
forum will also devote substantial attention to the Korean Peninsula and
security environment in Northeast Asia. Sessions will examine denuclearisation,
nuclear self-reliance, inter-Korean relations, US-DPRK relations, North Korea's
relations with China and Russia, and India's interests and strategic role on
the Korean Peninsula.
Another
major area of discussion will be peace, reconciliation and Korean unification.
Speakers are scheduled to examine the role of multilateral groups and the
Global South, India's perspective on Korean unification, economic engagement
between the two Koreas, common security and the prospects for peace on the
Korean Peninsula.
The
international dimension of the forum will extend beyond the Korean Peninsula.
Sessions will explore the evolving international order, the role of great and
middle powers in the Indo-Pacific, India's and China's perspectives on global
changes, relations between India, the EU and emerging powers, and possible
reforms to global governance mechanisms. Scholars and experts from countries
including South Korea, India, China, Russia, Italy, Spain, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and the United Kingdom are listed in the programme.
Economic
cooperation will form another important component. Discussions will focus on
economic security, fair trade, the political economy of BRICS and the Global
South, Korea-India economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific era, ASEAN
political economy, and economic cooperation involving Russia and the DPRK.
The
forum will also highlight the contribution of the Korean community and
diaspora. Sessions will examine the Korean community in India and its economic
and cultural contributions, the meaning and influence of diaspora in a global
era, Korean diaspora literature, Indian diaspora and transnationalism,
diasporic Koreans and their ethnic homeland, and Korean communities in Central
Asia.
Culture
and intellectual exchange will provide another dimension to the programme.
Sessions include discussions on Rabindranath Tagore, Indian philosophy, culture
and civilisation, K-Culture and K-Philosophy, migration and South-South
cooperation, and the Gandhi-Nehru political philosophy framework.
The
organisers describe the New Delhi forum as an effort to understand a changing
world through geopolitical, geoeconomic and cultural perspectives while
encouraging dialogue and cooperation among global opinion leaders. The broader
objective is to share the vitality of changing societies and contribute towards
a common vision for peace, stability and prosperity in world politics,
diplomacy, military affairs, economy, technology, culture and diaspora affairs.
The
27th World Korea Forum in New Delhi is therefore expected to provide a
significant platform for India-Korea dialogue and wider international exchange,
while seeking to build bridges of public diplomacy and diaspora cooperation
during a period of major global transition.
Email
id: reporter.cnpn@gmail.com
India
Korea, Vivek Sharma, CALCE Bharat, Korea Global Foundation, Indo Korea, WKF,
New Delhi, University of Delhi, Department of East Asian Studies
