The Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, in partnership with the Korean Council on Foreign Relations and the Korean Association of International Studies, co-hosted an academic forum to explore Korea’s diplomatic and security strategy under the newly launched Lee Jae Myung administration. The forum was convened against the backdrop of rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics following the conclusion of tariff negotiations at the Korea–U.S. summit in Gyeongju in October 2025, which brought renewed attention to key alliance issues, including strengthening the combined defense posture, advancing the transition of wartime operational control, and revising the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement. At the same time, enhancing trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan to jointly respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, as well as improving U.S.–North Korea relations to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula, have emerged as pressing diplomatic priorities.

Bringing together leading experts in foreign policy and national security, the forum provided a platform for in-depth discussions on how Korea can navigate an increasingly complex external environment through a pragmatic, interest-based diplomatic approach. Participants examined major foreign policy challenges and offered strategic recommendations on how Korea can maximize its national interests, outlining concrete policy directions to strengthen its diplomatic leverage and security posture amid shifting global dynamics.