8주차｜안보·국방·지정학 + 문화·미디어_조홍진

[조홍진]

ASAN Security Forum Keynote Speech

Date: September 1, 2025

https://nagoya.mofa.go.kr/www/brd/m_20141/view.do?seq=302666&page=1

glossary

1.    Pragmatism: 실용주의

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 

Eight decades later, we again find ourselves at a profound inflection point. The postwar order is fading.

Security, economic, and technological landscapes are shifting in unprecedented ways. 

Geopolitical instability is rising, supply chains are being reconfigured,

global trade is under stress, advanced technologies are fueling industrial transformation, and the climate crisis is forcing an urgent energy transition.

Together, these forces have created a persistent, multifaceted state of risk.

Beyond the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, dangerous flashpoints remain in the Indo-Pacific—from the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea to the Korean Peninsula. Some even warn that the world may face conditions reminiscent of the interwar years.

Korea is acutely mindful of its responsibility to ensure that the Peninsula never becomes the spark of a wider war.

That’s why our government stresses that we must reduce tensions and open a new era of peaceful coexistence. 

Yet, at the same time, in an age of protectionism and strategic rivalry,

Korea must safeguard its own interests while contributing more responsibly to the international community.

Our government pursues diplomacy that is pragmatic, but never expedient. 

Pragmatism means aligning every instrument of diplomacy to safeguard our sovereignty, 
advance our national interests, and enhance the well-being of our people.

Pragmatic diplomacy, therefore, is a deliberate strategy — one that balances values with interests, manages risks with foresight, and seizes opportunities for the future.

As rivalry among major powers intensifies, Korea will expand its diplomatic space, and as a responsible state, we will provide tangible public goods for the international community.

Managing relations with our neighboring powers requires steady, principled statecraft: firm where we must, flexible where we can.

We will calibrate deterrence and dialogue, reduce risks of miscalculation, and expand practical cooperation where interests align.

With the US, we will advance toward a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance, 
deepening cooperation in security, technology, and the economy.

The alliance with the US stands as the cornerstone of Korea’s diplomacy and the enduring foundation of our security.

Just as we have advanced the alliance in step with the changing strategic environment, 
so too will we, in the years ahead, work in close concert with the US to modernize our alliance and to confront emerging challenges together.

With Japan, building on restored shuttle diplomacy and the 60th anniversary of normalization, 
we will pursue a mature partnership, managing issues with stability and mutual respect. This does not mean that we intend to disregard the issues of the past with Japan.