[Event Report] The 58th Global Prominence Seminar

[Event Report] The 58th Global Prominence Seminar "제4차 국제개발협력 종합기본계획('26~'30)의 의미와 과제"   Title: 제4차 국제개발협력 종합기본계획('26~'30)의 의미와 과제 Date: 2026. 5. 28. (Thursday) 12:30pm-14:00pm Place: International Conference Hall (4F), Bldg. 140-2, SNU GSIS  Presenter: 김진남 본부장 (국무조정실 국제개발협력본부) Moderator: 정혁 교수 (서울대 국제대학원) Language: 한국어   The Seoul National University Institute of International Affairs held the 58th Global Prominence Seminar on May 28, 2026, in the International Conference Hall (Bldg. 140-2, 4F). The seminar was moderated by Professor Jeong, Hyeok of SNU GSIS, and featured presentations by Director General Kim, Jin-nam of Office for International Development Cooperation, OPC, under the title “제4차 국제개발협력 종합기본계획('26~'30)의 의미와 과제” He examined the evolution and policy direction of South Korea’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), focusing on the significance and challenges of the Fourth Comprehensive Basic Plan for International Development Cooperation (2026–2030). He first introduced the concept of ODA as public assistance provided by governments and public institutions to promote economic development and welfare in developing countries. He also reviewed Korea’s historical transition from an aid recipient to a major donor country, highlighting key milestones such as the establishment of EDCF and KOICA, accession to the OECD DAC, and the enactment of the Framework Act on International Development Cooperation. In addition, he emphasized that Korea’s ODA policy has entered a “maturity stage,” where qualitative improvement is prioritized over quantitative expansion. The Fourth Basic Plan seeks to strengthen strategic and project-based coordination, improve transparency and accountability, expand culturally inclusive ODA programs, and enhance cooperation among government agencies and implementing institutions. The main policy implication was that future ODA governance requires stronger institutional coordination, greater effectiveness in implementation, and a long-term vision that integrates development, diplomacy, and global responsibility.  

2026-06-01

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[Event Report] The 57th Global Prominence Seminar

[Event Report] The 57th Global Prominence Seminar "Japan’s Trade Policy and the Global Trading Order: Has the Rules-Based International Order Ended?"   Title: Japan’s Trade Policy and the Global Trading Order: Has the Rules-Based International Order Ended? Date: 2026. 5. 26. (Tuesday) 12:30pm-14:00pm Place: International Conference Hall (4F), Bldg. 140-2, SNU GSIS  Presenter: Prof. Yuka Fukunaga (Waseda University) Moderator: Prof. Ahn, Dukgeun (Professor of SNU GSIS) Language: English   The Seoul National University Institute of International Affairs held the 57th Global Prominence Seminar on May 26, 2026, in the International Conference Hall (Bldg. 140-2, 4F). The seminar was moderated by Professor Ahn, Dukgeun of SNU GSIS, and featured presentations by Professor Yuka Fukunaga of Waseda University, under the title “Japan’s Trade Policy and the Global Trading Order: Has the Rules-Based International Order Ended?” Professor Fukunaga examined Japan’s trade policy and the future of the global trading order, arguing that Japan is pursuing a pragmatic “rules-based” strategy across bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral channels rather than relying on one grand system, because apparently humanity built the WTO and then immediately began looking for side doors. She highlighted Japan’s updated FOIP agenda, which links trade policy to AI, data, supply-chain resilience, critical minerals, public-private rule sharing, and economic security, especially after experiences such as China-related export restrictions and the 2022 Economic Security Promotion Act. Japan’s key relationships with the US, China, Korea, CPTPP partners, and the WTO show a balancing act: deep dependence on the US, strategic tension with China, supply-chain cooperation with Korea, CPTPP expansion, and continued support for WTO rulemaking and dispute settlement reform. On the global order, she emphasized growing pressure on core WTO principles such as MFN and dispute settlement, including debates over conditional MFN, security exceptions, MPIA expansion, and alternatives such as FTA dispute settlement and ADR. Her central conclusion was that the rules-based international order has not ended yet, but it is fragmenting into a “global trading order à la carte,” where multilateral, plurilateral, bilateral, unilateral, hard-law, and soft-law tools coexist; therefore, Japan’s task is not to abandon international law, but to preserve it through pragmatic dispute resolution, stakeholder engagement, less excessive judicialization, and flexible interpretation. The Asia and the World Seminar Series at SNU GSIS is sponsored by Toyota Motor Korea.  

2026-05-26

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[Event Report] The 56th Global Prominence Seminar

[Event Report] The 56th Global Prominence Seminar "The First Line of Defence: Development, Governance, and Stability in an Interdependent World"   Title: The First Line of Defence: Development, Governance, and Stability in an Interdependent World  Date: 2026. 5. 22. (Friday) 16:00pm-17:00pm Place: GL Room, Bldg. 140, SNU GSIS  Presenter: Alexander De Croo (Administrator of the UNDP) Moderator: Prof. Seong-ho Sheen (Dean, SNU GSIS) Language: English   The Seoul National University Institute of International Affairs held the 56th Global Prominence Seminar on May 22, 2026, in the GL Room (Bldg. 140). The seminar was moderated by Professor Seong-ho Sheen of SNU GSIS, and featured a presentation by Alexander De Croo, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, under the title “The First Line of Defence: Development, Governance, and Stability in an Interdependent World.” Alexander De Croo examined the relationship between development, governance, and stability through the argument that development is the “first line of defence” in an interdependent world. He emphasized that conflicts, climate shocks, cyberattacks, and economic crises no longer remain local, but spread rapidly across borders, making global cooperation and multilateralism practical necessities rather than abstract ideals. His central claim was that governance is the hidden infrastructure of stability: when institutions are trusted, laws are applied fairly, corruption is addressed, and public systems function effectively, societies are better able to absorb shocks without falling into fragility. He also argued that investment, entrepreneurship, trade, and innovation depend on predictable and trustworthy institutions, meaning that development creates the conditions for stability and economic growth. Drawing on UNDP’s work, including electoral support, anti-corruption efforts, digital public services, and the Korea–UNDP REVIVE programme in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Gaza, Myanmar, DR Congo, and Ukraine, he showed how humanitarian relief must be connected to long-term development and peacebuilding. His key policy implication was that development should be understood not as charity, but as partnership: it reduces risk, unlocks investment, strengthens resilience, and helps prevent shocks from becoming wider crises.  

2026-05-26

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[Event Report] The 55th Global Prominence Seminar

[Event Report] The 55th Global Prominence Seminar "Trade-Innovation Alignment and Economic Growth"   Title: Trade-Innovation Alignment and Economic Growth  Date: 2026. 5. 21. (Thursday) 12:00pm-13:30pm Place: International Conference Hall (4F), Bldg. 140-2, SNU GSIS  Presenter: Prof. Jeong, Hyeok (Professor of SNU GSIS) Moderator: Prof. Ahn, Dukgeun (Professor of SNU GSIS) Language: English   The Seoul National University Institute of International Affairs held the 55th Global Prominence Seminar on May 21, 2026, in the International Conference Hall (Bldg. 140-2, 4F). The seminar was moderated by Professor Ahn, Dukgeun of SNU GSIS, and featured presentations by Professor Jeong, Hyeok of SNU GSIS, under the title “Trade-Innovation Alignment and Economic Growth.” Professor Jeong examined the relationship between trade and innovation through the concept of Trade-Innovation Divergence (TID), finding that countries with strong alignment, such as the US, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and China, tend to sustain comparative advantages, while weak-alignment countries (e.g., Thailand, Australia, India) saw TID decline over time. Regression results showed that trade openness alone does not significantly affect GDP per capita growth, but decomposing the sources reveals opposing channels: trade opening reduces physical capital per worker while simultaneously promoting job creation, with these effects largely canceling out in aggregate. However, when both trade openness and technological innovation improve together, economic growth is observed, with endogeneity addressed via GMM estimation confirming consistent directional results. His key policy implication was that trade alone does not drive growth; dynamic gains depend on sectoral alignment between trade and innovation comparative advantages, requiring coordinated policy between trade and innovation authorities as well as the business sector.   .

2026-05-22

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[Event Report] The 54th Global Prominence Seminar

[Event Report] The 54th Global Prominence Seminar "A Paradigm Shift in the Global Economic Order"   Title: A Paradigm Shift in the Global Economic Order  Date: 2026. 5. 20. (Wednesday) 12:30pm-14:00pm Place: International Conference Hall (4F), Bldg. 140-2, SNU GSIS  Presenter: Prof. Petros C. Mavroidis (Columbia Law School), Dr. Edwin Vermulst (VVGB Advocaten) Moderator: Prof. Ahn, Dukgeun (Professor of SNU GSIS) Language: English   54th GPS Seminar Video Link: https://youtu.be/hHci2EnjU28?si=DbjBpPfFAGcwbH_2   The Seoul National University Institute of International Affairs held the 54th Global Prominence Seminar on May 20, 2026, in the International Conference Hall (Bldg. 140-2, 4F). The seminar was moderated by Professor Ahn, Dukgeun of SNU GSIS, and featured presentations by Professor Petros C. Mavroidis of Columbia Law School and Dr. Edwin Vermulst of VVGB Advocaten, under the title “A Paradigm Shift in the Global Economic Order.” Dr. Edwin Vermulst examined how geoeconomic competition is reshaping the EU’s common commercial policy. He explained that the EU seeks to preserve the WTO while reforming it around predictability, fairness, and flexibility, and that its FTA strategy now serves not only market access but also diversification, resilience, and geopolitical positioning. He also highlighted the EU’s increasingly protectionist turn, including the post-safeguard steel regime, overcapacity monitoring, local-content requirements, and expanded trade defense measures. Professor Petros C. Mavroidis discussed U.S. trade measures under Sections 122 and 301, arguing that recent U.S. tariff actions reveal legal and institutional limits in addressing trade deficits, forced labor, overcapacity, digital taxes, and economic security within existing WTO rules. The seminar concluded that current EU and U.S. trade policies reflect a broader restructuring of the global trade order under geopolitical competition and WTO strain. The Asia and the World Seminar Series at SNU GSIS is sponsored by Toyota Motor Korea.  

2026-05-20

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