Seoul Security Dialogue to be Held for Two Days Starting from the 8th

On the 5th, participants including Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, Indian Defense Minister Raj Nath Singh, and Commander of United States Forces Korea Robert Abrams took a commemorative photo at the 2019 Seoul Security Dialogue held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The 'Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD)' will be held from the 8th to the 10th in a hybrid format, both online and offline.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 8th, the SDD, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, will for the first time have simultaneous participation from senior diplomatic and security officials of major regional countries including the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia.

SDD is a multilateral security consultation body at the defense vice-ministerial level launched by the Ministry of National Defense in 2012 to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. It has established itself as a 1.5-track multilateral cooperation platform, discussing even global issues.

At the opening ceremony of the SDD held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel, Minister of National Defense Seo Wook will deliver the opening remarks, followed by a video congratulatory message from Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and a video keynote speech by Dominic Raab, UK Foreign Secretary.

Key defense-related senior officials from major countries will participate via video, including Mark Lambert, U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Baroness Goldie, UK Deputy Secretary of State for Defense; Xiao Yuanming, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of China; and Yamato Taro, Deputy Director-General for Defense Policy at Japan’s Ministry of Defense. Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Marcin Ociepa, will attend in person.

The plenary session will include discussions on the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process and Arms Control.'

Moderated by Professor Jeon Jae-sung of Seoul National University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations, government officials and civilian experts from major countries including the U.S., UK, China, and Russia will participate in the discussion via video. Other topics include stability in the Asia-Pacific region, global health crises and cooperative civil-military relations, and international cooperation for a secure cyberspace. Notably, climate change and space security threats, emerging as new security issues, have been selected as major agenda items for the first time.

To reflect on the achievements of the past 10 years, a special dialogue will be held on the 9th between Moon Jung-in, Chairman of the Sejong Institute, and Garret Evans, Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University and former Australian Foreign Minister.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "We hope that the Seoul Defense Dialogue will revive the spirit of solidarity and cooperation in the international community and serve as an opportunity to activate multilateral international cooperation." It added, "We expect it to be an opportunity to build a close cooperative and supportive foundation with the international community to establish sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.