Hanwha Group to Establish New 'Korea Chair' at UK Think Tank

Full-scale Research on K-Defense Begins

Hanwha Group, as part of its public diplomacy efforts, is establishing a Korea Chair dedicated to research on defense, security, and advanced technology at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in the UK, in collaboration with the Korea Foundation (KF). Amid increasing geopolitical risks, the public and private sectors aim to go beyond U.S.-centered security research related to Korea and deliver diverse perspectives to the world.

At the signing ceremony for the establishment of the 'Korea Chair (Korea Research Chair)' held on the 20th at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, attendees are signing the documents. (From left) Kim Ki-hwan, Chairman of the Korea Foundation (KF); Geoffrey F. Gurrumul, Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS); Moon Ji-hoon, Vice President of Hanwha Aerospace.

Hanwha announced on the 23rd that on the 20th, it held a signing ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore with KF and IISS to establish the ‘Korea Chair’.

Following this signing ceremony, IISS will set up the Korea Chair within its institute starting this year to begin research related to Korea, and will carry out various activities including △policy research and recommendations in the military security field △hosting seminars and conferences inviting government officials and others △participating in international security meetings.

Founded in 1958 in the UK as a specialized institution in nuclear deterrence and arms control, IISS is a think tank that proposes defense and security-related policies, conducts research activities, provides consultations, publishes reports, and hosts international security conferences. It also organizes the Shangri-La Dialogue (Asia Security Conference), known as the ‘Davos Forum’ of global security, and the Manama Dialogue, the most prestigious international security and defense industry forum in the Middle East.

Through this partnership, Hanwha will become the first domestic company to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue. Mutual cooperation between companies and global think tanks is one of the key means of public diplomacy that companies can participate in. Domestic conglomerates have mainly collaborated with U.S. institutions such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Brookings Institution.

Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said, “In the global defense market competition, promoting Korea and K-defense within the world security conference network is an important foundation for gaining a competitive edge,” adding, “We will actively communicate with policymakers around the world through various channels by expanding public diplomacy going forward.”

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