Chairman Chey Taewon Says "Trilateral Cooperation Among Korea, the U.S., and Japan in the AI Era of Great Transition Will Shape the Future Order"

The Trans-Pacific Dialogue (TPD) 2026, a strategic dialogue platform among Korea, the United States, and Japan, was held at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C., United States, from the 20th to the 21st (local time).

Chey Taewon, chairman of SK and chairman of the Choi Jonghyun Academy, is delivering a welcoming address at the 'TPD 2026' event held on the 20th at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C., United States. Provided by SK Supex Council.

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This year's event was hosted by the Choi Jonghyun Academy. The Choi Jonghyun Academy is a policy and strategy research institute established to honor the philosophy and legacy of the late SK Senior Chairman Choi Jonghyun, and it has consistently provided a platform for strategic dialogue aimed at cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan, as well as peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the Pacific region. Launched in 2021, TPD is the academy's flagship program and marked its fifth edition this year.

SK Chairman Chey Taewon attended the event in his capacity as chairman of the Choi Jonghyun Academy and delivered a welcoming address. Chairman Chey stated, "The changes we are facing now are not just simple challenges, but a structural reality that will determine the survival of us all," adding, "How Korea, the United States, and Japan cooperate during this period of transition will shape the future order."

Chairman Chey identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the key driving force behind these changes. He said, "We are going through a new normal era characterized by rapid change and high uncertainty," and assessed that "AI is fundamentally reshaping the global industrial structure."

In particular, he emphasized the ripple effects of AI expansion on energy and financial systems. Chairman Chey warned, "If we fail to meet the power demand required for AI in a timely manner, our entire society could face a crisis," raising the need to build an eco-friendly yet stable energy supply system. He went on to say, "In a situation where we cannot stop the AI race, only those with the capital and resources to bear the enormous infrastructure costs will be able to take the lead in the competition," analyzing that AI infrastructure is having a significant impact on the financial strategies of both nations and corporations.

He stressed, "Now is the time not only to diagnose the challenges we face but also to craft practical solutions," adding, "Close cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan will become a powerful driving force that opens a new era."

At this year's TPD, discussions focused on topics including: changes in the global order and trilateral cooperation; competition for AI leadership and industrial transformation; restructuring of the financial order; next-generation nuclear power plants and energy cooperation; and security alliances in an era of heightened tensions.

The global order session brought together international politics experts such as Stephen Walt, professor at Harvard University, John Ikenberry, distinguished professor at Princeton University, and Jeon Jaesung, professor at Seoul National University, who examined the dynamics of U.S.-China strategic competition and the evolving landscape of alliances.

In the AI session, participants including Yejin Choi, professor at Stanford University and senior director of AI research at Nvidia, as well as representatives from Google, NTT, SK Telecom, and Twelve Labs, policy experts, and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Cha Jiho, discussed AI competition, industrial diffusion, and governance issues.

In the special China session held on the second day, Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the United States, and Choi Jongkun, professor at Yonsei University, reviewed the security environment in Northeast Asia. In the finance session, Harvard University professor Jeffrey Frankel, University of California, Berkeley professor Barry Eichengreen, and Goldman Sachs economist Kwon Kuhun analyzed the dominance of the U.S. dollar and changes in the global financial order.

The energy session featured discussions on next-generation nuclear power plants and energy cooperation among participants including Daniel Poneman, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy; Maeda Tadashi, governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation; Jared Egan, representative from the U.S. Nuclear Energy Advisory Council; Lim Seungyeol, head of business development at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power; Kihara Shinichi, director-general for international policy on carbon neutrality at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and Amir Vexler, CEO of Centrus Energy.

In the security session, participants including Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute; Jimbo Ken, professor at Keio University; People Power Party lawmaker Kim Geon; and Kim Jungsub, senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, focused on how "deterrence," the core concept of security alliances, is evolving.

Kim Yooseok, president of the Choi Jonghyun Academy, said, "On the occasion of TPD's fifth anniversary, we have reaffirmed the strategic significance of cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan amid a rapidly changing global order," adding, "We will continue to provide a forum for discussions that seek practical solutions in key areas such as AI and energy, which determine national competitiveness."

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