KERI to Hold "2026 1st Climate-Economy-Trade Forum" on May 20

The Korea Economic Research Institute of the Federation of Korean Industries, in cooperation with the Korea Resource Economics Association and the Korean Association of International Trade and Commerce, will hold the "2026 1st Climate-Economy-Trade Forum: Hormuz Shock, Energy Geopolitics, and Korea's Survival Strategy" seminar at 2:00 p.m. on May 20 at the FKI Tower Conference Center.

Amid the recent crisis over the potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Korea's high dependence on Middle Eastern oil has emerged as a key risk for the Korean economy. At the same time, the restructuring of supply chains driven by the U.S.-China technological power struggle has further elevated energy as a core asset of national strategy.

This seminar aims to explore mid- to long-term strategies to strengthen Korea's energy security and supply chain resilience. It will also discuss the policy directions Korea should take and how industry should respond in this era where geopolitical uncertainty has become a constant.

The keynote presentations will be: ▲ "The Geopolitics of U.S.-China Resource Competition: The Shale Revolution and Rare Earth Sanctions" by Lee Wanghui, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Ajou University, and ▲ "Korea's Energy Security Strategy in the Era of Middle East War and Energy Hegemony Competition" by Kim Jinsu, Professor of Resources and Environmental Engineering at Hanyang University. Each session will feature a designated discussant: Lee Seungjoo, Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Chung-Ang University, and Cho Seonghun, Associate Research Fellow of the Economic Security Team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.

The general discussion will be chaired by Kim Yoonkyung, Professor of Economics at Ewha Womans University. Panelists will include Kim Kyunghan, Research Fellow at POSCO Research Institute, and Cho Sangbeom, Head of Policy Cooperation Team at the Korea Petroleum Association, who will join the earlier presenters and discussants to explore practical responses from corporate and industrial perspectives.

This seminar is supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Participation is free, and registration is available via the Korea Economic Research Institute website.