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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Working Together to Advance their Mutual Interests

Comprised of an opening ceremony, four sessions on selected themes, and a concluding discussion, the tightly scheduled forum got underway at 9:00 a.m. on January 9 and was concluded just past 12:00 noon on the following day. In their respective opening remarks, Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon emphasized the need for more active exchanges in various sectors to strengthen Korea-France relations, while IFRI President Thierry de Montbrial stressed the importance of closer cooperation between Korea and France in matters related to the international community.



The seventh Korea-France Forum, which was held at the Seoul Plaza Hotel (January 9-10), included the participation of leading representatives of the government, business, and academic sectors of the two countries. The 14-member French delegation, headed by Thierry de Montbrial, President of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI, Institute français des relations internationales), the French organizer of the forum, included: Patrick Beaudouin, Member of Parliament and President of France-Korea Parliamentary Friendship Association; Patrice Martin-Lalande, Member of Parliament; Jean-Claude Beaulieu, Member of Parliament; Christian de Boissieu, President, Council of Economic Analysis; Pierre Fournier, Deputy Director, Asia-Oceania Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Loic Frouart, Director, Asian Bureau, Ministry of Defense; Philippe Thiebaud, French Ambassador to Korea; and Asian specialists of the IFRI.
The Korean delegates, led by Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon, comprising some 30 prominent figures, included: Song Young-gil, President, Korea-France Parliamentary Friendship Association; Chung Eui-yong, Member of the Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, the National Assembly; Lee Su-hoon, Chairman, Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiative; Kwon In-hyuk, President, Korea-France Association; Ju Chul-ki, Vice President, UN Global Compact Network Korea; Prof. Kim Dal-choong, Emeritus professor, Yonsei University; Choi Jung-wha, President, Corea Image Communication Institute; Ju Sup-il, Advisor, Le Monde Korea; Bae Myung-bok, Editorial Writer, JoongAng Ilbo; Bark Tae-ho, Dean, Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University; Cha Young-gu, Visiting Professor, Kyung Hee University; O Yong-sok, Professor, KAIST; and Lee Chang-hoon, Director, Seoul ASEM Institute for International Relations.
As the guest speaker at the “Korea Foundation Forum” (January 8), IFRI President De Montbrial offered a comprehensive overview of the utilitarian reform measures being promoted by the Sarkozy government, and pointed out the problems of public misperceptions and resistance to change of the French society. Amidst the ongoing process of President-elect Lee Myung-bak’s transition of power in Korea, the lecture attracted a large audience, who listened to Dr. De Montrbrial’s remarks with keen interest and actively participated in the Q&A session.
The Foundation hosted a forum reception, on the evening of January 8, that was attended by people with an interest in France who came by to welcome the Korea-France Forum participants and renew acquaintances with those who had attended the sixth session of this event, which was held in Paris in 2005. Comprised of an opening ceremony, four sessions on selected themes, and a concluding discussion, the tightly scheduled forum got underway at 9:00 a.m. on January 9 and was concluded just past 12:00 noon on the following day. In their respective opening remarks, Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon emphasized the need for more active exchanges in various sectors to strengthen Korea-France relations, while IFRI President De Montbrial stressed the importance of closer cooperation between Korea and France in matters related to the international community.
At the first session on the political situations of Korea and France, Mr. Beaudouin described the reform policy efforts of President Sarkozy, who has been in office since May 2007, while Korea University Professor Kim Byung-kook presented an analysis of the recent presidential election in Korea, and the direction of reforms likely to be implemented by the incoming administration. Professor Kim noted that it would be desirable for the new government to implement agenda-based reform measures that are supported by the public. Stating that the thrust of President Sarkozy’s reforms was aimed at eroding the deeply rooted nationalism of France, Mr. Beaudouin anticipated that the reform efforts would be successful when the French people, who had grown accustomed to government protection, overcame their fear of change.
The second session addressed the outlook for the European and Asian economies and a Korea-EU FTA. Speakers included Dean Bark Tae-ho and Dr. Kim Heung-jong, head of the European Team of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, for the Korean side, and Dr. Christian de Boissieu and Dr. Francoise Nicolas of IFRI, for the French delegation. Dean Bark and Dr. De Boissieu predicted moderate, rather than gloomy, prospects for the economies of Europe and Asia in 2008, with growth rates slightly lower than that in 2007, despite such negative factors as the U.S. financial crisis, high oil prices, and volatile exchange rates. Dr. Kim and Dr. Nicolas expected that Korea and the EU would reach an agreement when the FTA talks resumed because there are no serious obstacles to overcome, although the negotiations did experience certain difficulty early on, contrary to original expectations of a smooth process.



In the third session on Korea-France bilateral relations, Mr. Ju Chul-ki presented his assessment of and prospects for cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries, while Professor O Yong-sok advocated more active exchange in the fields of science and technology between Korea and France. For the French side, Mr. Martin-Lalande, President of the Study Group on the Internet of the French Parliament, called for expansion of technology cooperation with Korea, a proven leader in the IT sector. During the discussion session, Mr. Kwon In-hyuk urged an immediate resolution of Korea’s request for the return of historical s, which had been stored at Oegyujanggak, but were looted by French intruders in the 19th century. In regard to this matter, Mr. Fournier of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the complexity of resolving this particular situation due to the existence of international precedents on the ownership of foreign cultural properties.
The fourth session dealt with the issues of peace and security of the Northeast Asian region. Mr. Lee Su-hoon, Seoul National University Professor Chun Chae-sung, Colonel Frouart, and IFRI Asian Center Director Valerie Niquet expected that the six-party talks would contribute to a resolution of the North Korean nuclear problem and various inter-Korean issues, in addition to laying a foundation for the eventual integration of Northeast Asia. In the following discussion, the participants recalled that when the EU process started 50 years ago, it was dismissed by many as an unrealistic fantasy.
Therefore, it was thought that Northeast Asian integration could be realized if the regional countries came up with new and creative ideas, while being committed to ceaseless efforts in this regard.
During the concluding discussion session, the participants suggested that the Korea-France Forum should broaden its scope, beyond traditional themes discussed thus far, to focus on in-depth understanding of the international situation and to promote closer cooperation between the two countries to advance their mutual interests. To this end, Korea Foundation President Yim and IFRI President De Montbrial agreed to regularly hold the Korea-France Forum on an annual basis, with each country hosting the event in alternate years. It was also suggested that proceedings of the forum should be published and distributed in order to publicize and institutionalize the forum’s results.
The following day, a visit to Gaeseong was arranged for the forum participants, which included the participation of Dr. De Montbrial, various scholars of the IFRI, and Ambassador Thiebaud, along with Korea Foundation President Yim and other members of the Korean delegation. The tour to the North Korean city embarked early in the morning and provided firsthand experience about the reality of the Korean Peninsula’s division. Although there was some inconvenience due to a steady snowfall, the participants spent the entire day together and enjoyed the opportunity to deepen their friendship. As such, the seventh session of the Korea-France Forum served as a meaningful occasion to further reinforce the partnership relations between Korea and France.

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