How Korea Can Survive in a Radically Changing Era: Global Strategists Gather to Share Insights

[By Jeong-yoon Lee, Edaily] As U.S.-China strategic competition expands beyond military and diplomatic arenas into finance, advanced technology, and overall supply chains, the reshaping of the global order is accelerating. With intensifying protectionism and national-first policies gaining strength, even global capital flows are becoming increasingly politicized, the boundaries between economy and security, industry and finance are rapidly dissolving. At this historic turning point of great transformation, leading global strategists and scholars will gather to discuss Korea‘s survival strategies.

Key speakers of the 17th Edaily Strategy Forum. Clockwise from top left: Thorsten Beck, Professor at the European University Institute; James Kim, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM Korea; and Noreena Hertz, Honorary Professor at the Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London (UCL).

Against this geopolitical backdrop, Edaily is hosting the 17th Edaily Strategic Forum (ESF 2026) from June 16 to 17 at The Shilla Hotel in Seoul under the theme “The Age of Power, Recasting Civilization : Who Designs the New World?” The forum will focus on Korea’s responses to intensifying U.S.-China hegemonic rivalry, supply chain bloc-formation, technological hegemony wars, and shifting patterns of global capital movements.

This year‘s forum is particularly notable for the participation of key figures from Washington D.C.’s premier strategic think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the leading global Asia-focused advisory firm, The Asia Group (TAG). It represents a convergence in Seoul of the global network shaping U.S. diplomatic, security, and industrial strategies.

The opening day‘s keynote speech will be delivered by John Hamre, President of CSIS. A former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. Hamre is widely recognized as one of the most authoritative strategists driving American foreign policy and national security. He is expected to analyze how U.S.-China competition is expanding from the military domain into financial systems and advanced technology hegemony, and to present strategic directions for middle powers like Korea to secure strategic autonomy and ensure survival under geopolitical pressure.

CSIS is one of America’s leading bipartisan think tanks, conducting extensive research not only on foreign affairs and defense but also on economic security, supply chains, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy strategy. Closely connected with the U.S. government, Congress, multinational corporations, and international organizations, CSIS is regarded as one of the fastest institutions at decoding world policy trends. Its influence has been particularly prominent in recent discussions surrounding U.S. strategy toward China, Indo-Pacific policy, and advanced technology control measures.

On the second day, Rexon Ryu, President of The Asia Group and former Director for Nonproliferation at the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), will take the stage as a featured speaker to outline global security and defense strategies evolving in this “era of self-reliance.” As a former Director for NSC and a leading expert who links security with industrial and technology strategies, he will outline new national strategies that combine traditional military-focused security with high-tech industries such as semiconductors, batteries, and AI, along with supply chains and macro-financial capabilities.

The forum will also feature consecutive diagnoses from world-class scholars. Noreena Hertz, Honorary Professor at University College London (UCL) and bestselling author of ‘The Lonely Century,’ will analyze the structural crises facing nations and corporations amid intensifying deglobalization and worsening polarization. Following her address, she will engage in a dialogue with Jiyoon Kim, Professor at Yonsei University‘s Institute for East and West Studies, to debate the survival strategies for middle powers within a heavily fragmented world order.

Shifting dynamics in finance and capital flows will also serve as a major topic of discussion. Thorsten Beck, Professor at the European University Institute (EUI), and Kwanho Shin, President of the Korea Money and Finance Association, will diagnose shifting global capital movement and the reorganization of the financial order, while offering directions for expanding “productive finance” and allocating capital toward innovation-driven industries. Discussions are also expected on the structural challenges of Korea’s financial system, particularly the need to shift capital flows away from real estate toward future growth sectors.

Discussions will naturally extend into industrial and supply chain strategies. James Kim, Chairman and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), and Kisoon Park , Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, will share insights on the strategic value of the Korean market and future direction of supply chain realignment from the viewpoints of U.S. and Chinese enterprises. In a prolonged U.S.-China conflict, this session is highly anticipated to provide rare opportunity to hear firsthand insight into how global corporations perceive Korea‘s market.

The forum will also feature sessions on fiscal and monetary policy. Renowned scholars including Alan Auerbach of UC Berkeley, and Andrew Levin of Dartmouth College will discuss sustainable fiscal and financial policy directions alongside national response strategies in an era of rising uncertainty.

A forum official stated, “Marking its 17th anniversary this year, the Edaily Strategic Forum has consistently brought together world-renowned scholars and policy experts annually to examine changes in the global order and present response strategies for Korea. This year’s forum will once again serve as a platform for exploring Korea‘s survival strategy in a new era where security, industry, finance, and technology are inseparably converge together.

Program for the 17th Edaily Strategy Forum