[Review] 2017 Europe Next-Generation Policy Experts Network: Study Tour in Korea
From March 5 to 11, the Korea Foundation and British think tank Chatham House jointly hosted the 2017 KF-Europe Next-Generation Policy Experts Network program in Seoul with participation by 12 next-generation European experts on diplomacy and security.
The participants were international relations and regional experts on Asia from Europe who had participated in the same program when it was hosted in the United Kingdom last September. Coming together for the second time provided participants with the opportunity to continue and deepen their discussions on Korea’s politics and diplomacy.
After the welcome dinner on March 5, program participants visited key organizations on Korea’s foreign affairs and security, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union’s Delegation to Korea, and the Ministry of National Defense. In addition, the program included visits to the Ministry of Unification; Hanawon, an organization in charge of integrating North Korean refugees into South Korean society; the National Intelligence Service; and the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) to strengthen the visiting experts’ understanding of issues regarding Korea’s unification.
The KF-Europe Next-Generation Policy Experts Network program strives to cultivate European experts on Korean affairs by offering participants opportunities to network with Korea and international experts and discuss key issues concerning the Korean peninsula. By doing so, the program aims to lead the way for the next generation of European experts in gaining a deeper understanding of Korean affairs and ultimately becoming friends of Korea.