Local governments, embassies in Korea agree to bolster subnational exchanges

Participants of the inaugural Korea Local Diplomacy Forum pose at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Friday. From left are Ha Tae-youk, deputy secretary general of the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea; Kim Heong-soo, president of the Korean Northeast Asia Association Studies; Woo Tong-ki, chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee; Carlos Victor Boungou, ambassador of Gabon to Korea and head of the Council of Diplomatic Corps in Korea; Lee Cheol-woo, governor of North Gyeongsang Province and chairman of the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea; Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon; Lee Sung-chul, CEO and publisher of the Hankook Ilbo; Jo Jae-gu, mayor of Nam District in Daegu; and chairman of the National Association of Mayors; Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea; Kim Min-jae, policy officer for the Local Administration of the Ministry of Interior and Safety; and Lim Byung-jin, secretary general of the Association of the Northeast Asia Regional Governments. Courtesy of Governors Association of Republic of Korea

'Local diplomacy' hailed amid turbulent world affairs at inaugural forum

By Ko Dong-hwan

Korea's provincial governments and foreign embassies in Korea agreed Friday to promote "local diplomacy" in a bid to strengthen multilateral cross-border relations involving subnational administrations.

The agreement came on the sidelines of the first Korea Local Diplomacy Forum: Glocal Brand Strategy in the Era of Local Diplomacy, jointly held by The Hankook Ilbo, its sister paper The Korea Times, the Korean Association of Northeast Asia Studies and the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea (GAROK).

The inaugural forum was designed to promote the emerging importance of diplomatic activities by local governments in Korea, instead of the central administration, with representatives of ambassadors to Korea present to support the new initiative.

Minutes before the forum's kickoff, North Gyeongsang Governor and GAROK Chairman Lee Cheol-woo and Carlos Victor Boungou, ambassador of Gabon to Korea, signed a memorandum of understanding to bolster cooperation between 242 local governments in Korea and 115 diplomatic representative offices in the country to encourage diplomatic activities at a local level. Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, who is also the Council of Diplomatic Corps (CDC) treasurer, joined the MOU signing.

Since his appointment as GAROK chairman last August, Governor Lee has been working to promote local diplomacy as a key strategy for national development. Starting this year, he began cooperating with the CDC to reach an agreement on local diplomacy as a way to further cement international relations between Korea and various countries.

With Friday's MOU, embassies in Korea are expected to provide support to local governments in Korea whenever representatives of the latter travel to their respective countries for diplomatic exchanges, such as arranging bilateral meetings with local organizations there and recommending schedules during the visits.

Carlos Victor Boungou, third from left, ambassador of Gabon to Korea and head of the Council of Diplomatic Corps, and Lee Cheol-woo, fourth from right, governor of North Gyeongsang Province and chairman of the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea, pose at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Friday, after signing a memorandum of understanding. Third from right is Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo. Courtesy of Governors Association of Republic of Korea

Likewise, Korea's local governments agreed to be more cooperative whenever diplomatic delegations visit a Korean municipality ― by introducing or setting up liaisons with local organizations fit for the delegations' visiting purpose.

The MOU came as 242 metropolitans and local authorities in Korea have so far implemented 1,835 exchanges and cooperation projects with 1,364 cities in 87 countries through either sisterhood or friendly relationships. The mutual deals focused on administrative, cultural and youth exchange activities.

The Friday forum was to launch a campaign to overcome international predicaments that affect most global citizens, and to enhance micro-level diplomacy by local governments that often works better than the central government's solo diplomacy.

The event came as recent diplomatic efforts by local governments in Korea have proven to be promising. Busan Metropolitan City, for example, which is now competing against Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Rome in Italy to host the World Expo 2030, has been busily sending representatives to countries all over the world to promote the city government's bid.

Incheon, the western coastal city with the country's second-biggest port, has also been pushing forward with its diplomatic agenda with China and Southeast Asian countries, separate from the central government.

Heads of the local governments of Seoul, North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu's Nam District, and foreign ambassadors to Korea joined the forum at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul as key participants, alongside about 200 others, including professors of diplomacy and international relations from local universities as well as executives from the two media outlets.

Opening speakers at the forum included North Gyeongsang Governor and GAROK Chairman Lee; Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon; Hankook Ilbo CEO and publisher Lee Sung-chul; and Ambassador Carlos Victor Boungou, and head of the CDC in Korea.

Key participants of the first Korea Local Diplomacy Forum held at the Korea Press Center, Friday, discuss relevant matters during the forum. Courtesy of Governors Association of Republic of Korea

"Today's forum indeed emphasizes close relations between local governments and international communities," Ambassador Boungou said during his opening speech.

"I congratulate the diplomatic goals of Korea and express my personal commitment toward the best interests of the diplomatic missions and the local governments in Korea. That commitment is reflected in the MOU we have just signed this morning."

Alongside Korea's remarkable economic development over the past 50 years which has created lots of admiration in the international community, the advancement of regions and cities in the country were also commendable and worthy of emulation, according to the Gabon ambassador.

"It really shows the extent to which decentralization is essential to a nation's development in a globalized environment impacted by challenges such as the uncertainties of the world economy, the disruption of supply chains, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the danger of climate change," the ambassador said.

"It is obvious that this new concept of globalization can prove to be very useful in connecting regions, cities and governments around the world."

Lee Sung-chul, CEO and publisher of the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, delivers an opening speech at the Korea Local Diplomacy Forum held at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Governors Association of Republic of Korea

Governor Lee, starting off his opening remarks by using the word "glocalism" ― a portmanteau of global and localism ― saying said that local diplomacy is more practical in ways that are more attached to people's daily lives, than a central government's national diplomacy in terms of the economy, environment, culture, young people and education.

By enabling more multi-pronged international networking, local diplomacy can cover the blind spots often missed by a country's central diplomacy, according to the governor. He called it "diplomacy for people's daily lives."

The world is now in disarray from the all-out tension between the United States and Russia following the latter's invasion of Ukraine, the geopolitical competition across Northeast Asia exacerbated by contentious Beijing-Washington relations, and North Korea's constant threat to the Korean Peninsula's security amid such conflicts between the global superpowers, Kim Hyeong-soo, president of the Korean Association of Northeast Asia Studies, said during the forum.

"In the multi-layered diplomatic environment of the 21st century, solo diplomacy drive by central governments can be ineffective," Kim said. "Local governments, by pursuing their own interests and carrying out their own diplomatic activities ― or "para-diplomacy" ― can sustain not just diversity but also mutual support at a local level. More and more global mega-cities such as New York or London are leading their own diplomacy apart from state diplomacy to resolve their own problems."

Central government diplomacy is vulnerable to various ongoing global affairs especially on today's global stage when countries' interests are closely interlocked with each other, Lee Sung-chul, CEO and publisher of the Hankook Ilbo, said during the forum.

"In this complicated time, local governments can oil the global diplomatic chain excellently. Even when states are having a bad day, friendly steps can be taken between the same countries at a micro-level at the same time," he said.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon delivers an opening speech at the Korea Local Diplomacy Forum held at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Governors Association of Republic of Korea

Local diplomacy was previously raised by the U.S. Congress in 2019 when the introduction of the City and State Diplomacy Act was a subject of discussion at the House of Representatives. A similar move was in Sejong, Korea, in June 2022 when The Korea Times, along with the Hankook Ilbo and the Korean Association of Northeast Asia Studies started discussing launching a forum ― that later culminated in Friday's event ― as well as the Korea Local Diplomatic Awards, last December.

Local diplomacy focuses on the economy while central diplomacy is concerned with national security, according to Yonsei University professor Park Jae-jeok who delivered a presentation during the forum.

The differing approaches have been visible from how the two have been handling the country's real estate investment and immigration policy for Jeju Island, Incheon, Busan, and Gangwon and South Jeolla provinces.

While the local authorities have been more attentive towards beefing up their local economies through their policies, the central government has been more concerned about the policies' possible national security risks, according to Park.

Park's presentation also mentioned how local diplomacy can veer off the course desired by the state government and cause a conflict between central and local administrations.

The professor cited Australia, where the federal government in December 2022 passed a law that allows it to repeal any diplomatic agreement previously pushed by a provincial government if that agreement is deemed at odds with the central authority's state policy.