All UN chief candidates to attend peace forum in Jeju in June

An annual international peace forum will be held on Korea's southern island of Jeju next month to explore ways to enhance cooperation amid intensified geopolitical challenges, with all candidates for the next United Nations secretary-general expected to gather to present their visions, officials said Tuesday.

Under the main theme of "Reimagining Cooperation in an Era of Fragmentation," the 21st Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity will take place from June 24 to 26 in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, bringing together thousands of government officials and experts, including former and incumbent senior officials.

"Drawing particular attention is that all candidates for the next UN secretary-general are expected to gather in Jeju, where they will present their visions for how they plan to lead the international community and the UN in the years ahead amid unprecedented uncertainty surrounding the international order," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said.

The race to choose the successor to incumbent Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is currently underway. Five candidates have officially entered the race: Michelle Bachelet, former Chilean president; Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development; Macky Sall, Senegal's former president; and Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, Ecuador's former foreign minister.

“There are only two confirmed occasions where all the candidates will gather outside the UN to present their visions as prospective secretary-general candidates, and that underscores our soft-power diplomacy and the growing significance of the Jeju Forum," the official added.

The forum will feature sessions exploring global issues through five key agendas, including cooperation for peace and security amid strategic competition among major powers; shared prosperity through economic, educational, climate and energy transitions; and global governance and cooperation in the era of artificial intelligence and digital innovation.

The event will be co-hosted by the Jeju provincial government and Korea's Foreign Ministry, which is the first time the ministry has jointly organized the annual event as it aims to enhance the forum's global standing, ministry officials said.

Yonhap