International Forum on Humanitarian Cooperation for Peaceful Coexistence and Shared Growth on the Korean Peninsula

- Sharing Past Experiences in Humanitarian Assistance to North Korea and Exploring New Pathways for Future Humanitarian Cooperation -

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea held the International Forum on Humanitarian Cooperation for Peaceful Coexistence and Shared Growth on the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul.

Event Details

- Date and Location: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 09:30-13:00, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

- Themes: (Session 1) The Past and Present of Humanitarian Assistance to North Korea

(Session 2) Challenges and New Pathways for Inter-Korean and Multilateral Cooperation

The forum provided an opportunity to broadly reflect on past experiences of international humanitarian assistance to North Korea, while also discussing potential areas of cooperation with North Korea in the context of establishing a long-term foundation for the substantive improvement of the human rights situation of the North Korean people.

The meeting was attended by experts from international organizations, academia, and civil society, including Mr. Tapan Mishra, former UN Resident Coordinator in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; Professor Lee Woo-Young, Professor Emeritus at the University of North Korean Studies; Professor Park Kyung-Ae, Director of the Knowledge Partnership Program at York University in Canada; Professor Kee B. Park from Harvard Medical School; and Dr. Niklas Swanström, Director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy in the Kingdom of Sweden.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina stated in her welcoming remarks that humanitarian cooperation is the most essential means of achieving tangible improvements in the lives of the North Korean people. She emphasized that the government of the Republic of Korea, working with the international community, will keep humanitarian cooperation insulated from politics in order to help bring peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula in the long term.

Participants shared experiences and cases of humanitarian assistance to North Korea and explored opportunities for future cooperation in food security, public health, climate change, and the environment, as well as new models and possible approaches for such cooperation.

This forum, which brought together a diverse group of participants, including representatives from international organizations, domestic and international scholars, members of the diplomatic corps in Seoul, representatives from civil society organizations, and university students, served as an opportunity to expand understanding of the ROK government's vision for peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea remains committed to advancing international humanitarian cooperation that delivers tangible improvements in human rights for the North Korean people.