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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-06-26 13:53:46
SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- Yonhap News Agency President and CEO Hwang Dae-il said Friday the national news agency will continue to document the present and help illuminate the future of the Korean Peninsula through accurate reporting, balanced perspectives and in-depth analysis.
Hwang made the remarks in his opening speech at the 2026 Korean Peninsula Symposium, jointly hosted by Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Unification, the Institute for National Security Strategy and Yonhap's Northeast Asia Center at Lotte Hotel Seoul.
"As of today in 2026, the Korean Peninsula and the international community are facing even more complex and formidable challenges," Hwang said. "The world is witnessing sweeping changes, including cracks in the alliance system, the spread of nationalism and the growing blocization of the economy and security."
Citing the U.S.-China strategic rivalry, the conflict between the United States and Iran, and the Russia-Ukraine war, Hwang said competition to secure strategic resources, including energy, food and semiconductors, has intensified.
"We have entered an era in which diplomacy and security, as well as the economy and industry, can no longer operate separately," he said.
Hwang added that while crises bring pain and burdens, they also compel countries to seek new paths forward.
"South Korea has repeatedly overcome countless crises and risen again. I believe this reflects what I call our society's 'roly-poly gene,'" he said, referring to the resilience of a roly-poly toy that always returns upright after being knocked over.
He said the symposium was designed to examine the nature of the complex crises confronting the Korean Peninsula and explore strategies for South Korea's survival and future.
"I hope today's discussions will provide valuable inspiration for the government's diplomacy and security policies and serve as an important foundation for South Korea to overcome these complex crises and build a stronger future," he said.
Now in its 12th year, the Korean Peninsula Symposium brings together policymakers, government officials and experts from South Korea and abroad to assess developments surrounding the Korean Peninsula and propose practical policy solutions. Yonhap has organized the annual event in cooperation with the Ministry of Unification and other partners.
This year's symposium is held under the theme "Global Complex Crises and the Korean Peninsula," with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivering the keynote address.
Panel discussions are organized into two sessions: "Fractures in the Alliance Order and Strategic Responses by Major Countries" and "Escalating Economic, Energy and Security Crises: Survival Strategies for the Korean Peninsula."
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