Key facts
- Yonhap News Agency will host the 2026 Future Economy Forum on November 3 in Seoul.
- The forum's theme is 'A fragmenting global economy, connecting Korean and Japanese markets.'
- It aims to boost economic ties between South Korea and Japan.
- Key speakers include Yonhap CEO Hwang Dae-il and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.
- The event will discuss strategic partnerships and a bilateral economic community.
- It is supported by Japan's Kyodo News, South Korea's industry ministry, and the KCCI.
Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading newswire, announced it will host the 2026 Future Economy Forum on November 3 in Seoul. The event, themed 'A fragmenting global economy, connecting Korean and Japanese markets,' aims to explore ways to enhance economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan amidst global uncertainties.
The forum will convene business leaders, policymakers, and academics from both nations to discuss avenues for closer collaboration and shared prosperity. Yonhap President and CEO Hwang Dae-il will deliver opening remarks, and Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will offer congratulatory remarks. Chey has been a proponent of a Korea-Japan economic community.
Featured speakers also include Hiroaki Ishiguro, head of global strategy at Lotte Holdings Co.; Lee Sang-yup, chief technology officer of LG Uplus Corp.; and Yoon Young-kwan, former South Korean Foreign Minister and head of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
The forum's sessions will examine how Seoul and Tokyo can transition from competition to strategic partnership, explore the potential for a bilateral economic community, and address challenges posed by rapidly aging populations. This initiative comes at a time of increasing geopolitical tensions, including the U.S.-China rivalry and conflicts in the Middle East, which are fragmenting global trade and supply chains.
The event is supported by Japan's Kyodo News, South Korea's industry ministry, and the KCCI. Preregistration is open from October 13 to October 28.