The Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES), a leading think-tank of KU in the fields of unification, diplomacy, and security, marked its 50th anniversary on September 1, 2022. In commemoration of this, an international conference and ceremony were held at the Millennium Seoul Hilton on August 18 to mark 50th and 33rd anniversaries of IFES and University of North Korean Studies (UNKS). The two organizations have been studying North Korea and the issue of unification, striving to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula, and supporting KU students to develop their awareness of unification and North Korea. In the first section of the conference under the theme of "Peace Settlement on the Korean Peninsula and Foreign Policy Direction of the New Government," the former ambassadors from U.S., Japan, China and Russia participated as the panel and had heated discussions, which were focused on what foreign policy would be desirable for the Korean Government under the new phase: North Korea with nuclear weapons; Russia's invasion of Ukraine; and the heated competition of hegemony between U.S. and China over Taiwan. In the second section, many members of the National Assembly as well as other celebrities of related fields attended. Park Jae Kyu, President of Kyungnam University, delivered a commemorative address, saying "On the occasion of the 50th anniversary, we will once again develop the institute of IFES with new determination and hope to realize a more lasting peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula." Lee Kwan-sei, Director of IFES said, "We will focus on raising our capabilities to the next level so that policy makers, scholars, and experts from other countries can refer to the North Korean research conducted in South Korea." An Ho-young, President of UNKS and key figures from various walks of life del
ivered congratulatory messages, too.
