· Jeju has historically served as a gateway for maritime exchange in Northeast Asia and as a region that has practiced the values of peace and coexistence. It holds the status of an International Free City and carries the symbolic identity of the “Island of Peace” on the Korean Peninsula. Accordingly, a forum is being organized in Jeju to explore new possibilities and practical tasks for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation. The symbolic connection “from Halla to Baekdu” goes beyond a simple geographic notion; it represents a commitment to a future of mutual prosperity and coexistence that transcends division.
· This session aims to complement central government–led exchanges amid the rapidly changing situation on the Korean Peninsula by developing a creative and sustainable “Jeju-style inter-Korean exchange and cooperation model” at the local government level. Furthermore, it seeks to explore in depth the roles and policy tasks that the provincial council, as the representative body of the residents, and local governments should undertake in this process.