Jeju Peace Institute

The Republic of Korea’s public diplomacy has had (significant) positive achievements including the upgrade of national image within a (relatively) a short period of time and the establishment of the system and methodology required to promote public diplomacy. Note, however, that (considerable) challenges and tasks are also on the rise: no one can assure us that the popularity of Hallyu (Korean Wave), which has served as a useful resource in the implementation of public diplomacy, will continue down the road; the anti-Korean sentiment in major countries including Japan is likely to intensify, and; there is a growing need to enhance our reunification-centered public diplomacy targeting the residents in our neighboring countries as well as North Korea, our internal public diplomacy aimed at foreigners living in Korea not to mention South Koreans, and our public diplomacy that is being implemented in cyberspace.

We focused our resources on upgrading our national image including (highlighting the) “attractiveness” (of our country) at the outset of our public diplomacy. Still, the ultimate purpose of public diplomacy cannot be the improvement of national image but should be the promotion of national interests. Therefore, it is desirable to shift the focus of our public diplomacy from the relatively simple improvement of our national image to the promotion of practical interests including the protection of Korean expatriates overseas, including seeking ways to increase the synergistic effects of the relationships between public diplomacy & political diplomacy and public diplomacy & economic diplomacy so that our public diplomacy can back up our government’s major policies like the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI).