[News] SNUAC Co-hosts the International Conference on Middle East Affairs in Seoul

On August 28, 2025, SNUAC co-hosted the International Conference on Middle East Affairs in Seoul, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2015, this conference has served as a Track 1.5 forum where academics and domestic and international experts freely exchange views on the situation in the Middle East. This year, leading experts from the United States, the EU and its member states, and Japan were invited to discuss the theme of “The Middle East and Korea’s Role in a Time of Global Transition.”

The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Choi Hyung-chan, Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, and Beomshik Shin, Vice Director of SNUAC. Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry delivered the keynote address. SNUAC HK Professor Gi Yeon Koo moderated the second session, which brought together more than 70 participants, including Ali Vaez, Director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, Steven Cook, Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as Korean and international experts and members of the diplomatic corps in Korea.

Participants exchanged views on regional issues such as the restructuring of the Middle East order amid global shifts, the situation in Gaza, and Iran–Israel relations. They also engaged in in-depth discussions on the strategies of major powers toward the Middle East and the implications of Middle Eastern dynamics for East Asia. In addition, they assessed the broader impact of Middle Eastern affairs on global stability and shared diverse perspectives on potential responses to promote peace and stability in the region.