Local diplomacy emerges as a key approach to tackling global challenges

Experts call for the creation of an effective governance system to strengthen sub-national exchanges

Author: Lee Hyo-jin

JEJU ISLAND — In recent years, local governments in Korea have become significant players in international affairs. The traditional role of the state in diplomacy is one of decentralization, in which cities, provinces and municipalities adopt innovative forms of international engagement known as “local diplomacy”.

Although local governments cannot sign international agreements or open embassies in foreign countries, their international involvement has shown great promise. As of 2023, Korea’s cities and municipalities have established sister or partnership relationships with more than 1,400 cities in 91 countries.

Unlike central government, which should carefully navigate national security risks associated with foreign policy, local governments can take a more flexible approach, complementing state diplomacy.

This strategy not only supports national diplomacy, but also strengthens global ties through grassroots connections, making local diplomacy an important tool for Korea in the diplomatic landscape.

In this context, at the Korea Local Diplomacy Forum held on Friday on Jeju Island, experts and policymakers explored various measures to institutionalize local diplomacy within national legal and governance systems.

The forum, the second of its kind, was jointly organized by Hankook Ilbo, its sister newspaper The Korea Times, the Korea Association for Northeast Asian Studies and the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea (GAROK). GAROK is an association of mayors and governors of 17 major cities and provinces in Korea. The forum was held on the sidelines of the annual Jeju Peace Forum, which was held from Wednesday to Friday.

The forum titled “Local Era: ‘Local Diplomacy’ Strategies to Enhance Local Value” was attended by approximately 200 participants, including Minister of Home Affairs and Security Lee Sang-min, Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon, Kim Heong-soo, President of Studies North East Korean Association, North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo, former chairman of GAROK, and Jo Jae-gu, chairman of the National Mayors Association of Korea.

“Local diplomacy, in which local governments engage in exchanges and cooperation with their global counterparts as well as various organizations, institutions and enterprises, not only complements national diplomacy, but also brings new opportunities and engines of growth for rural regions,” the minister said Lee in his congratulatory remarks.

“In the future, we plan to work with relevant organizations such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and GAROK to establish regulations and systems to support local diplomacy,” he added.

“Local diplomacy is growing more than ever before. Major developed countries such as the United States, France, Britain and Japan are expanding the sectors involved in local diplomacy and exploring ways to institutionalize it,” Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said in his congratulatory remarks. Hong Seok-in, ambassador and vice minister of public diplomacy, read the speech on Cho’s behalf.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also to establish a “Team for Youth and Local Diplomacy” in June, whose task will be to strengthen local government diplomacy. This team will constitute a key communication bridge between the ministry’s headquarters, foreign missions and local governments.

This initiative follows a memorandum of understanding signed in April between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and GAROK, facilitating international exchanges and cooperation between local governments, an agreement that underscores the importance of central government involvement in local diplomatic efforts.

The governor of North Gyeongsang stressed that local diplomacy can significantly contribute to Korea’s immigration policy by overcoming the country’s demographic crisis.

“Immigration is key to the nation’s future. We need to attract international students and their families to counter the shrinking population. These goals can be achieved through constructive relations between cities and abroad,” he said.

Experts believe that cities and municipalities can engage in meaningful dialogue with their counterparts by facilitating public diplomacy, sharing best practices and supporting cooperation between international private and public entities.

However, challenges remain.

Sister city relationships often become one-off visits by city officials. Additionally, diplomatic efforts by local authorities in the country are currently focused on Northeast Asia, particularly China and Japan, with limited engagement on other continents due to distance issues.

Moreover, the lack of regulations detailing the role and scope of local government in diplomacy leads to ongoing debates. There is also a lack of specialists in the field of diplomacy in the communes and insufficient information about partner cities.

Ha Tae-youk, head of the local diplomacy office in GAROK, proposed the creation of a separate institution and advisory bodies under the central government to quickly institutionalize local diplomacy.

“Local governments have already become major players in international exchange and this fact should be reflected in government policies. Regardless of whether this will happen through legislation in the form of the so-called Local Diplomacy Act, support measures should be implemented,” Ha said during the roundtable session.

Hong Suk-hoon, a professor of international relations at Changwon National University, emphasized the need for an effective management system.

“For local governments to conduct diplomacy effectively, partnership with the central government and comprehensive institutional reforms at the local level are necessary. We need an organized framework that systematically supports local governments in their diplomatic efforts,” he said.