​1. With this year marking the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold various events throughout the year in Korea and the U.S., in which people of the two countries can participate. 

2. In particular, in the 70th-anniversary events to come, the Foreign Ministry will focus on reviewing the “achievements” of the ROK-U.S. alliance to date; affirming the “advances” of the alliance that is upgrading into a “global comprehensive strategic alliance”; and shedding light on the “future” vision of the alliance together with “younger generations.” 

° These events will contribute to building “Alliance in Action toward the Future” through the state visit to the U.S. by President Yoon Suk Yeol and the First Lady at the end of April, which will mark the first of its kind by a Korean President in 12 years. 

3. Prior to President Yoon’s state visit to the U.S., the Foreign Ministry plans to hold events in which to, together with experts of the two countries, review the “achievements” of the ROK-U.S. alliance over the past 70 years and discuss ways for comprehensive bilateral cooperation.

° In mid April, the Foreign Ministry, together with the Korean Association of International Studies and major U.S. think tanks including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), will host in Washington, D.C., a policy forum on “The ROK-U.S. Alliance: the Past 70 Years, the Next 70 Years (tentative)” for discussions with current and former government officials of the two countries on implications and expected results of the first state visit to the U.S. by a Korean President in 12 years.

° The Korea Foundation and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of Harvard University will also hold a “Korean Security Summit” at Harvard University in April to mark the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance. The event will serve as an opportunity to explore with experts in foreign affairs and security, economy, technologies and cybersecurity ways to increase security cooperation between the two countries.

4. The Foreign Ministry is also planning a number of events to showcase the “advances” of the ROK-U.S. alliance into a “global comprehensive strategic alliance," which is extensively broadening its scope of cooperation to include not only military security but also economic security, state-of-the-art technologies, future industries and regional and global challenges. 

° In the first half of the year, the Foreign Ministry and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea will co-host an “ROK-U.S. Economic Partnership Roundtable” for the governments and businesses to share the achievements in economic cooperation made between the two countries to date. In the second half of the year, the Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Department of State plan to co-host an “ROK-U.S. Joint Public-Private Economic Forum - 70th Anniversary of the ROK-U.S. Alliance” for discussions on specific ways for cooperation for economic security and technology alliance.

° The Foreign Ministry, together with the U.S. Department of State, plans to co-host an “ROK-U.S. Space Forum” in 2023 to step up comprehensive space cooperation encompassing civil, commercial and security aspects between the two countries and expand space-related networks, paving the way for strengthening the bilateral alliance.

° The Foreign Ministry is planning to hold an “ROK-U.S. Symposium on Development Cooperation (tentative)” to discuss regions and sectors where the two countries can strengthen development cooperation in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and relevant experts.

° This year’s round of the “ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum,” an event co-held by the Korea Foundation and the CSIS of the U.S. on an annual basis, will take place in a special format to mark the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and cover ways to bolster strategic cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including security, economy, and emerging issues.

5. The Foreign Ministry plans to hold events for younger generations, leaders of the future ROK-U.S. alliance, to see for themselves the importance and effectiveness of the alliance and portray its future.

° The Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Department of State will hold “dialogue with Korean and U.S. diplomats” events at middle and high schools in Korea and U.S. communities throughout the year. A “quiz contest on the ROK-U.S. alliance” will also take place for students in Korea.

° The Foreign Ministry will also invite former participants in the ROK-U.S. Work, English Study and Travel (WEST) program to share their experiences in the program. It will also hold a series of interviews with experts from diverse backgrounds, including government officials who have spearheaded the advancement of the ROK-U.S. alliance, to provide opportunities to hear experience-based opinions of them. 

° Korean diplomatic missions in the U.S. will host a variety of cultural events  to deepen the friendship between the two countries especially for their younger generations. Major U.S. cities will hold a “Korea Week” event to offer opportunities for first-hand experience of Korean culture, such as films, music and art.

° In carrying out these celebrations, the Foreign Ministry will actively use social media to enhance accessibility of younger generations. It also plans to help them experience ROK-U.S. alliance in an easy and fun way by holding the events in a two-way and interactive format rather than for delivering messages unilaterally.

6. In this 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, a record 150-some events will be held by various Ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of Education, throughout the year. The Foreign Ministry will make utmost efforts for these celebratory events to enhance Korean and U.S. people’s understanding of and support for the ROK-U.S. alliance and thereby contribute to strengthening it.