1. Ambassador for Polar Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Chung Byung-ha attended the 19th Arctic Frontiers* and the Arctic Council** Observer Meeting held in Tromsø, Norway from Monday, January 27 to Thursday, January 30. During his visit, Ambassador Chung also had bilateral meetings with key figures from Arctic states and visited major Arcit-related institutions to engage in discussions on recent developments in Arctic affairs and Korea’s approach to strengthening Arctic cooperation.

* The Arctic Frontiers is an annual international conference on Arctic affairs held in Tromsø, Norway since 2007. It brings together over 1,000 participants from government, academia, industry, and the media. Tromsø, home to key Arctic institutions such as the Arctic Council Secretariat, the Arctic Economic Council Secretariat, and the Indigenous Peoples Secretariat, is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Arctic."

** The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum established under the Ottawa Declaration in 1996 to promote sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic region. It comprises eight member states and 13 observer countries, with Korea serving as an observer since 2013.

2. Held under the theme “Beyond Borders,” this year’s Arctic Frontiers brought together high-level government officials from Arctic states—including the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Norway, and vice foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden—as well as stakeholders from academia, industry, and research. Participants exchanged views on current developments in the Arctic, including rising geopolitical tensions, and discussed ways to strengthen international cooperation on Arctic issues.

3. The Republic of Korea hosted a dedicated session titled “Korea’s Collaborative Journey in the Arctic,” where it highlighted its diverse contributions to addressing key Arctic challenges such as climate change, including scientific research. The session also introduced the significance and future plans for the Arctic Partnership Week*, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

* The Arctic Partnership Week is an international forum co-hosted annually since 2016 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to promote international cooperation in areas such as Arctic policy, science, and industry. It draws over 1,000 participants, including government officials, ambassadors of Arctic states to Korea, domestic and international experts, and the general public.

4. Ambassador Chung participated in the Arctic Council Observer Meeting chaired by Morten Høglund, the current Senior Arctic Official Chair (SAOC), where he outlined Korea’s contributions in fields such as climate change response, environmental protection, and capacity building for the next generation of Arctic experts. He reaffirmed Korea’s commitment to continued engagement and multidimensional cooperation on Arctic issues. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide emphasized the continued importance of the Arctic Council as a central forum for addressing Arctic challenges amid geopolitical uncertainty and positively assessed the contributions of observer states—including Korea—through active participation in the Council’s six working groups.

5. On the margins of the Arctic Frontiers, Ambassador Chung held bilateral meetings with key Arctic state representatives including Robert Sinclair, Canada’s Senior Arctic Official, and Tove Søvndahl, Greenland’s government representative*. They discussed the current landscape of the Arctic Council and potential avenues for responding to evolving regional issues. Ambassador Chung also visited the KOPRI-NPI Polar Research Cooperative Center, the Arctic Council Secretariat, the Indigenous Peoples Secretariat, and the Arctic Economic Council Secretariat, where he explored ways to strengthen collaboration with Korean research institutions and businesses.

* As Denmark assumes the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council for the 2025–2027 term, it plans to appoint Greenlandic officials to represent the Council at the ministerial level and chair the Senior Arctic Officials' meetings.

6. As a responsible member of the international community, the Republic of Korea will continue to actively contribute to global efforts in addressing key Arctic challenges such as climate change and will further strengthen cooperation with Arctic states moving forward.