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The Institute for Future Strategy (IFS) at Seoul National University, Democracy Cluster, is pleased to invite you to the following symposium:

Symposium: Citizens’ Assemblies in Belgium and Korea – Reflections and Prospects

Speaker: Prof. Min Reuchamps (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium)
Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | 14:00–17:00
Venue: Roh Moo-hyun Citizen Center, Damo-yeo Lecture Room
Inquiries: mhlbest@snu.ac.kr

As democracies around the world face growing challenges and crises, there has been increasing discussion on how to strengthen representative democracy through broader and deeper citizen participation. Beyond simple aggregation of preferences through voting or negotiation, and beyond the quantitative expansion of political participation, experimental efforts are being made to restore public deliberation and realize dialogue-based democratic processes among citizens.

Among these innovations, the citizens’ assembly—which combines the principle of stratified random sampling with intensive deliberation—has emerged as one of the most notable models, spreading rapidly across Europe. In particular, Belgium has taken a leading role by institutionalizing citizens’ assemblies at both national and regional levels, integrating them into representative democratic systems and cooperative governance frameworks.

In this symposium, Professor Min Reuchamps, a leading scholar in Europe’s democratic innovation debates, will present a comprehensive overview and analysis of Belgium’s institutionalization of citizens’ assemblies. The second session will feature discussions on Korea’s ongoing efforts toward democratic innovation, including the potential legislative institutionalization of citizens’ assemblies.

We look forward to your interest and participation.
Thank you.