Invitation to the SBS D Forum (SDF), Co-Hosted by the Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University, and SBS Cultural Foundation

You are warmly invited to the SBS D Forum (SDF), jointly hosted by the Institute for Future Strategy at Seoul National University and the SBS Cultural Foundation. This year’s theme is: “Survival Strategies Rewritten in an Age of Division and Decline.” The forum will address Korea’s direction and national strategy in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, industrial strategies for an era of population decline, solutions to the hollowing out of local communities, and the potential of immigration as an alternative. Discussions will take place from the perspectives of state, society, business, and environment. At this time of transition—when it is difficult to be optimistic about a sustainable future—we invite you to join in a collective reflection on how we can survive differently and how we can live together. We look forward to gathering wisdom from many participants and writing a new story together.

For program details, please visit: https://www.sdf.or.kr/2024/ko/program

PART 01 Session 02 – Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University
Research Presentation ①: Strategies for Prosperity in a Shrinking Society – The Conditions of an Attractive Nation

The outcome of the U.S. presidential election is expected to once again shake the global order. Conflicts in the Middle East and the South China Sea show no sign of resolution, while the struggle for technological supremacy and economic security between the U.S. and China continues unabated. In such instability, Korea—as a major trading nation—will face high political and economic costs, making proactive strategies essential to safeguard its national interests and contribute to global economic prosperity. The first prerequisite for sustained prosperity is technological capability, and securing talented individuals to drive that capability. Yet, Korea faces a stark reality: since 2015, the total fertility rate has steadily declined, while outmigration of young people has weakened even the industrial base of Korea’s second-largest city, Busan. For Korea to successfully transition to advanced strategic industries such as AI and secondary batteries, immigration and foreign workforce inflows can no longer be delayed. In a society where everything is shrinking, it is time to identify together the conditions that make a nation attractive for future prosperity.