JEJU ISLAND - In recent years, local authorities in Korea have emerged as significant players in international affairs. The traditional role of the state in diplomacy is decentralizing, with cities, provinces and municipalities adopting innovative forms of international engagement known as local diplomacy.
Korea s provincial governments and foreign embassies in Korea agreed Friday to promote “local diplomacy” in a bid to strengthen multilateral cross-border relations involving subnational administrations. The agreement came on the sidelines of the first Korea Local Diplomacy Forum: Glocal Brand Strategy in the Era of Local Diplomacy, jointly held by The Hankoo Ilbo, its sister paper The Korea Times, the Korean Association of Northeast Asia Studies and the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea (GAROK).