Event Recap | ROK-NL Think tank dialogue on the Indo-Pacific

On October 16th, HCSS and Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) hosted an insightful in-person event on?Maritime Security for Resilient Global Supply Chains in the Wider Indo-Pacific. This event marked the beginning of a three-year collaborative program aimed at fostering exchanges between South Korean and Dutch knowledge institutes, focusing on the geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges and potential cooperation venues between South Korea and the Netherlands.

As the Indo-Pacific region becomes increasingly central to global trade, the security of its maritime routes is paramount. The event delved into the complex and evolving landscape of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and examined the various threats and challenges that impact the stability and safety of these crucial waterways.

In addition to maritime security, the discussion focused on the security of global supply chains, particularly how disruptions in the Indo-Pacific region can have far-reaching consequences. Experts analysed the vulnerabilities within supply chains and how they are intertwined with maritime security challenges.

Event Recap

HCSS Executive Director Paul Sinning and KIEP Vice President Sungbae An set the scene for the event with some introductory remarks.

Young-ook Jang from KIEP moderated the first session: Maritime supply chain in the wider Indo-Pacific.

This session included three individual presentations and was followed by a Q&A with the audience. Our speakers for this session were Na Young Lee from the Korea Maritime Institute, Kyunghoon Kim from KIEP, and HCSS Strategic Analyst Benedetta Girardi.

The first speaker was Na Young Lee from the Korea Maritime Institute who joined us online. She presented on Port Countermeasures to Stabilise Supply Chain.

The second speaker was Kyunghoon Kim from KIEP who presented on Potential for India-Netherlands-Korea Cooperation in De-risking Maritime and Semiconductor Value Chains.

The third and final speaker for this session was our very own HCSS Analyst Benedetta Girardi who presented on Maritime Supply Chains: The Connection Between Trade and Security.

After the break, HCSS Strategic Analyst Benedetta Girardi changed hats and went from speaker to moderator, moderating the second session: Maritime security in the wider Indo-Pacific.

This session included a series of individual presentations and was also followed by a Q&A with the audience. Our speakers for this session were Nicolas Blarel from Leiden University, Henk Warnar from the Netherlands Defence Academy, Yeon-jung Ji from the ROK Naval Academy, Jihoon Yu from the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses, and Friso Dubbelboer from the Leiden Asia Centre.

The first speaker was Nicolas Blarel from 荷兰莱顿大学 who presented on Maritime security signaling.

The second speaker was Henk Warnar from The Netherlands Defence Academy who presented on Maritime security and the relevance of the Indo-Pacific to Europe.

The third speaker was Yeon-jung Ji from the Republic of Korea Naval Academy who presented on Maritime security in Asia.

The fourth speaker was Jihoon Yu from the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis who presented on Strengthening the ROK-EU Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Partnership.

The fifth and final speaker for this session was Friso Dubbelboer from the LeidenAsiaCentre who presented on Maritime security connections between the Netherlands, South Korea, and ASEAN.

This event was organised by?HCSS Strategic Analyst Benedetta Girardi as part of a three-year collaborative program aimed at fostering exchanges between South Korean and Dutch knowledge institutes, focusing on the geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges and potential cooperation venues between South Korea and the Netherlands.