Since our founding in 1946, the Kyunghyang Shinmun has been continuously advancing for nearly 8 decades. In 1998, the Kyunghyang Shinmun was reborn as Korea's first employee stock owned newspaper as an independent media outlet and became a representative public opinion newspaper in Korea which is not biased towards any side.

To commemorate our 70th anniversary in 2016, we launched the first <Kyunghyang Forum> under the theme of The New Normal Era - Innovation and Insights. Following that, it has secured meaningful breakthroughs under various distinguishing topics. It addressed the themes of the 4th Industrial Revolution - New Opportunities and New Challenges in 2017, BEYOND $30000, Striving for a better tomorrow - Beyond inequality in 2018, Korean Peninsula 2.0 - Working Towards Mutual Prosperity in 2019, COVID-19 and Its Aftermath: Roadmap for Navigating the Post-Pandemic World Order in 2020, Living with the Climate Crisis: The Path to Survival in 2021, The Age of Great Transformation: Roads to a Sustainable Future in 2022, Beyond Growth – New Paradigms for Common Prosperity in 2023 and Bridging the Divide, the Value of Diversity and Inclusion in 2024.

This year, <Kyunghyang Forum> will explore the theme of “The Age of Hyper-Acceleration: Beyond Fear to Hope.” Technological advances led by artificial intelligence are reshaping politics, economics, society, and culture while becoming a global issue that impacts everything from the environment to employment. This AI revolution often likened to past industrial revolutions, offers tremendous opportunity but is also a double-edged sword that poses unpredictable risks. As human consciousness and ways of life rapidly evolve, now is the time to seek collective wisdom on how to build a future where humanity and AI can coexist in harmony.

This year’s <Kyunghyang Forum> will feature a distinguished lineup of international experts. Gina NEFF, Executive Director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, University of Cambridge, known for her research on equitable AI policy will deliver a keynote speech. Also joining are XIANG Biao, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany, whose work critically examines the structural oppression experienced by individuals in contemporary society; and Bo AN, a leading scholar in AI research and President’s Chair Professor in Computer Science, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. From Korea, we are joined by LEE Kwang Hyung, President of KAIST; Professor MOON Byung-Ro from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of Seoul National University; Professor LEE Jung-Dong from the College of Engineering of Seoul National University; Professor KIM Jae-Yin from the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies, Kyung Hee University; Professor KIM Hyo-eun from the Department of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Hanbat National University; BAE Kyunghoon, President of LG AI Research; and KIM Jihee Professor, School of Business and Technology Management, College of Business, KAIST. A special lecture will also be delivered by acclaimed novelist CHUNG Serang.

This year’s <Kyunghyang Forum> will serve as a meaningful opportunity to explore how technology and humanity can coexist and thrive in an era of unprecedented change. The Kyunghyang Shinmun remains committed to promoting a sustainable and equitable future, and we look forward to your continued interest and participation. Thank you.