As CSIS Honorary Chairman John Hamley diagnosed, the modern international order is not the sole arena of the great powers of the United States and China. The great powers are hobbled by fatal internal flaws of population decline, real estate crises, and sharp political divisions, which are opening an unprecedented window of opportunity for middle powers like South Korea. Based on its skilled workforce and innovative corporate culture, Korea is demonstrating ‘strategic flexibility’ by cleverly utilizing the existing order to benefit the country rather than destroying it. Although there is a huge demographic crisis of low birth rate and disappearance of rural areas, Korea has the potential to become a key ‘winner’ in designing new international standards if it builds a system to overcome this.

This national strategy is also being dynamically implemented in industrial fields. Volkswagen's new electric vehicle ID.5 is being released in earnest in the domestic market and shaking up the imported car market, proving that Korea is a key test bed for global eco-friendly mobility. At the same time, Hoban Construction's recruitment of new partners and LIG D&A's unanimous agreement between labor and management show that our companies are solidifying their stability and pursuing sustainable growth in a changing environment. In particular, along with the rapid growth of the defense industry, the efforts to transition to new and renewable energy shown at the Offshore Wind Power Supply Chain Conference suggest that Korea is continuing its multifaceted attempts to secure energy security and next-generation industrial competitiveness at the same time beyond being a simple manufacturing powerhouse.

Advances in technology are also becoming a key driving force in Korea moving toward an ‘agent enterprise.’ The transition to an ‘AI-powered company’ presented by SK AX is an innovative attempt to reorganize the company’s business model itself into an intelligent one, going beyond simple digital introduction. This is a movement to achieve enterprise-wide optimization by combining data and domain knowledge across industries such as semiconductors, finance, and manufacturing, and is an essential survival strategy to gain an edge in global competition. In addition, the fact that the Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry is exploring new markets through an investment roadshow with Cambodia shows the active will of Korean companies to cross borders and establish new growth bases amidst the reorganization of the global supply chain.

In the field of sports, Korea is showing unrivaled challenges and achievements. Hong Myung-Boho's meticulous preparations and the building of a 'complete' force through the return of injured players at the North and Central America World Cup clearly demonstrate Korea's organizational power and tenacity on the international stage. The competition for first place in the group against powerful teams like Mexico proves that we have the competitiveness to never back down on the global stage, and this leads to national pride comparable to the overwhelming skills and competitive spirit shown by Mbappe of the French national team. The fighting spirit of the players and the performance of the K-League players unite the energy of the entire nation, becoming an important medium to demonstrate soft power beyond the hard areas of economy and diplomacy.