The head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday stressed the need to revive dialogue with North Korea as world leaders, diplomats and candidates for the next UN secretary-general gathered at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity to discuss multilateralism and global security.
The 21st edition of the forum, co-hosted by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and the Jeju provincial government under the theme Reinventing Cooperation in a Fragmented World, brought together senior international figures, including five candidates vying to become the next UN secretary-general.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said it was “crucial” to “reestablish the dialogue” with North Korea, adding that restoring inter-Korean engagement would be among his priorities if elected UN chief, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
Describing reports of expanded uranium enrichment activities at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex “a concerning trend,” Grossi said the international community needed a realistic assessment of the evolving security environment.
While Pyongyang appears increasingly determined to retain its nuclear arsenal, he said lasting peace would require a framework that address the nuclear issue through dialogue rather than isolation.
Delivering the forum’s keynote address, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said global fragmentation was now a lasting reality and should not be viewed entirely negatively. He argued that reduced dominance by major powers, could create greater space for democratization and more balanced international relations.
He nevertheless warned that fragmentation should not come at the expense of efficiency, stability or security, saying those challenges could be addressed through deeper international cooperation.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the future of the United Nations amid intensifying great-power rivalry and the climate crisis, urging the United States to return to multilateral institutions it has recently left. The forum also featured UN secretary-general candidates María Fernanda Espinosa, Rebeca Grynspan, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and former Senegalese President Macky Sall during a session entitled Reimagining Multilateralism.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul later said on X that the presence of the five candidates reflected both South Korea’s growing international standing and the Jeju Forum’s emergence as a globally recognized platform for dialogue. Cho, who also addressed the Reimagining Multilateralism session said he hoped the candidates would present candid visions for advancing international peace and prosperity and wished them success in pursuing what he described as “the world’s most impossible position.”
