International leaders gathered on Jeju Island for the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity to address global challenges and fragmented international cooperation.
The summit serves as a critical platform for South Korea to showcase its global competitiveness and potential G7 membership while addressing systemic inequalities in trade and climate policy.
The forum, jointly hosted by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, runs from June 24 to June 26, 2026 [1]. Participants focused on a range of pressing issues, including terrorism, climate change, and the perceived double standards applied to developing nations.
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar used the event to highlight the disparities facing the Global South. He said there is a need to reinvent cooperation in a world that has become increasingly divided.
"Developing nations are being denied their right to industrialise even as India and South Korea push to rebalance a structurally skewed economic relationship," Jaishankar said.
Beyond economic concerns, the forum addressed the role of international security and the persistence of double standards regarding terrorism. Discussions emphasized that a fragmented global order hinders the ability of nations to tackle borderless threats effectively.
South Korea positioned itself as a key mediator in these discussions. By hosting the event, the nation aimed to highlight its capacity to lead on the world stage and its readiness for greater integration into the most exclusive economic circles.
“Developing nations are being denied their right to industrialise”
The Jeju Forum highlights a growing alignment between middle powers like India and South Korea as they challenge the established economic and political norms of the G7. By focusing on 'double standards' and the right to industrialize, these nations are signaling a shift toward a multipolar order where the Global South demands a more equitable distribution of economic opportunity and a consistent application of international law.
