Conference Report

The international conference “South Korea Between China and the United States: Geopolitical and Economic Resilience Strategies” took place on 7–8 October 2026 in Busan, South Korea. Jointly organized by Dong-A University in Busan and the East Asia Centre of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ), Germany. The conference brought together scholars from South Korea, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Belgium to discuss the geopolitical and economic challenges facing South Korea and other middle powers amid intensifying strategic competition between China and the United States. The conference addressed a broad range of issues, including economic security, technological transformation, artificial intelligence, global supply chains, international alliances, and the prospects for strategic resilience in an increasingly fragmented international order.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Kangbae Lee of Dong-A University and Professor Ralph Wrobel of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau. Congratulatory remarks were delivered by Professor Hyun-Jung Kim of the East Asian Association of International Studies and Professor Min-Ho Ryu of Dong-A University, highlighting the importance of international academic cooperation and interdisciplinary dialogue in addressing contemporary geopolitical challenges.

The keynote session, entitled “South Korea Between China and the United States,” established the conceptual framework for the conference. Professor Suk-Jun Lim of Dong-A University examined South Korea’s historical experience and its capacity for resilience in an increasingly divided world in his presentation, “Crossroads of History: South Korea’s Resilience in a Fractured World.” Professor Ralph Wrobel subsequently explored the wider geopolitical context in his paper, “Northeast Asia between China and the US: Current Geopolitical Challenges and Lessons from European Experience in Managing Great Power Rivalry.” Drawing on European experiences of managing great-power rivalry, his contribution considered potential lessons for Northeast Asia, where economic interdependence, security concerns, and competing strategic interests increasingly shape the choices available to regional actors.

Parallel Sessions

The first set of parallel sessions examined strategic resilience in a fragmented global economy and the perspectives of middle powers. The session on “Strategic Resilience in a Fragmented Global Economy,” chaired by Professor Suk-Jun Lim, explored the changing institutional and economic conditions of international cooperation. Joo-Hee Kim of Pukyong National University discussed complementary multilateralism in the age of artificial intelligence, focusing on the APEC AI Initiative and East Asian economic security. Gyu-Cheol Lee of Kumoh National Institute of Technology examined structural changes in demand for US Treasury securities and their implications for the evolving nature of dollar hegemony and market discipline. Sang-Wuk Ahn of Pukyong National University addressed the reshaping of global energy supply chains in an era of uncertainty, highlighting the importance of global risks for energy security and international economic relations.

In parallel, the session on “The Perspectives of Middle Powers,” chaired by Alexander Hess of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, focused on how countries outside the traditional great-power centres can maintain economic security and strategic autonomy. Christian Brauweiler of WHZ compared South Korea and Kazakhstan in balancing the economic rivalry between the United States and China. Regiana Revilia of the University of Lampung examined lessons from South Korea for strengthening Indonesia’s resilience as a middle power. Dewi Nurhalimah, also from the University of Lampung, analysed regulatory paralysis affecting subnational foreign investment in Indonesia under its economic security framework. Taken together, these contributions highlighted the diverse challenges confronting middle powers as they seek to attract investment, preserve policy flexibility, and navigate competing external pressures.

The afternoon sessions broadened the discussion to include artificial intelligence, technological resilience, and alternative perspectives from Northeast Asia. The session on “Strategic Resilience in the Age of AI,” chaired by Ik-Sun Lee of Dong-A University, demonstrated the breadth of research on the implications of artificial intelligence for economic security and society. Sungho Park and Kangbae Lee presented a study of the structural resilience of South Korea’s semiconductor supply chains using a geopolitical knowledge graph, focusing on the identification of vulnerabilities before disruptions occur. Ji-Su Kang and Kangbae Lee investigated how AI-based conversational systems might support continuity in the everyday lives of older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Eun-Ho Kim and Min-Ho Ryu examined the effects of AI-based personalization on advertising effectiveness, considering perceived utility, perceived threat, PUTD, and age. Jeong-Uk Park and Han-Byul Choi presented a systematic literature review of GriefTech, analysing technological architectures, stakeholders, and the multidisciplinary tensions associated with technologies designed to address grief and bereavement. These papers illustrated how AI-related resilience extends beyond industrial competitiveness to encompass social inclusion, consumer behaviour, and sensitive areas of human experience.

The parallel session on “Alternative Perspectives from Northeast Asia,” chaired by Christian Brauweiler and conducted in a hybrid format, provided comparative insights into the region’s economic and political dynamics. Yang Li and Ting Long, representing the ReConnect China Horizon Europe Project and affiliated with the Université libre de Bruxelles and Ghent University, examined China’s interpretation of South Korea’s economic security strategy between 2022 and 2026, focusing on the tension between alliance alignment and selective de-risking. Katsuhiko Hirasawa of Nihon University analysed changes in American capitalism and their implications for labour conditions in Japan. Junko Hirasawa of Kawaguchi Junior College explored litigation surrounding dismissals in Japan and the question of which interests should receive legal protection in court. Hung-Chin Wu of National Sun Yat-sen University investigated China’s geoeconomic strategy and its effects on major East Asian countries, using South Korea and Japan as case studies. The session highlighted the interconnectedness of economic security, domestic institutional developments, labour relations, and the strategic calculations of regional powers.

The second conference day continued with the session on “Technological Change and Strategic Resilience,” chaired by Professor Ralph Wrobel. The contributions examined how technological developments and international competition influence national and organizational resilience. Bernhard Seliger of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau and the Hanns Seidel Foundation discussed closer cooperation, strategic partnership, and competition in the context of Canada’s submarine procurement project and competing bids from South Korea and Germany. Eun-Ju Lee of Dong-A University investigated the drivers of China’s AI policy from the perspective of science and technology, with particular attention to AI governance. Alexander Hess of WHZ examined the organizational conditions required to translate investment in artificial intelligence into greater economic resilience in South Korea. Collectively, the papers underscored that technological capabilities alone do not guarantee resilience; institutional frameworks, organizational structures, international partnerships, and strategic decision-making also play crucial roles.

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The conference concluded with closing remarks reflecting on the range of issues discussed and the value of continued international academic exchange. Across its sessions, the conference demonstrated that South Korea’s position between China and the United States cannot be understood solely through the traditional lens of military alliances or bilateral trade relations. Instead, its strategic choices are shaped by the interaction of economic interdependence, technological competition, supply-chain vulnerabilities, domestic institutions, and broader geopolitical transformations. A central theme emerging from the discussions was the challenge of balancing security commitments with economic interests. For South Korea and other middle powers, resilience increasingly depends on the ability to diversify economic relationships, strengthen technological capabilities, develop flexible institutional arrangements, and maintain room for independent decision-making without abandoning essential international partnerships. The contributions also showed that these challenges extend well beyond Northeast Asia, with comparative perspectives from Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia offering valuable insights into the strategies available to states operating in a multipolar and increasingly competitive world.



By bringing together scholars from different countries and academic disciplines, the joint conference of Dong-A University and the East Asia Centre of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau provided an important forum for examining these challenges from both regional and comparative perspectives. It strengthened the foundations for continued academic cooperation between South Korea and Germany and contributed to a broader discussion of how states and societies can develop effective strategies for geopolitical and economic resilience in an era of intensifying great-power rivalry.