“In the era of AI transformation, wisely choose a new path
“Future Strategies of Pioneering Global Leaders”

Regime change.
It is a word that will permeate Korea and the world in 2024 and 2025.
The wave that began in late 2024, signaling the start of US President Donald Trump's second term, has brought about a major shift in leadership, with the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, being replaced one after another.
In particular, the martial law situation that occurred in Korea demanded a tsunami-like change of attitude from the secretariat preparing for the next World Knowledge Forum.
Moreover, the world has been unable to prevent two wars for years: Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip.
The newly inaugurated Trump administration has shattered the free trade framework that was the global standard under the WTO system through a tariff war.
The world was shaken by the policy of imposing unilateral tariffs of tens of percent not only on enemies but also on allies.
The technological security competition driven by artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, immigration and visa issues, the breakdown of the ESG framework, and the rise of the far right have all grown to a level of agenda too large to be resolved simply through international cooperation.
Amidst growing chaos and conflict, AI, which was expected to revolutionize the world, has been used as a deepfake and hacking tool, causing further negative side effects. There are also concerns that AI technology is developing further as a weapon of war rather than a driver of productivity and technological innovation.
Rather than responding to global regime changes, it was a time when a 'Great Transition' was needed, one that would innovate the fundamental system.
So, we decided to set the new theme of this year's World Knowledge Forum as 'New Odyssey: Navigating the Great Transition.'

Regarding economic cooperation, it was predicted that the scope of Korean investment in the U.S. could be expanded through exchanges in shipbuilding, civilian nuclear power, and cultural products.
“There are many nuclear power markets, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,” said Deputy Ambassador Joseph Yoon. “South Korea and the United States can work together to build nuclear reactors worth hundreds of billions of dollars.”
“Small modular reactors (SMRs) could power facilities like data centers,” said Deputy Ambassador Joseph Yoon, adding that “many Korean companies want to build SMRs in the United States.”
Chairman Ryu Jin also said, “Korea-U.S. cooperation can be expanded in cultural fields, such as K-culture and K-food,” adding, “It was not politicians but people of all ages who enjoy culture that brought us closer together.”
--- From "Inclusive Growth: Exploring and Challenges for a New Korea-U.S. Relationship"

In his book Guns, Germs, and Steel, Professor Diamond argued that the development of a nation is determined not by the superiority or inferiority of race or ethnicity, but by differences in geography and environment.
The gap in national development is the result of accumulated environmental accidents.
On the other hand, Professor Robinson finds the driving force of national development in political and economic systems.
His theory is that inclusive institutions promote national prosperity and that inclusive institutions can be sustained when state power and social power maintain a balance through constant checks and balances.
Professor Diamond first introduced the perception of past American officials toward Korea.
When asked about the three countries of Korea, the Philippines, and Ghana, "Which country will become wealthy in the next few decades?", American officials' answer was reportedly clear.
“Korea will remain poor forever, while the Philippines and Ghana will become rich.” But what actually happened was just the opposite.
South Korea has become wealthy, while the Philippines and Ghana remain poor.
Professor Diamond found the background of this difference in its historical foundation.
Korea has a deep historical foundation that dates back 1,500 years.
It has maintained a 'national government' for a long time and has Hangul, the world's best writing system.
Metal technology has also been developed over a long period of time.
The Philippines and Ghana had neither metallurgy, nor their own writing system, nor any national institutions.
Professor Diamond assessed that “Korea’s historical foundation has become the driving force behind its rise to the ranks of today’s great powers.”
This is an argument that clearly reveals his theoretical background.
--- From "Conditions for Prosperity: The New Odyssey, the Map and Rules Needed for a Great Transition"

“Trump 2.0 is an attempt at a paradigm shift to increase productivity in the United States.” The analysis is that the background of the “Make America Great Again” policy, which advocates America First, is because the American economy is being eroded due to aversion to production.
The economy is growing, but more and more Americans are becoming poorer, without a proper return of capital to workers and communities.
Therefore, it is the Trump administration's responsibility to increase the financial stability of Americans.
Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of American Compass, who spoke at the 26th World Knowledge Forum session on “Trump 2.0 and MAGA Economic Policy,” stated that the Trump administration’s core policy direction is to prevent “corporate erosion.”
He is a conservative commentator who influences high-ranking officials in the current U.S. administration, including President Donald Trump.
The point is that while the capitalist system has enriched the coffers of corporations, it has actually made workers' wallets thinner.
This is a warning that companies that have generated a lot of operating profit are hesitant to invest and thus fail to create added value for society.
Cass described this phenomenon as “companies doing nothing.”
Cass continued, “The United States is clearly the most powerful economy in the world.
“Growth is strong and unemployment is low,” he said, “but the problem is that those results are not readily apparent to ordinary workers.”
--- From "Survival Strategies in the Strongman Era: Trump 2.0 and MAGA Economic Policy"

Amidst the rapid restructuring of the global economic order, India is emerging as a new economic powerhouse. The NSE, which has grown to become the world's seventh-largest exchange, is recognized as driving innovation and development in the Indian capital market.
At the 26th World Knowledge Forum session titled "India, the Land of Opportunity, is Rising," NSE CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan and Korea Exchange Chairman Eun-bo Jeong discussed the future of their two countries' capital markets and explored the potential for strategic cooperation.
CEO Chauhan summarized India's core competitiveness into four keywords.
Consumer demand, population structure, technology, and infrastructure.
First, CEO Chauhan emphasized that it is necessary to note that India's economic structure is consumption-oriented.
He argues that despite being a low-income country, India has a large purchasing power, which inevitably leads to active participation in capital markets.
In fact, in India, savings amounting to $1 trillion are flowing into financial markets every year.
He also diagnosed that India's young population structure will be a scarce resource and a key to improving productivity in the aging phenomenon.
“India has the youngest population among major countries in the world, with an average age of around 29,” he explained. “This means that the working population will steadily increase over the next 30 to 40 years, simultaneously increasing economic productivity and growth potential.”
--- From "Asia on the Rise: India, the Land of Opportunity, Rises"

Who will win the AI ​​hegemony war? The US, which is pursuing a private sector-led strategy, and China, which is opting for government-led growth.
Which country will achieve AI hegemony? Amidst the fierce competition between the United States and China for AI technological supremacy, the 26th World Knowledge Forum offered an answer to this question at its session, "Competition for AI Hegemony: National Strategy, the Starting Point of Innovation."
Global AI experts unanimously agree that no single country or company can emerge victorious in the race to develop AI technology. The pace of change in AI technology is so rapid that it's practically impossible for any one country, like the US or China, to develop all AI-related technologies.
This means that tectonic shifts will continue to occur, with Europe, Korea, and other Asian countries accelerating the development of AI technology, and certain countries gaining the upper hand in certain technologies.
“Many people are paying attention to the AI ​​technology competition between the U.S. and China, but the AI ​​technology competition structure is not simple but complex,” said Zhang Yaqin, director of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Research Institute at Tsinghua University. “Looking at the U.S. alone, American AI companies are competing not only with domestic AI companies but also with AI companies from many countries around the world.”
He added, “The situation is similar in China. At one point, 200 companies in China alone were competing fiercely to develop LLMs.”
The point is that approaching it as a two-power competition between the United States and China is an extremely short-sighted perspective.
--- From "Seize the Hegemony: The AI ​​Hegemony War, National Strategy, and the Starting Point of Innovation"

Pascal Daloz, CEO of French AI virtual twin company Dassault Systèmes, proposed the 'generative economy' as a new economic paradigm and predicted that in the era of the generative economy, intellectual property will soon become a new investment asset.
This is because the importance of intellectual property is expected to increase as we move away from a manufacturing-centered society and products and services are defined around software.
Daloz CEO made this claim during the session titled “The Power of AI to Transform Industries” held at the 26th World Knowledge Forum.
The generative economy he proposed is a knowledge-based software economy that pursues both preservation and innovation.
The generative economy is different from the existing economic model.
Rather than a structure that is mass-produced and then discarded, we pursue optimized production from the beginning through virtual design.
It focuses on a sustainable circular economic structure.
The core of the generative economy is the power to create reality from the virtual.
CEO Dalrose introduced 'virtual twin' technology as a key infrastructure for the transition to a generative economy.
Virtual twin is a technology that creates a twin of a real object in a virtual space, conducts simulations, predicts the results, and avoids danger.
--- From "New Opportunities: The Power of AI to Revolutionize Industries"

“A Korean cosmetics company with a market capitalization of 100 trillion won will be born.
It's just a matter of time, it will come out eventually.
“If a 100 trillion won company is born, I hope it will be Gudai Global.” (Chun Joo-hyuk, CEO of Gudai Global) These days, if you go to any shopping mall in Tokyo, Japan, you can easily purchase Korean cosmetics.
Cosmetics from various Korean brands are displayed everywhere, to the point where you might feel as if you are in an Olive Young store operated by CJ Olive Young, a core affiliate of CJ Group.
There are quite a few places that hold 'K-cosmetics special exhibitions' where they only sell Korean cosmetics.
The number of stores selling Korean cosmetics is increasing not only in New York, USA, but also in Paris, France, Milan, Italy, which represent the fashion and beauty industries, and in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.
This is the so-called 'golden age of K-beauty'.
In fact, the status of Korean cosmetics, or K-beauty, is rising day by day.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Korea's cosmetics exports in the first half of 2025 reached $5.5 billion, a 14% increase from the previous year.
--- From "The Joy of Life: The Era of K-Beauty's Rising Powerhouse"

“Turkey is not a technological paradise.
“But it is a paradise for technology companies,” said Cenk Bayrakdar, founding partner and representative of Revo Capital, one of the largest venture capital firms in Turkey, introducing Turkey at the 26th World Knowledge Forum.
“In Turkey, tech companies don’t have to pay corporate tax or value-added tax,” said CEO Bayrakdar, speaking at the session “Expanding Beyond Borders: The Turkish Startup Ecosystem for Global Investors.” He added, “We don’t have to pay income tax on employee salaries; we just pay them net salaries.”
Marketing costs are also supported by the Turkish government.
If you are a game company, application (app) development company, or business-to-business (B2B) SaaS company, you can receive 60% of your marketing costs.
He explained, “The limit per application is $300,000 (about 420 million won),” and “If a company operates 10 games, it can receive $3 million (about 4.2 billion won) per year.”

--- From "Collaboration and Coexistence: The Turkish Startup Ecosystem for Global Investors"