The International Political Science Association (IPSA) established the Kim Dae-jung Award in 2024 to formally celebrate his enduring legacy in advancing global peace, democratic governance, and human rights. Sponsored by the Kim Dae-jung Foundation, this prestigious accolade recognizes those scholars who embody his vision for democracy, human rights, and global peace. IPSA presented the inaugural award in 2025 during its World Congress in Seoul.
Building upon this momentum, the Academy of Kim Dae-jung Studies—the dedicated research arm of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation—has organized a closed panel titled “Revisiting Kim Dae-jung’s Legacy in an Era of Changing Global Order.” This session will be held at the upcoming 2027 IPSA World Congress in Rome, Italy, serving as a dual commemoration of both Kim Dae-jung (former South Korean President and the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize laureate) and the Kim Dae-jung Award. Crucially, the panel’s focus is intrinsically aligned with the overarching theme of the Rome Congress: “Uncertain Democracies: Rethinking Governance in a Changing Global System.”
Kim Dae-jung was a rare democratic philosopher-statesman whose intellectual rigor matched his political courage. As the prolific author of the 30-volume Kim Dae-jung Works, he articulated profound philosophies and thoughts on human dignity and non-violence. More importantly, he successfully translated these foundational thoughts into concrete, transformative policies during his presidency. His governance not only catalyzed South Korea's democratic consolidation and economic development but also provided a resilient blueprint for the broader international community navigating autocratic threats.
Revisiting his legacy offers a remarkably timely intellectual framework for analyzing today's shifting global system. To capture the full breadth of his influence, this panel will explore a diverse array of contemporary challenges through the lens of Kim Dae-jung’s philosophies and thoughts. Featured discussions will address the evolution of K-Democracy, modern human rights crises, and renewed peacebuilding efforts, alongside emerging complexities such as artificial intelligence, economic restructuring, inter-Korean relations, and multilateral global cooperation.
