U.S. Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya on March 19 gives a congratulatory speech at the Civic Society and Youth Event of the third Summit for Democracy at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District.

By Yoon Sojung
Photos = Jeon Han
Video = Jeon Han and Lee Jun Young

Civic and youth groups and intergovernmental partner organizations related to democracy on March 19 gathered in Seoul to discuss raising participation in the development of democracy.

On the second day of the third Summit for Democracy at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District, they exchanged opinions on a range of issues.

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya called the role of youth essential for the development of democracy, saying such evolution stems from youth participation.

To support youth leaders and better reflect their opinions in policymaking, the official said, the U.S. government at last year's summit launched the Youth Democratic Network. She also urged the younger generation around the world to join this network to participate in policymaking.

She added that she wanted to learn from "youth democracy champions" and hoped to meet them on the policy stage.

At the opening ceremony that day, Thomas E. Garret, secretary general of the Community of Democracies, a global coalition of countries for democracy, and Lee Dong Hoon, chief youth adviser at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stressed bigger youth participation and the role of youth leaders in the innovation and development of democracy.

The ceremony was followed by discussions by topic. The group of organizations Design 4 Democracy Coalition hosted a session under the theme "Building Social Media and Technology for Democracy," citing the situation surrounding the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November.

The speakers said numerous election-related websites use new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) to create a host of information security threats like data distortion, fake news, deepfakes and cyberattacks. Experts in the field shared their experiences on responding to such problems. They also discussed with the audience what government-level efforts are needed to prevent such issues and protect democracy.

Also, the exhibition hall had booths each holding talks on themes such as "A Path for Youth-led Democratic Renewal," "Future of Democracy in the Digital Age" and "Global Trends for Democracy's Core Institution – Elections."

A sideline discussion hosted by the Ministry of Unification on "Democracy and North Korea's Jangmadang Generation" drew heavy attention. The term jangmadang means "marketplace," and this generation refers to North Korean youth born in the 1990s, a time of economic hardship for the North in which such marketplaces saw private trading activities. 

To help visitors better understand the North's poor economic state and violations of democracy and human rights suffered by North Koreans, Whang Taehee, director-general of the ministry's Unification Cooperation Bureau, gave a lecture and North Korean youth defector Kim Il Hyuk shared his experience. 

The panel discussion "Democracy and North Korea's Jangmadang Generation" is held on March 19, the second day of the third Summit for Democracy, during the Civic Society and Youth Event at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. Shown is Whang Taehee, director-general of the Ministry of Unification's Unification Cooperation Bureau, giving a lecture on the North Korean economy and youth born in the 1990s.

arete@korea.kr