A bill to strengthen public diplomacy capabilities suited to the digital age has been proposed in the National Assembly. The amendment clearly defines "digital public diplomacy" as a legal concept and establishes the basis for setting up a dedicated digital public diplomacy organization within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Rep. Kim Gun of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said on the 23rd that he had sponsored the "Public Diplomacy Act amendment," also known as the Digital Charm Power Act.
The current Public Diplomacy Act stipulates that the state should promote public diplomacy through culture, knowledge, and policy to enhance foreign citizens' understanding of Korea.
However, as the influence of digital platforms such as social networking services (SNS), online content, artificial intelligence (AI), and the metaverse has rapidly expanded, the space for public diplomacy has also shifted quickly from an offline focus to the digital space. Public diplomacy needs to move beyond simple publicity or information delivery toward communicating with global citizens in the digital space, building relationships, and spreading empathy and trust toward Korea.
Accordingly, Rep. Kim proposed the amendment, which clearly defines digital public diplomacy as a legal concept and requires the government to include digital public diplomacy policy when establishing its basic public diplomacy plan. The amendment also contains a provision providing the basis for establishing a dedicated digital public diplomacy organization within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If the bill passes, digital-based public diplomacy projects that have been separately pursued by overseas diplomatic missions, the Korea Foundation, relevant ministries, and local governments are expected to be linked to the basic public diplomacy plan. A dedicated organization would be established to design and promote related policies more strategically.
"Through this bill, we will establish a public diplomacy framework suited to the digital age and create a new foundation for Korean diplomacy that approaches global citizens in a trustworthy and appealing manner," Kim stressed.
