Marking its 11th year, SDD has contributed to upholding multilateral security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula by enabling senior defense officials and civil security experts around the world to actively participate in constructive discussions for the past decade.

The international community is now witnessing a new security landscape with growing instability that stems from both conventional security threats such as the Russia-Ukraine War and emerging security threats rising from the new domains including cyber and AI. In order to overcome such diversified threats and to build sustainable peace, it is vital to bring solidarity and cooperation to the international community. In this connection, SDD 2022 features the overarching theme of 'How to Address Complex Security Challenges : Fostering International Solidarity,' covering both traditional and non-traditional security issues including Korean Peninsula Security and Regional Security to Hybrid Warfare, Defense Science and Technology.

In particular, as the Government of the Republic of Korea is formulating its own Indo-Pacific Strategy for the first time, this year's SDD will also allow the participants to identify common security challenges within the Indo-Pacific region and explore options to reinforce international cooperation.

Furthermore, SDD Cyber Working Group, which has contributed to promoting international cooperation on the regional cyber security since 2014, will resume after hiatus of three years; and SDD Space Security Working Group will be launched in order to activate international cooperation in the field of space security.

In consideration of stabilizing COVID-19 situation, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea is pushing for an in-person main conference for this year's SDD. Defense officials and civil security experts from around the world will participate as keynote speaker, moderator, or panelist in the face-to-face discussion which will be live broadcast online to the interested defense and security experts across the globe.

I am sincerely convinced that with your participation the SDD will become a channel for meaningful dialogue for restoring regional stability. I ask for your active interest and support and very much look forward to meeting you face-to-face in September, in Seoul.