This was my first time attending the Asian Leadership Conference. Within South Korea, the ALC is a premiere event, attracting top brass from Korean conglomerates and multi-national corporations. It also features high-profile speakers. It was standing-room only for the keynote address by former President Obama, who spoke about his hopes for a diplomatic approach to N.Korea and encouraged a collaborative effort with China.

 

 

It was the first time the ALC partnered with Hello Tomorrow Korea for its inaugural deep tech gathering, providing entrepreneurs and delegates from traditional industries, two groups who might not normally meet one another, a chance to mingle. For my part, I enjoyed moderating two panels: one exploring how to develop deep-tech ecosystems and another debating consumer travel to Mars.