Former Canadian prime minister
Justin Trudeau marked his debut in Korea
in what is believed to be his first major private speaking engagement since stepping down as the Liberal leader earlier this year.
For speaking appearances, Trudeau is represented by the Speaker Booking Agency, which lists his in-person fee range as $100,000 or more.
“As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Justin Trudeau’s expertise is in high demand,”
.
Trudeau returned with a call for “good people” to be resilient as the world enters a period of rapid and destabilizing change.
“The rules-based order of the past 80 years has delivered peace, prosperity, and stability unlike anything humanity has ever experienced,” Trudeau said during his keynote address at the 26th World Knowledge Forum opening ceremonies in Seoul, according to the
agency.
“What we must build now is resilience.”
Trudeau told the audience of global business and political leaders that AI, the Ukraine-Russia war, conflict in the Middle East, and U.S.-China tensions threaten international order.
In his speech titled “Leadership and Resilience in a Time of Transition,” the 23rd prime minister of Canada warned against an increasing number of autocracies globally, noting that they outnumbered democratic nations in 2024 “for the first time in a very long time.”
“The pace of change in our world is destabilizing,” ANI reports.
Earlier this year, the University of Gothenburg’s V-Dem Institute counted 91 autocracies to 88 democracies in
Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, the theme of this year’s forum was “New Odyssey: Navigating the Great Transition.”
Despite the grim take, Trudeau urged optimism, saying the future depends on “communities of good people.”
”To navigate the transition, resilience should be in the middle of it,” he said, as reported by the
“We need every single person to be part of the resilient communities, societies, and systems.”
Trudeau spoke admiringly of the host nation and the strength of its democracy in the wake of a period of destabilization that began when former president Yoon Suk-yeol tried to impose martial law in December.
The constitutional crisis led to his impeachment and a snap election in June brought into power former opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who has enacted reforms to limit executive overreach.
“Thank you for showing us how to fight for democracy at a time when too many around the world are taking it for granted,” Trudeau said, as reported ANI.
According to MAEIL Business Newspaper
, the title sponsor for this year’s forum, the 53-year-old was met with “a flood” of people hoping to take selfies with him.
Trudeau also took part in a one-on-one dialogue with provincial governor Lee Cheol-woo “to explore how Asia-Pacific partnerships can advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity amid rapid global change.”
Cheol-woo is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in November.
Trudeau’s appearance comes after a summer of travelling with his three children — with separate trips to Switzerland, Italy and western Canada — and
a highly-publicized dinner with pop star Katy Perry.
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