On February 27, 2024, the Institute of Russian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Director: Sang-Yong Pyo, Department of Russian Studies) hosted a domestic academic conference as part of the HK+ Research Project’s scholarly activities under the Humanities Korea initiative. This conference, held in the second year of the project’s second stage ('Reinterpreting the Russian Humanistic Space: Russia in the World, the World in Russia'), focused on the theme 'Russia’s New Territorial Policy and Territorial Discourses.'

 The discussion was framed by President Vladimir Putin’s 2007 declaration that “Russia’s vast territory is the source of its greatness,” a statement that marked the emergence of territory-centered policies in Russia’s state strategy. These policies have since influenced not only foreign policy but also Russia’s sociocultural development more broadly. The conference examined the expansion of Russian territorial policy and its impact across multiple dimensions of Russian society.

The first session opened with a presentation by HK Research Professor Sun-Rae Kim on 'The Ukraine War and Central Asia between Great Powers.' He analyzed the political, economic, and diplomatic approaches of Russia and China toward the five Central Asian states following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022, assessing whether these states could strengthen sovereignty and pursue development amid great-power competition.

Next, HK Professor Sung-Woo Hwang presented on 'The Security Landscape of Northeast Asia: Past, Present, and Future.' His talk traced the transformations of the regional security structure from the Cold War through the post–Cold War period, evaluating the likelihood of a revival of a triangular northern–southern security order reminiscent of the Cold War.

Finally, HK Research Professor Hye-Jin Kim delivered a presentation entitled 'Land of Opportunity or Abandoned Land? The Transformation of Russian Arctic Cities.' She surveyed the general features and historical development of Arctic cities in Russia, focusing on the case of Vorkuta in the Komi Republic to analyze how regional identity in Russia’s Arctic has evolved over time.