Founding Background

Humanity emerged through 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, 4.6 billion years of Earth's formation, and 3.8 billion years of the evolution of life, and remains intimately connected to Earth's nature — both living and non-living. The stabilization of Earth's climate roughly 11,700 years ago, after the last ice age, allowed civilization to begin. Yet the climate crisis of our era is undermining the very foundations of civilization and driving species extinction at a pace unprecedented in Earth's history — a crisis we now feel in our daily lives.

While a transition to carbon neutrality is being discussed worldwide as a response to this crisis, a more complex approach is needed — one that looks beyond a human-centered perspective to examine our relationship with the Earth. We must seek a path toward becoming a genuine Earth community.

Jeju is a volcanic island shaped by roughly 1.8 million years of volcanic activity, centered on Hallasan and its lava landscapes. As a unique site holding UNESCO's triple crown — World Natural Heritage, Biosphere Reserve and Global Geopark — it exemplifies extraordinary natural, geological and cultural value. The haenyeo culture, a symbol of coexistence between humans and nature, is also inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Yet Jeju stands at the front line of the climate crisis, among the first places to experience rising temperatures, rising sea levels, freshwater depletion and shifting rainfall patterns. For these reasons, Jeju can be described as a hub for solving the problems of our era.

Founded in 2026, World Ecology Forum JEJU seeks to build an international ecological platform for integrated systemic change grounded in coexistence with nature amid compound crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss.