This study analyzes the speeches, presentations, and comments by Jeju Forum speakers in order to learn how similar or different their views are, what issues they are interested in, and what concepts they use in reasoning, using an open-source qualitative data analysis program, KH Coder.

The Jeju Forum is different from the rest of multilateral security dialogues in East Asia in terms of agenda and geographical focus. During the early years of the Jeju Forum, multilateral security cooperation and the Korean peninsula were its main agenda and geographical focus. Even after it became an “omnibus” forum, the Jeju Forum does not address non-traditional security issues as much as other multilateral security dialogues in the region, with the exception of the environment. Among traditional security issues, the Jeju Forum is almost exclusively focused on nuclear issues.

Speakers from same country are often found to share similar views, despite differences in their profession, affiliation or status. There were some “outlier” countries, and speakers from these countries have views different from those views held by the rest. Speakers from certain countries are found to have “median” views, implying that they may be able to act as a bridge when other countries are divided.