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THE KOREA SOCIETY QUARTERLY
SUMMER 2001
Project Bridge
Connects
with
Korea
Castro as a Role Model for Kim Jong Il
Next Phase of Engagement with North Korea
Korean Armistice and North-South Dialogue
An American English Teacher in Korea
Russia and Northeast Asia:
Toward a New Strategic Partnership
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Korea Society. Copyright © 2001 by The Korea Society. All rights reserved. ISBN 1072-382X.
CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Getting Started Again with North Korea:
4
Donald P. Gregg
PERSPECTIVES
The Next Phase of Engagement
with North Korea
7
Sung-chul Yang
PUBLISHER
Donald P. Gregg
EDITOR
Frederick F. Carriere
DEPUTY EDITOR
Homer Williams
The Korean Armistice and
North-South Dialogue
9
James M. H. Lee
Reflections of an American English
Teacher in Korea
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Suzanne C. Lim
Katrin A. Fraser
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Sarah Sun Kim
Russia and Northeast Asia: Toward
a New Strategic Partnership
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
HanNa Kim
EDITORIAL INTERNS
Rucia Pei, Neysa Yoon
16
Vadim Medvedev
PORTFOLIO
Project Bridge Connects with Korea
CONSULTANT EDITOR
Namyoung Lee
13
Project Bridge 2000-01 Participants
34
TKS EVENTS IN REVIEW 18
TKS EVENTS AHEAD 29
RE: SOURCES & INFORM@TION 37
Kim Kiyoung’s The Housemaid: Exploring Diabolic
Desires and Death during Korea’s Early Industrialization Period
37
Film Festivals, Films on DVD, Newly Published Books 38
Conferences, Opportunities, Web sites, Teaching Resources 44
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan,
501(c)(3) organization with individual and corporate
members that is dedicated solely to the promotion of
greater awareness, understanding and cooperation
between the people of the United States and Korea. In
pursuit of its mission, the Society arranges programs
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the United States as well as in Korea.
ON THE RECORD 48
Transcript of Question and Answer Session with the Press by Secretary Colin Powell and South
Korean Minister Han Seung-Soo; Spokesman of DPRK Foreign Ministry on Bush’s Statement
On Resuming Negotiations with DPRK; Joint Press Statement Issued by the U.S. ROK-Japan
Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG); Economic Agreements between South
and North Korea
WHO’S WHO & WHAT’S WHAT 49
South Korean Victory at Boston Marathon; Obituary of Harry G.A. Seggerman, 73, a Pioneer
Investor in Asia; South Korea Approves University Project in North Korea; Donald P. Gregg
Receives Williams College Kellogg Award; Monks at War over Symbol of Peace
NEWS IN REVIEW 51
TRENDS IN TRADE & BUSINESS 54
www.koreasociety.org
MEMBERS IN FOCUS 62
3
S UMMER 2001
Getting Started Again with
North Korea: Castro as a Role
Model for Kim Jong Il
by Donald P. Gregg
ow that the Bush administration has completed its policy review and has indicated that serious negotiations with
North Korea will be resumed, a number of daunting problems come into play. One of the most difficult issues to
be dealt with is the question of what Kim Jong Il hopes to become over the next decade or so. North Korea is one
of the most successful totalitarian regimes in history, particularly in terms of maintaining the Kim family in power. This
has been done at staggering cost to the people of North Korea.
N
The question that must haunt Kim Jong Il and his military supporters is what will happen when the North Korean people
discover how far behind the rest of the world they have fallen. Will they seek quick revenge against those responsible for
their deprived state, as did the people of Rumania? Nicolae Ceausescu was one of Kim Il Sung’s few close confidants, and
his death, at the hands of his own people in 1989, came as a profound shock to the P’yongyang regime. Ceausescu’s
death was a classic illustration of the old Korean proverb that says, “He who rides the tiger is in danger of being eaten
if he tries to get off.”
I suggest that Kim Jong Il forget about Ceausescu and focus instead on Fidel Castro as a role model to follow. Cuba and
North Korea have more in common than many might realize. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis is now clearly perceived as
the most dangerous moment of the nuclear age. The 1994 nuclear crisis with North Korea has a firm hold on second
place in that fearsome hierarchy. In the 1960s and 1970s, Castro was seen as our most formidable adversary in Latin
America. North Korea, under the Kim family leadership, has long held that position in Northeast Asia.
Today, however, Castro is seen as a diminished relic of a bygone age. He is no threat to any of his neighbors but still commands respect and even fealty within Cuba without having changed his basic Marxist philosophy. Only the rabid hatred
of Castro held by the Cuban community in Florida keeps us from removing the economic sanctions, which long ago lost
any constructive impact within Cuba, and may in fact prolong Castro’s ability to maintain himself. While Castro is still a
repugnant figure, most other Americans regard him with a mixture of cynical amusement at his ability to ignore the fact
that he is a failed Pied Piper and curiosity at his ability to maintain the support of many of the Cuban people.
Kim Jong Il, after almost seven years in power, has solidified his relationship with North Korea’s military leaders through
his “military first” policy. The confidence growing from that relationship enabled him to meet with President Kim Dae-jung
just a year ago in P’yongyang. It is North Korea’s military potential, in all its various forms, that gives Kim Jong Il the
ability to extract concessions from the outside world. It is that same military potential that spawns deep suspicions of
North Korean intentions within the Bush administration.
4
S UMMER 2001
As I write these words on June 13, North Korea and the United States are resuming a dialogue that ended with Bill
Clinton’s presidency on January 20. I can imagine the clouds of mutual suspicion and hostility hanging over that meeting. The North Korean side may well be asking themselves: “What can we extract from an administration that basically
wants to kill us off?” And the American side may well believe that P’yongyang’s only motivation in talking with
Washington is to gain more concessions so that they can remain in power without changing the nature of their repressive
regime. In other words, with the North Koreans and the Bush administration starting over in terms of a dialogue, there
is very little trust to build upon. For this new dialogue to have any meaning and impact, trust must become a significant
part of it and a more positive conceptual framework must emerge. Americans and North Koreans must be able to get
beyond the term “regime survival” when talking about the future aims and objectives of the P’yongyang regime to a
schema that envisions North Korea living on more normal terms with its neighbors, particularly South Korea.
For Kim Jong Il to accept himself as a Northeast Asian Castro, and for the United States to concur that such is a viable
possibility, would require P’yongyang and Washington to lower their expectations and to enter the realm of realpolitik.
Chairman Kim would have to recognize that there is no longer any hope whatsoever of his reuniting the two Koreas on
his terms, and the Bush administration would need to abandon any ideologically-driven hopes of engineering Chairman
Kim’s downfall. If asked directly today, neither side would openly admit to the logic of adopting such non-confrontational positions. The adoption of a pragmatic, step-by-step approach to improved dialogue and mutual trust might well lead
in that direction.
“For Kim Jong Il to accept himself as a Northeast Asian Castro, and for
the United States to concur that such is a viable possibility, would
require P’yongyang and Washington to lower their expectations and to
enter the realm of realpolitik.”
President Kim Dae-jung has often said that in moving the North-South dialogue forward he has concentrated on “doing
the easy things first.” A similar approach by the United States at the present juncture would also be helpful. Unleashing
the IAEA, with its virtually insatiable demands for unannounced nuclear inspections, will not be helpful in getting a
Washington-P’yongyang dialogue started. Emphasis would better be placed on the project designed to reconnect the severed rail lines between North and South Korea. This is a practical and potentially profitable project in which all Northeast
Asian countries have expressed an interest. Implementation of the rail project would involve mine clearing in the area
through which the rail line would be rebuilt. This would require communication and cooperation between the North Korean
and the U.S. military forces and could be a convenient way of opening up the question of eventual repositioning of North
Korea’s threatening conventional forces.
The DMZ itself, as a demonstration of nature’s ability to recover from the devastations of war, is emerging as a resource
which both North Korea and South Korea have an equal interest in preserving. The rail project could also serve as an opening wedge into more ecologically-oriented projects.
North Korea would be well-advised to recognize – and respond to – the need to be seen as more forthcoming in its dealings with both South Korea and the United States. A cost-free and symbolic act of great significance would be the return
of the USS Pueblo, which has been held by North Korea since 1968. This gesture would be analogous to some recent
5
S UMMER 2001
actions taken by Castro, such as receiving the Pope, or allowing Bay of Pigs veterans to visit Havana. Acceptance by
North Korea of the South’s invitation to take part in the 2002 World Cup would also be
a positive step that would have great impact in Seoul.
The point of all this is to note that the United States and North Korea need not be locked
into an ideologically–dominated, sterile dialogue. We should not demonize the North
Koreans, nor be perceived as demons by them. There are unexplored, potential new
dimensions to America’s relations with North Korea if only we have the wit and sensitivity to find them. Castro today is a potent reminder of how progress can gradually be
made in unexpected ways, even in this imperfect world.
From l-r: Zorica McCarthy, Evans
Revere, Frank H. Hesske, Donald P.
Gregg and Tereda Terusuke.
POSTSCRIPT
A quick trip to Korea to attend a conference on Cheju Island held on June 16 left me with a kaleidoscopic array
of impressions, almost all of which were highly positive. The conference brought together distinguished participants from the United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the European Union to discuss the conference theme, “Building Common Peace and Prosperity in Northeast Asia.” The conference was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the P’yongyang Summit between President Kim Dae-jung and Chairman Kim Jong
Il, and was designed to explore both the roots and consequences of that historic event.
The conference was transformed by the news that the Bush administration had completed its North Korean policy review and restarted its dialogue with P’yongyang. If the dialogue had still been on hold, the conference would
have been a minor key, gloomy occasion. As it was, the predominant tone was one of optimism, tinged with the
realization that much work needs to be done to reclaim the momentum that had developed at the end of the
Clinton administration.
President Kim came to Cheju and got the conference off to a significant start by making a speech that called
upon all of the participants to support the resumption of the North–South dialogue and tied the U.S. and South
Korean channels to North Korea more closely together than I have ever heard him do previously. As President
Kim put it, “It goes without saying that U.S.–North Korean relations are inextricably linked with South–North
relations. Successful South–North exchange and cooperation is unlikely to materialize when only progress in one
area is visible. These two tracks must develop in unison with each other.”
Former Secretary of Defense William Perry commented on President Kim’s speech and gave it his full support. He
went on to offer his view of the priorities that the U.S. should set in dealing with North Korean issues. He suggested nuclear weapons should come first, followed by missiles, other weapons of mass destruction and conventional forces. Ambassador Choi Young Jin, an outstanding representative of the ROK foreign ministry, placed
humanitarian issues at the top of his North Korean priorities list, but also placed conventional forces last. Both
Perry and Choi expressed concern that the highly sensitive conventional forces issue was being given too much
prominence by the Bush administration, particularly when the dialogue process was just restarting.
—continued on page 56
6
S UMMER 2001
PERSPECTIVES
The Next Phase of
Engagement with
North Korea
by Sung-chul Yang
This article is an edited excerpt from an address delivered at a conference entitled "Korea and the Four Major Powers in Northeast Asia," presented by
The Richard L. Walker Institute of International Studies at the University of South Carolina on May 18-20, 2001.
hen President Kim Dae-jung launched the Sunshine Policy three years ago, no one, including President Kim himself, expected that the process of engaging North Korea would be all “blue skies and smooth-sailing.” Everyone
expected temporary setbacks and stalemates. At this particular juncture, we are, indeed, experiencing a temporary standstill. But we feel confident the situation will change as soon as the new Bush administration completes its
over-all security and foreign policy review, including its review of policy towards North Korea.
W
One way to look at the peace process with North Korea is to conceptualize it as entailing two phases. We have just exited the first phase, which occurred in the beginning
of President Kim’s term of office and the latter part of the Clinton presidency; and the
second phase is starting now in the latter part of President Kim’s term and the beginning of the Bush presidency. The first phase of Kim Dae-jung’s Sunshine Policy also
coincided with the Perry process initiated by the Clinton administration. Needless to
say, some subtle yet significant differences in agenda, manner and methods of
approaching North Korea may emerge during the second phase.
The 1994 Agreed Framework
If we focus on the
hard-core reality of
North Korea’s
political, economic
and security
Let me begin by commenting on the status of the 1994 Agreed Framework. First of
all, we should recognize that this historic accord has been successful thus far in containing the most immediate and dire nuclear proliferation threats posed by North Korea
and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. For over six years, it also
has served as a vehicle for engaging North Korea in a process of constructive dialogue
with South Korea, the U.S. and Japan through the Korean Peninsula Energy
Development Organization (KEDO).
While the progress achieved to date under the Agreed Framework should not be taken
for granted, there has been no fundamental change in North Korea’s nuclear capability since the signing of the agreement. Although we should take comfort in having
avoided a far worse situation, in the end, what has been gained is more time to resolve
the substantive aspects of the nuclear issue.
The suggestion that the light-water reactor (LWR) project currently being implemented
7
S UMMER 2001
conditions, then
we will arrive at
the inevitable conclusion that engaging North Korea is
the best practicable policy choice.
PERSPECTIVES
by KEDO should be scrapped in favor of the development
of conventional power plants would make sense as a potential option only if this change would save money or time, or
enable us to better achieve our non-proliferation goals with
the same or a reduced investment in terms of money and
time. Even if such a change were determined to meet these
criteria, to be a feasible option, this change would have to
be accepted by North Korea. In addition, a new funding
arrangement would have to be worked out before any conventional power project could be feasible.
In this regard, those who believe that North Korea is rich in
coal deposits are mistaken. North Korea’s annual production of coal, which is roughly in the range of 20 million
tons, is not even sufficient to run their existing coal-fired
power plants and to heat buildings and homes. Thus, North
Korean mountains have been deforested. Coal-fired power
plants of 2000 MW capacity would require around 5.4 million tons of high-quality imported coal. If lower-grade North
Korean domestic coal were used, it would take 8-9 million
tons annually, one half of North Korea’s total coal production. Even if North Korea, by some miracle, managed to
produce that much more coal, there is no infrastructure or
logistical means to transport 8-9 million tons of coal from
the mines to the power plants. Therefore, North Korea
would have to rely on imported coal to operate the conventional power plants at an additional cost of $200 million over the projected expense of the LWR project. If we
were to propose the replacement of LWRs with coal-fired
power plants, then North Korea would demand compensation for this differential or a supply of coal for the whole life
of the LWRs (40-50 years), adding $8-10 billion to our projected financial burden.
For this and other reasons, I would caution against underestimating the magnitude of the uncertainties and risks involved
in changing course and initiating a new power project in North
Korea. It will certainly take more time and money than many
experts estimate. Moreover, the problems involved in amending the legal and contractual arrangements already in place
should not be taken lightly. Such a change undoubtedly would
create more problems than it would solve, and the costs would
far outweigh any benefits to be reaped.
The most realistic option seems to be to proceed with the
commitments in the Agreed Framework as it stands, while
addressing the loopholes and shortcomings through close
consultations between our two governments and the other
members of KEDO.
Key Issues in Relating to North Korea
Now I would like to discuss some key issues in the efforts
to engage North Korea that are of relevance to both our
countries.
First, there is the question of whether or not we — Koreans
and Americans — can trust North Korea. In fact, the question should not be one of trust or mistrust, like or dislike.
Rather, what we know with certainty is that North Korea
has no policy option left but to ask for outside help. If we
focus on the hard-core reality of North Korea’s political,
economic and security conditions, then we will arrive at the
inevitable conclusion that engaging North Korea is the best
practicable policy choice. If we engage North Korea with
patience, understanding and a positive attitude, we will
obtain some desirable outcomes. Conversely, if we view
North Korea with suspicion, then we may end up justifying
our negative self-fulfilling prophecy.
Second, I believe that it is essential to maintain the momentum of the peace process. The engagement policy is a threeway process, comprised of South Korea-North Korea,
Japan-North Korea and U.S.-North Korea relations. Though
each process has a different agenda, the ultimate goal and
the pace of the three processes should be closely coordinated. If one process is too far ahead or another lags too
far behind, the common goal of normalizing relations with
North Korea may not be realized. Hence, timing is a critical
factor. We must take advantage of the existing window of
opportunity to make significant progress in engaging North
Korea this year.
Third, there is the question of a perceived lack of sufficient
progress. Some find the results of the North-South peace
8 S UMMER 2001
PERSPECTIVES
The Korean Armistice
and North-South Dialogue
by James M. H. Lee
This is a revised version of a paper delivered at the DMZ Forum Spring Seminar Program entitled "Creating a World Peace Park in Korea’s DMZ: Social, Political and Military Perspectives,"
presented by the Samuel Rubin Foundation, the Institute of Public Administration at New York
University and members of the DMZ Forum in cooperation with The Korea Society. The seminar
was held at New York University on May 16, 2001.
n November 3, 1968, near Ulchin-Samchok, about 150 miles southeast of Seoul along the east coast of Korea, a 17-year-old villager wrote a message on a small piece of paper: “We have a number of well-armed North Korean commandos in our village. We
need help right away.” He gave the message to a lady egg peddler who was passing through the village. She hid the message in her
sock and rushed down the mountain trail to a nearby town and delivered it to a ROK policeman. Meanwhile, the young villager and his neighbors watched as the North Korean intruders stabbed and beat another villager to death. The villager had been caught attempting to escape.
O
These North Koreans were among 120 North Korean commandos from the 124th North Korean Special Forces Group that had left Wonsan,
North Korea and infiltrated into the Ulchin-Samch’ok area by sea between October 30 and November 2, 1968. Those North Korean intruders quickly assembled the 40 villagers and urged them to support the North Korean communist cause. Distributing propaganda pamphlets
and ROK currency, they forced villagers to sign application forms for membership in a communist revolutionary organization that allegedly
existed in South Korea.
The ROK Army, police and homeland reserve forces moved immediately to eliminate the invaders. Mopping up operations by the ROK military forces against these 120 North Korean commandos, which were fully supported by the local civilian population, led to the complete failure of North Korea’s unconventional warfare operations in South Korea.
When this incident was brought up at the conference table in P’anmunjom in December of that year, the North Korean senior delegate simply brushed it aside as an allegation that had nothing to do with North Korea: “The ‘campaign of violence’ in South Korea you have clamored about at this table is the valiant, national salvation struggle by South Korean revolutionaries and patriotic people against the U.S. imperialist aggressors and their puppet clique...Your charges have nothing to do with the Armistice Agreement and the mission of this commission.” Responding in kind, the United Nations Command reminded North Korea that there was no support for the North Korean communist
1
regime in the ROK.
This incursion by the North Korean forces into the South came during the most intense period of conflict on the Korean peninsula since the
signing of the Armistice Agreement. For the first ten years after the agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, until 1963, North Korea generally observed the rules and provisions of the Armistice Agreement. Then, during the period between 1963-1965, North Korea constructed extensive fortifications and introduced military forces armed with heavy and automatic weapons into their portion of the DMZ, which is
a gross violation of the pertinent provisions of the Armistice Agreement.
Soon after, at the fourth party congress of the Korean Workers Party convened on October 5, 1966, General Secretary Kim Il Sung delivered
a policy speech, which implied a campaign of violence directed against the U.S. and the ROK, saying: (1) North Korea would regard U.S.
9
S UMMER 2001
PERSPECTIVES
aggression against Vietnam as aggression against North Korea; (2)
North Korea would conduct a more resolute struggle against the
common enemy, U.S. imperialist aggressors, and would do everything
to support the people of Vietnam; and (3) North Korea’s revolution
2
would not be complete without the liberation of South Korea. This
party policy directive, personally laid down by Kim Il Sung, was followed by a series of unprecedented and serious incidents, including
the attempted assassination of President Park Chung Hee known as
the Blue House Raid and the seizure of the USS Pueblo, both of which
occurred in January 1968, and the Ulchin-Samch’ok Commando Raid
in November which was described earlier.
During the so-called crisis period of 1967-68, North Korea launched
some 244 armed attacks on United Nations Command (UNC) and
ROK guard posts in the DMZ as well as another 347 armed incursions (see Table 1). The armed attacks resulted in the death of 289
ROK soldiers, 40 U.S. military personnel, 61 ROK civilians and 592
North Korean infiltrators. In addition, 511 ROK soldiers, 106 U.S.
military personnel and 74 South Korean civilians were wounded.
When the UNC/ROK forces were compelled to introduce heavy and
automatic weapons into the DMZ and to return fire in self-defense,
North Koreans charged the UNC/ROK with introducing illegal
weapons into the DMZ and firing them. For its part, the UNC
responded to the intensified North Korean armed infiltration across
the DMZ by constructing reinforced bunkers and trenches in its portion of the DMZ.
North Korea’s brinkmanship during this “crisis period” was obviously designed to: (1) assist North Vietnam by forcing the U.S. to divert
its military forces from Vietnam to Korea; (2) test its unconventional
warfare capability and initiate a “South Korean revolution;” (3)
embarrass the U.S. before the world and bring discredit to the presence of U.S. forces in South Korea; and (4) drive a wedge between
the U.S. and the ROK. These objectives were fully apparent in
General Secretary Kim Il Sung’s October 5, 1966 party policy speech
noted above. However, Kim’s attempt to establish a revolutionary
base in South Korea was a dismal failure due to a complete lack of
support by the local population.
Since 1974,, four North Korean underground tunnels have been discovered by the UNC/ROK in the DMZ, running across the zone from
the north to the south, and it is believed that there are many more
tunnels under the DMZ. In addition to tunnels, the North Koreans
have constructed heavy fortifications in their portion of the DMZ. A
certain Captain Shin, who defected from North Korea to the ROK on
May 7, 1983, stated that there were 18 heavily armed and strongly fortified guard posts in his division’s sector. According to him, each
guard post was manned by 36 soldiers, making for a total of 648
well-armed men in each division sector. That figure is more than one
half of the 1000 men authorized for the entire North Korean portion
of the DMZ. Captain Shin also described, in detail, extensive fortifications, tunnels, barriers, electric fences, mines, and combatants, as
well as arms, such as automatic weapons, machine guns, grenade
launchers, anti-aircraft artillery, recoilless rifles and hand-held surface-to-air missiles, most of which are illegal under the armistice
3
agreement. Thus, the DMZ, which was originally truly demilitarized,
has become a heavily armed military zone where the two opposing
forces still face each other today.
During the armistice negotiations between 1951-52, the UNC proposed that the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) be authorized
to conduct inspections and investigations, throughout the Korean
peninsula and including the DMZ, “to insure a complete cessation of
hostilities and all acts of armed forces in Korea until a final peaceful
settlement is achieved.” But the North Korean and Chinese delegations rejected this UNC proposal, and proposed instead that inspection teams from “neutral nations” perform such functions outside the
DMZ. Joint Observer Teams (JOT) have been used for supervising the
erection and inspection of the markers for the Military Demarcation
Line (MDL), which established the center of the DMZ on land, for the
recovery of bodies (i.e., war remains) from the DMZ, and for the
removal of hazards from the DMZ during the early years (1953-56).
Fifty-two JOT meetings were convened to investigate incidents
reported to have occurred in the DMZ prior to the last meeting on
April 6-7, 1967. Not one of these meetings produced a joint report
accepted by both sides. The North Koreans called 22 JOT meetings
to investigate alleged South Korean infiltration of agents into North
Korea across the MDL, and the UNC denied them all. However, the
UNC has admitted 117 violations of the armistice agreement since
its signing in July 1953, including 90 inadvertent aerial over flights,
four inadvertent naval intrusions and 23 ground violations such as
accidental crossings of the MDL, accidental firings and fires in the
DMZ. On the other hand, the North Koreans admitted only two very
minor violations, both in 1953, and denied all other charges of violations over the years apart from acknowledging some minor viola-
10
S UMMER 2001
PERSPECTIVES
These trends clearly
indicate that both
tions, such as an accidental firing in the Joint Security Area in October 1958, and offering an
expression of regret for the August 17, 1976 ax murder in the Joint Security Area at P’anmunjom.
It has become clear over the years that the North Korean policy was not to admit to any violations
charged by the UNC even if substantial evidence existed. Furthermore, North Korea often used its
veto to frustrate inspections and flatly refused to participate in JOT investigations of major incidents occurring in the DMZ.
sides have refrained
from disseminating
derogatory propaganda or causing
any incidents
within and outside
of the DMZ while
dialogue has been in
progress. Therefore,
we can say that the
North–South
dialogue and related
The year 1967 witnessed a sharp increase in tension along the DMZ a total of 195 well-documented and significant incidents all initiated by North Korea in the DMZ. The UNC, in an attempt
to de-escalate the prevailing tension within and along the DMZ, proposed a total of 25 JOT meetings to investigate the more serious incidents. However, North Korea rejected all the proposals
except the one for the JOT meeting on April 6-7, 1967. Then in 1968 there were 573 major incidents, involving armed attacks, intrusions and exchanges of fire across the MDL. The UNC proposed joint investigations of thirteen of the most serious incidents during 1968. Again, North
Korea rejected every meeting request and denied outright all of the charges made by the UNC at
the MAC meetings. The JOT, as in the case of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission
(NNSC), did not have an umpire who could break the deadlock and render a final judgment on the
contested results of investigations conducted by the opposing sides. Thus, both the JOT and the
NNSC have usually ended up filing contending reports to the MAC. Obviously, this has been unproductive. North Korea initially opposed the setting up of any kind of inspection system or the creation of supervisory agencies to monitor compliance with the terms of the Armistice Agreement.
When it failed in this effort, North Korea sought to render the supervisory agencies the NNSC and
JOT ineffective by frustrating the inspection mechanism.
The first high-level North-South political dialogue in 1971-72 led to a drastic reduction in the number of North Korean armed attacks and incursions across the DMZ. When the two Koreas were
engaged in a political dialogue, North Korea also refrained from charging ROK troops along the
entire DMZ with armistice violations, although they sharply increased their charges against the U.S.
forces deployed around the MAC headquarters area, including P’anmunjom.
contacts are essential and desirable
in easing tensions
along the DMZ even
if the talks do not
produce significant
results.
Table 1: Significant Incidents in the DMZ, 1953-1996
YEAR
ARMED
ATTACKS
1953-62
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973-96
Total
11
7
1
6
15
69
175
21
26
10
0
20
361
EXCHANGE TOTAL
ARMED
OF FIRE
INCURSIONS
32
21
15
4
7
12
165
59
40
98
118
116
29
3
4
3
11
114
233
60
30
20
0
32
539
687
11
72
31
20
13
33
195
573
140
96
128
118
168
1,587
S UMMER 2001
Note: The 459th MAC meeting held on
February 13, 1991 was the last plenary
meeting held at P’anmunjom. MAC
became defunct in 1994 when North
Korea withdrew. Although there have
been some isolated incidents since, such as
the submarine incident on the east coast in
1996 and the naval conflict in the
West Sea in 1999, the situation along
the DMZ itself has remained calm.
PERSPECTIVES
As tensions prevailing along the DMZ eased, the UNC presented a
“DMZ proposal” at the 317th MAC meeting held on June 12, 1971,
which was designed to return the DMZ to its original state as a buffer
zone. After calling for the withdrawal of heavily armed military forces
and the mutual destruction of all fortifications in the DMZ, the proposal concluded: “All that is necessary is that the commander of your side
agree to the clearing of the DMZ and to allow its development for
civilian use. If this agreement is forthcoming this commission will
have played a significant role in moving the Korean people toward peace
and unification.”
In its reply, North Korea rejected the UNC proposal saying all that was
needed was for the UNC to demilitarize its portion of the DMZ. At a
subsequent meeting on July 29, 1971, North Korea countered the
UNC proposal with the “Seven Demands,” which called for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea; the withdrawal
of nuclear weapons, guided missiles, military aircraft and naval vessels
“illegally” introduced by the U.S. in violation of the Armistice
Agreement; demilitarization of the southern portion of the DMZ; cessation of obstruction of free travel by Koreans across the MDL; etc. As
the dialogue bogged down, North Korea’s charges against the ROK
troops along the DMZ started to rise. Significantly, however, more than
95% of these North Korean charges levied against the UNC/ROK
involved only minor issues, such as armband violations and the presence
of heavy and automatic weapons in the DMZ. And, over this period,
the level of North Korean armed incursions and attacks through the
DMZ remained relatively low (see Table 1 and Table 2).
These trends clearly indicate that both sides have refrained from disseminating derogatory propaganda or causing any incidents within
and outside of the DMZ while dialogue has been in progress. Therefore,
we can say that the North-South dialogue and related contacts are
essential and desirable in easing tensions along the DMZ even if the
talks do not produce significant results.
Prior to his visit to Washington for a summit meeting with President
George W. Bush in March 2001, President Kim Dae-jung announced on
several occasions that he would seek an agreement from his North
Korean counterpart, Chairman Kim Jong Il, to transform the Korean
Armistice Agreement into an inter-Korean peace structure. President
Kim also had indicated he would seek to reactivate the 1992 NorthSouth Basic Accord when Chairman Kim visits Seoul for the second
inter-Korean summit sometime this year. Immediately following his meeting with President Bush in Washington, however, President Kim suddenly dropped his proposal for an inter-Korean peace structure and concentrated instead on the reactivation of the 1992 accord. The accord
includes North-South non-aggression language that is very similar to
what is found in the Korean Armistice Agreement.
While there has been no reaction from Chairman Kim Jong Il to the
peace structure proposal advocated by President Kim Dae-jung, it has
been endorsed by the Chinese prime minister. Thus it would appear that
China and the ROK are in favor of replacing the Armistice Agreement
with a North-South peace accord, while North Korea and the U.S. are
not. It seems that North Korea is adhering to its basic policy objective
of eliminating the U.S. military
presence on the Korea peninTable 2: Casualties Suffered by UNC (U.S./ROK) and DPRK Due to Hostile Acts by the DPRK, 1953-1996
sula by replacing the Armistice
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S
YEAR
UNITED STATES
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Agreement with a peace treaty
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
MILITARY
MILITARY
MILITARY
CIVILIAN
to be signed by the DPRK and
KILLED
WOUNDED
KILLED
WOUNDED KILLED
WOUNDED
KILLED
WOUNDED
CAPTURED*
the U.S. For its part, the Bush
1953-62
4
13
0
7
0
4
2
1
0
administration may be reluc1963
3
1
0
0
0
4
0
7
0
tant to support President
1964
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1965
0
21
19
6
13
4
51
0
0
Kim’s most important political
1966
6
29
4
28
5
43
19
1
0
objective – achieving a North1967
16
115
22
243
53
228
57
51
0
1968
18
145
35
240
16
321
13
54
0
South peace structure – lest
1969
35
10
19
39
17
55
6
5
0
such
an accord lead to the
1970
0
9
7
22
17
46
3
0
0
1971
0
18
4
28
4
22
2
0
0
withdrawal of U.S. armed
1972
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
forces from South Korea.
1973-96
7
17
50
34
17
83
8
13
3 (13)
Total
89
132
378
647
160
142
811
162
* The figures in parenthesis represent civilians.
3 (13)
12
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Mokpo Girls High School students
participating in school-wide exercises typical of schools in Korea.
Reflections
of an American English Teacher in Korea
by Katrin A. Fraser
Almost a year has passed since I arrived in Korea to take up my assignment with the Fulbright ETA (English
Teaching Assistantship) program. Like most of the forty-two young American university graduates who
arrived at Kimpo that day, I could not speak a word of Korean and had no prior professional teaching experience. After a six-week ‘crash course’ to deal with these deficiencies, the members of the ETA Class of
2000 left Seoul to take up the challenge of teaching English in schools across the Korean peninsula. I was
assigned to a girls high school in Mokpo, a city of approximately 240 thousand located in the southwestern corner of the Korean peninsula.
Thus far, the experience has been rich and rewarding, but at times also troubling. Since I began teaching in
August last year, many of my experiences at my high school have impressed me greatly, while others have left me
with some concern about both the immediate and long-term impact of the educational system on Korean students.
This article presents several observations and concerns from the professional side of my ten months in
Korea. It begins with several caveats: first, having worked in Korea for such a short time, I can claim only
‘novice observer status’ with respect to Korea and its educational system, and I am certainly a long way
from mastering the art of teaching. Second, these are reflections of a person whose elementary and middle
school experience was typically American – public and suburban. My secondary schooling was in private
schools in Australia. My university education was in the U.S. Thus, the background against which I evaluate my Korean experiences is not completely coherent. I will begin with my positive reactions to the Korean
system and conclude with my concerns.
merican educators who have the opportunity for a short visit to a Korean provincial school would probably come away with a number of false impressions. For the most part the physical facilities are basic.
Although the school is well equipped technologically, with large television monitors and computers with
access to the Internet in every classroom, there is no gymnasium, no auditorium and only a very small library.
Visitors also might be surprised to find that the school has no central heating system. The classrooms become so
cold in December and January that students have a six-week break during these months. What any short-term foreign visitor will not see, and what has impressed me the most in my time at Mokpo Girls High School, is the
extraordinary dedication of the teachers and their concern for the welfare of their students. Even though class
sizes are large, averaging forty students, no student is allowed to “slip through the cracks.”
A
13
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PERSPECTIVES
From left to right: Mokpo Girls High School. Students designing costumes in the language lab to use in a Halloween dialogue. The language lab is the most technologically
advanced classroom in the school with computers and
Internet access, and a large monitor hooked up to the main
computer at the front of the room.
One area where this is apparent is in the role of homeroom
teachers. Korean homeroom teachers carry a much broader
range of responsibilities than their counterparts in schools I
attended in the U.S. and Australia, where their primary role is
to take attendance in a brief fifteen-minute period at the beginning of the day. In Korea, being a homeroom teacher involves a
great deal more than counting heads. They are expected to keep
their students on good behavior, to assist in improving their
grades in any subject, and to monitor any shifts in mood or
behavior that could indicate problems in their personal lives.
Not surprisingly, the hours required of homeroom teachers are
greater than those of teachers in other roles. To coach students
during the after school “free study” time and to ensure students
in their charge are working sufficiently hard to keep up with all
of their subjects, it is not uncommon for homeroom teachers to
finish their day’s work as late as ten o’clock at night.
The dedication of Korean teachers is also apparent in their
willingness to accept the sacrifices to family life involved with
transfers every two to four years among schools within their
region. The practice of transferring teachers every few years
was developed to promote consistency in the quality of education offered in rural and urban areas. Without such a system,
the schools in larger cities would benefit from being able to
select from a larger pool of qualified teachers, while the rural
schools would suffer teacher shortages. The situation in South
Cholla Province, which includes Mokpo, illustrates this problem.
In addition to the cities of Mokpo, Naju, Yosu and Kwangju, the
province includes numerous islands along the coast. There are
small fishing communities on many of these islands with populations large enough to justify operating elementary and
middle schools. But being so remote, it is not likely that these
villages and small towns could attract qualified teachers.
While I was fortunate to have had many good teachers in the
U.S. and Australia, I believe very few of my teachers would have
accepted the hours worked by my Korean colleagues. In addition, I never sensed the level of commitment to the welfare of
individual students that I have experienced among teachers here
in Mokpo. I wonder if the gun violence experienced in
American schools over the last few years, such as at
Columbine, Colorado and more recently at Santee High
School near San Diego, California, would have occurred if
American teachers viewed their responsibilities to individual
students as they seem to here in Korea?
Multi-year assignments to island schools are particularly difficult
for the teachers and their families. My home stay father is a physical education teacher who has had island placements for the past
six years.1 Every Saturday afternoon, he returns home to Mokpo
by ferry. He then has twenty-four hours to catch up with his family before taking another ferry back to school on Sunday afternoon. During the week, he sleeps and eats all of his meals at
school with other teachers who share his boarding situation.
While to the outsider it may seem that Korean educators are
making great and noble sacrifices to ensure the well-being of the
14
S UMMER 2001
PERSPECTIVES
broader community, I am not sure they see it that way. A couple
of weeks ago at a gathering of English teachers in Mokpo, I
asked several teachers their views on the transfer system. I was
quite surprised to learn that very few teachers seemed bothered
by the need to change schools so often. One teacher from a
nearby boys high school felt that the system was the only way
to solve a potentially serious social problem. She told me,
All of Korea’s children, living in both urban and rural
areas, need to be educated, but there are many more
highly qualified teachers in the cities than the countryside. The only fair way to deal with this problem is for all
teachers in the region to share the responsibility to educate the whole region, not only students who live in their
own town or village.
Katrin A. Fraser receives flowers from one
of her students on Teacher’s Day.
Other teachers added
that they enjoyed the
opportunities that this
system provided to meet
people and work in fresh
environments every few
years. When I told them
that I could return to my
middle school outside of
Boston and visit the same
teachers that taught me
when I was a student
there,
one
teacher
exclaimed, “How boring!”
The positive attitude and self-sacrifice my Korean colleagues
display in addressing inequality of educational opportunity
has impressed me a great deal. In the United States, a different path has been taken in an attempt to solve the same problem. When faced with the inequality of educational opportunity between inner city and suburban public schools, the
American solution puts the burden on the students, not the
teachers. Students from under-privileged inner-city neighborhoods are bussed to suburban schools with better educational facilities. A friend in my middle school was (voluntarily)
bussed from a poor Boston neighborhood to my town, a distance of 30 km each way. Some inner-city students who
attend suburban schools begin their school day on a bus at 6
a.m. and do not return home until almost 6 p.m.
In reflecting on the willingness of Koreans to be relocated, I have
found myself wondering how American teachers would react to
being transferred from school to school every few years?
While the commitment of my Korean colleagues to their students
and to the educational system has impressed me greatly, some
aspects of the Korean education system I find quite troubling. One
concern is that students seem to be motivated to learn solely to do
well on exams, particularly the exams that determine where they
will attend university. Teachers as well seem to focus their efforts
more on producing good exam results than on the overall ‘education’ of students. In the Korean educational system there seems to
be no pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake. The mission of
the Korean educational system seems to be to produce students
who do well on university entrance exams.
Such a narrow focus on exam preparation is caused in large part
by university entry procedures. Similar to the system in
Australia, but unlike that in the U.S., the grade one earns on the
exam determines which university you are able to attend. Failure
to win admission to an elite Korean university (Seoul National,
Yonsei and Korea, in particular) places a person at a distinct
social disadvantage for, quite literally, the rest of their career.
Couple that with the influence of the Confucian hierarchy of professional prestige (many students are pressured by parents to be
professors, lawyers and doctors) and the pressure for students to
excel on the exam is, for most Americans, quite unimaginable.
The second concern relates to the first. The very narrow
focus on producing good exam scores has resulted in a
‘cram style’ learning in Korea. Students become very good
at the hurried memorization of as many facts as possible
before exams. Unfortunately, for most people, cramming is
only conducive to retaining information in the short term.
After a couple of weeks, sometimes even days, the collection of facts is gone, and the student is left no better ‘educated’ than before the cramming process began.
15
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PERSPECTIVES
Toward a New Strategic Partnership
by Vadim Medvedev
rom time immemorial, there has been an endless debate in Russia between those who support an orientation
toward the West and the proponents of the nation’s uniqueness as a Slavic Eastern European or Euro-Asian country. This debate continues today. Some experts advocate an intensification of the links with the West, primarily
with the United States and Western Europe, which are close to Russia in their culture, mentality and historical traditions. Others propose that Russia face the East – China, India, Japan and Korea – countries with which there also are
many bonds. Still others favor putting priority on relations with the Arab East and the countries of Central and Eastern
Europe – Russia’s former Warsaw Treaty allies. The only thing that is never questioned is the restitution and maintenance of Russia’s role in the geographical area encompassing the territory of the former Soviet Union, which reflects
the historical links among people who once were citizens of one integral country.
F
My colleagues and I at the Gorbachev Foundation believe that the development of relations in every direction is in keeping with Russia’s contemporary position and interests as well as with its national potential. Russia cannot turn isolationist in an era of post-industrialism and globalization. It has opened itself to the West in order to become better integrated
into the general course of contemporary civilization’s development, and not in order to turn away from the East.
At the same time, as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, it should not be overlooked that Russia was substantially pushed to the North and the East. That is, Russia lost several direct transport routes to Europe and the
Atlantic region, and the nation’s main natural deposits are located in the North and the East. As a result, Russia
appears to have drawn nearer to its neighbors in Northeast Asia. This shift also explains the region’s growing importance for Russia’s strategy.
In many respects, Northeast Asia is a
very unique area in the Asia and Pacific
region. The countries in this area differ
greatly from one another in their level of
economic development, socio-political
systems and historical traditions. The
sub-region includes China, not only the
world’s largest country in terms of population and one of the largest in terms
of territory, but also a major country in
terms of its economy, which has officially kept its socialist orientation. Then
there is Japan, the world’s second
...President Putin has demonstrated that
Russia is aware of its role in creating the
best possible international conditions for a
dialogue between the two Korean states... It
is being pursued in Russia’s relations with
other great powers in the region and, to be
sure, towards both Korean states.
16
S UMMER 2001
PERSPECTIVES
largest economy. Also
included is Russia, a
nation in transition,
which in recent years has
suffered a grave economic crisis that has severely
impacted its Far East.
Another major player in
the region is South
Korea, a new industrial
country, which has
worked a true economic
miracle by transforming
Today, many Russian retailers go to Seoul to itself in a few decades
purchase clothing and fashion merchandise from an underdeveloped
from wholesalers to bring back to their country.
country to a technologiPhoto courtesy of Newsweek (Korea).
cally advanced industrial
state. There is also North Korea, a state with a difficult
destiny and a complex present-day situation, which has
isolated itself from the processes of contemporary social
development and doomed its people to ordeals and privations. Across the northern pacific, the sub-region also is
closely connected with the United States and Canada, two
countries that have entered a post-industrial phase of
development. In particular, the U.S. presence in Northeast
Asia is a major determining factor in the sub-region.
The pattern of socio-economic development in the countries of Northeast Asia in recent years has been typified
by great diversity, and is conducive to increasing differentiation among the countries in the sub-region. High
GDP growth rates as well as other macro-economic indicators have been demonstrated by China, which is quickly overcoming its former economic backwardness as
compared with more advanced countries. Meanwhile,
the economic upsurge in Japan and South Korea was
interrupted by the financial crisis of the late 1990s. In
my view, however, the crisis is merely a phase in the
industrial development process. It does not preclude the
possibility of an eventual resumption of economic
growth and even creates new prerequisites for it.
Against this background of the rapid progress achieved
elsewhere in the sub-region, the stagnant state of the
economy in the northern half of the Korean peninsula
seems especially salient.
An important feature of Northeast Asia as a sub-region is
the fact that it closely intertwines the interests of four
great powers: the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
It stands to reason that the situation in Northeast Asia
cannot but be affected by the overall political climate in
the world, while in turn, changes in this situation can
have a substantial influence upon the world situation.
History, especially during the period of the Cold War, has
left a bad heritage in the sub-region. Northeast Asia was
one of the main arenas of the military-political confrontation between the USSR and the United States, with their
powerful deployment of ground and marine troops and air
forces equipped with conventional and nuclear weapons.
Over this same period, relations between the USSR and
Japan also were difficult because there was no peace
treaty between them. The situation within the sub-region
was aggravated even further by the protracted discord in
Soviet-Chinese relations, the problem of Taiwan, and various territorial disputes between the states within the subregion. But the division of the Korean people into two
states was the greatest, the most painful and the most
dangerous problem. This is still the case today.
During the period of the Cold War, therefore, tensions persisted in Northeast
Asia. In fact, the situation went from bad to
worse, and it was not
until the late 1980s
that conditions started
to change for the better. Efforts to improve
the situation were made
from different sides.
Within the framework
of the new political
17
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TKS EVENTS IN REVIEW
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Our Twisted Hero:
A Film Screening and Panel Discussion
April 18 • New York, NY
The Korea Society and The New School Diversity
Committee copresented a screening of Our Twisted Hero
at The New School’s Tishman Auditorium. Directed by
Park Chong-won and originally released in 1992, the film
is based on the novel of the same title by Yi Munyol that
originally was published in 1987. One of Korea’s most
prolific and popular contemporary fiction writers, Yi has
made major contributions to a better understanding of the
dynamics of contemporary Korean society through his
authorship of sixteen novels, 52 novellas and two collections of political and social commentary. His works have
been translated into eight languages. To mark the publication earlier this year of an English translation of Our
Twisted Hero by Hyperion East, which has been billed as
the first ever publication of a Korean novel in English
translation by a major U.S. publisher, the program included a panel discussion of the novel with the author and
three leading experts on Korean literature. The discussion was followed by a book signing and reception. The
program was cosponsored by Hyperion East, The Korean
Cultural Service, PEN American Center Freedom-toWrite Committee and NewYorkSeoul.com.
In his engaging and suggestive presentation, Fenkl discussed how the physiognomy of names in Our Twisted
Hero contributes to the overall political and social allegory of the novel. Breaking down the names of both the protagonist Han Pyongt’ae and the antagonist Om Sokdae,
he suggested that the syllables of both names have significant homophones in Korean that symbolically illuminate the abuse of power and repercussions of dictatorship depicted in the narrative.
Elaborating on this interpretation, Fenkl pointed out that
Han Pyongt’ae’s surname can be understood to imply
”Korea” as in han’guk, the Korean term for Korea, but han
in Korean also carries the meanings of “one,” “only,” “singular” or even “unrequited woe” or “grudge” in the sense
of the weltschmerz that is often associated with the
Korean people. In fact, he said, all these variant connotations of han can be ascribed to the protagonist as he
suffers alone in trying to achieve a fair and democratic
system in his class. Similarly, alluding to two possible
meanings of pyong in Korean, Fenkl suggested that the
first syllable of the protagonist’s personal name can be
taken to symbolize “vessel” or “bottle,” since he is often
forced to deliver water to the class monitor, or it can be
taken to imply “disease” or “sickness” as a reference to
the malaise and illness of the Korean people. Finally, the
second syllable can be taken to mean “fissure” or “crack”
since Han Pyongt’ae is often portrayed as the break in
Om Sokdae’s authoritarian system, or, alternatively, it can
mean “pregnant” or “full of potential,” which
is another meaning of t’ae that possibly is
intended as an illusion to his innate leadership qualities and desire to give birth to
ideas such as truth and freedom in his
provincial classroom.
Fenkl suggested that the homophonic symbolism in Om Sokdae’s name is equally
heavy-laden in its allegory. For speakers of
Korean, he noted, om implies “harshness,”
“sternness” or “severity” which characterize
the way Om Sokdae treats Han
Pyongt’ae. Similarly, sok evokes the
image of “a stone” while dae can mean
“large,” “blow” or even “strong convicYi Munyol, Ty Pak, Heinz Fenkl, Bruce Fulton and Helen Koh. tion.” All these connotations can be aptly
linked to Om Sokdae’s character and his
The presenters for the panel discussion were: Heinz Insu brutish classroom monitoring tactics.
Fenkl, an associate professor and the director of creative
writing at the Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY New In his presentation, Fulton discussed Our Twisted Hero in
Paltz, and the author of the powerful and controversial the context of contemporary Korean fiction as well as in
novel Memories of My Ghost Brother (a 1997 light of its universal appeal. He described the novel as a
PEN/Hemingway Finalist); Bruce Fulton, an instructor of success for existing both in and out of its time and culKorean literature at the University of British Columbia and ture. As a novel within its own time and culture, he noted,
an award-winning translator of Korean literature who, Our Twisted Hero follows the literary trend in Korea durwith the late Kim Chong-un, recently cotranslated A ing the 1980s in that it is a work of political and historical
Ready-made Life: Early Masters of Modern Korean engagement; and as Yi himself attests, the novel was
Fiction; and Helen Hyung-In Koh, a visiting fellow in written as a political allegory and satire of the Chun Doo
Korean Studies at the East Asian Institute at Columbia Hwan and Roh Tae Woo eras. As a work that extends
University and, as of July 1, 2001, a visiting assistant pro- beyond its own time and culture, Fulton argued, Yi’s
fessor in Korean history at Columbia University. Frederick novel also embodies the universal appeal of a work in the
F. Carriere, vice president and executive director of The tradition of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, illustrating
Korea Society, served as the moderator and Ty Pak, that corruption and abuse of power can be allegorically
author of Guilt Payment, Moonbay, and Cry Korea, Cry, represented in many, if not all, parts of the world.
served as Yi Munyol’s interpreter.
18
S UMMER 2001
The presentation by Koh focused primarily on Our
Twisted Hero as a novel of formation, which she
described as a reflexive form in which the narrator is in
the process of self-formation, thereby providing moral
instruction for the reader. Koh described Yi Munyol as
one of the few Korean writers who is frequently credited
with writing novels in this tradition, and, in particular, she
noted how nostalgia is incorporated in Our Twisted Hero
as a longing for authoritarianism. As a novel narrated primarily in flashback, according to Koh, it expresses a
yearning for a distinct period of stability — a condition
that can only be found in the past under authoritarian rule
in Korea. Concluding her presentation, Koh noted that
Han Pyongt’ae is depicted in the novel as essentially a
failure in his adult life, and, even though he suffered
greatly at the hands of Om Sokdae, he also enjoyed a
period of stability in that relationship, for which he constantly yearned in his adulthood.
Transparency through IT:
Seoul’s OPEN System
May 9 • New York, NY
In a breakfast forum cosponsored by New York
University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service,
Goh Kun, mayor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government
(SMG), discussed the innovative administrative reform
measures being implemented by his administration to
eliminate the previously endemic bureaucratic corruption.
Specifically, Goh described how information technology
is being used to achieve his administration’s reform
objectives through the development of what is known as
the OPEN (Online Procedures ENhancement for civil
applications) system. Opening remarks were offered by
Donald P. Gregg, president and chairman of The Korea
Society. The program ended with a Q&A session moderated by Dennis Smith, a professor of the Robert F.
Wagner School of Public Service.
Goh began his presentation by affirming his longstanding
commitment to clean government, which goes back to his
first term as mayor of Seoul in the days before the
restoration of local autonomy, when he was appointed to
the office by the central government and subsequently
dismissed for his anti-corruption efforts. Galvanized by
the experience of his previous term, Goh said, the transformation of the SMG from a hotbed of bureaucratic corruption into a crystal-clear and transparent government
has been his top priority since being elected to the mayoral office in 1998.
Determined to achieve this objective, upon assuming office
in 1998, Goh launched a comprehensive analysis of the
endemic sources
of bureaucratic
corruption. This
analysis led him
and his team to
conclude that
the most effective way to eliminate corruption would be
to adopt a sysMayor Goh Kun
tematic approach
and Dennis Smith
that involves establishing preventive and punitive
measures, increasing transparency in administrative procedures and enhancing the public-private
partnership in all the operations of the SMG.
Through the innovative utilization of information
technology (IT), citizens are able to monitor their
applications as they are being processed via the
Internet, making the OPEN system a key component in the SMG’s efforts to root out corruption by
eliminating one of its major underlying causes.
sequently have become the opposite sides of the
border between North and South Korea during
the period spanning the Japanese occupation
and World War II. Acknowledging that the novel
is based broadly on the lives of their parents, the
authors explained: "The only way we could write
the incredible story of our parents' lives was as
fiction. We wanted to imagine what it was like to
be our father and our mother; we wanted to
recreate their world."
Elaborating on this point, Goh alluded to the
difficulty of persuading bureaucrats to discard
their reflexive impulse to keep citizens ignorant
of their actions, which he indicated was the
greatest psychological obstacle encountered in
implementing the OPEN system. He also
stressed that the OPEN system was not
designed to eradicate the “old” system, but
rather to work with the bureaucrats in establishing a more transparent and “citizen-friendly” administrative environment. Further, he
said, the SMG is committed to institutionalize
the OPEN system with an eye to the future so
that it will survive and continue to meet the
needs of future metropolitan administrations.
If properly implemented, Goh stressed, the
system will remain in place even if the administrators change.
The Q& A session following the reading provided
an opportunity to learn about the authors as well
as their book. The Park sisters explained how
growing up in the only Korean family residing in
a suburban neighborhood in Virginia during the
1960s effectively isolated them from their Korean
heritage. Their parents told them stories about
their tumultuous past when they were children,
but it was not until after their father's death that
Four of the most recent U.S. ambassadors to the
they became interested in writing a novel based
Republic of Korea participating in a roundtable dison their parents' experiences. Through the
cussion on U.S.-Korea relations at the University of
research they did for their novel, the sisters said,
South Carolina Annual Conference on Korea, May 18they learned not only a great deal about their
20, 2001. From left to right: Richard L. Walker; James
parents' past but also about the history of Korea.
R. Lilley; William H. Gleysteen; and Donald P. Gregg.
Writing the novel helped them to affirm their
identity as Korean Americans, they said. They
also expressed the hope that the novel will help
Foundation and the Institute of Public Administration at
New York University in cooperation with The Korea both Koreans and Americans gain a better understanding
Society. The program consisted of two panel sessions. of Korea and its rich history.
Goh also touted the OPEN system as a cost-efficient
The first panel discussed the DMZ as a potential monusolution to the problem of eliminating bureaucratic
ment for world peace — a World Peace Park.
corruption that harnesses the collaborative efforts of
Presentations in this session were given by Ethel Tobach of Ambassador Charles Kartman on KEDO
city officials and expert programmers. The cost of
the American Museum of Natural History; Ke Chung Kim, June 20 • New York, NY
developing the OPEN system, he said, was a mere
chairman of The DMZ Forum; and William J. Holinger of In a luncheon forum held at the Metropolitan Hotel,
$320,000. Moreover, the SMG has not incurred addithe Harvard Graduate School of Education who is also a Charles Kartman, who had just recently been appointed
tional costs for training in implementing the system
member of the DMZ Veterans Association. William B. executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy
since all such needs are being met by ongoing staff
Shore, a senior associate at the Institute of Public Development Organization (KEDO), highlighted some of the
development programs. And though no staff cuts were
Administration, served as the moderator for this panel. challenges facing KEDO and the future prospects of the projmade as a result of the introduction of the system,
The second session explored the political and military ect at this critical juncture in U.S.-DPRK relations.
Goh said, it may be possible to make some cuts,
preconditions for establishing a World Peace Park in the
when the OPEN system is fully implemented later this
DMZ. The presenters in this session were James Lee, a By way of background, Kartman noted that KEDO
year, due to the greater efficiency and effectiveness of
former special advisor to the commander-in-chief, United was established on March 15, 1995, to carry out
the system. In short, according to Goh, time is proving
Nations Command; Selig Harrison of The Century two key provisions of the Agreed Framework, which
to be a more critical factor than money in the impleFoundation; and Leon V. Sigal of the Social Science was negotiated in 1994 by the U.S. and the DPRK.
mentation of the system.
Research Council. Donald P. Gregg, president and chair- Under the terms of the agreement, in exchange for
In concluding his presentation, Goh reiterated his man of The Korea Society, moderated this panel and the DPRK's freezing and eventual dismantling of
determination to strive continuously to mobilize the delivered the keynote address. The seminar got under- its nuclear program, KEDO is supplying the DPRK
city’s two greatest resources — civil society and informa- way with welcoming remarks by David Mammen, presi- with two light-water reactor (LWR) units as well as
providing heavy fuel oil as an alternate source of
tion technology. Accordingly, he said, the SMG will com- dent of the Institute of Public Administration.
energy until the first LWR is completed.
plete the implementation of the OPEN system by the end
of this year. The system will keep the bureaucracy open
to public surveillance and scrutiny in fulfillment of his
administration’s firm commitment to abolish corruption
and enhance transparency.
Creating a World Peace Park in Korea’s
DMZ: Social, Political and Military
Perspectives
The prospects for a peaceful utilization of Korea's DMZ
were explored in a seminar organized by The DMZ
Forum, which was cosponsored by the Samuel Rubin
To Swim Across the World: A Book
Reading with Authors Frances and
Ginger Park
June 14 • New York, NY
In a book reading program cosponsored by the Asian
American Writers' Workshop, Frances and Ginger Park
read selections from their recently published novel To
Swim Across the World. This novel is the first collaboration on a work intended for an adult audience by two sisters who previously coauthored two award-winning children's books. The novel weaves together the early life
experiences of two young people growing up in what sub-
19
S UMMER 2001
Frances and Ginger Park
Noting that the LWR project is essentially on schedule,
Kartman stressed that KEDO has passed the infancy
stage in this multi-billion dollar project, which is being
implemented with funding from South Korea, Japan and
the European Union. Significant preparatory work has
been completed at the project site in Kumho, he said,
including the leveling of the mountainside where the
LWRs will be located as well as the construction of roads
and housing facilities.
Alluding to the recent resumption of the dialogue
between P’yongyang and Washington, Kartman characterized the current talks as a "pre-negotiation minuet." While welcoming the Bush administration's decision to continue the engagement process, which had
been put on hold pending the outcome of a policy
review, Kartman cautioned that KEDO and its current
project in the DPRK undoubtedly will be affected by
how this minuet proceeds.
Despite the progress made so far, Kartman said, there
are a number of significant challenges ahead for
KEDO and the LWR project. The issue of liability is
one of the most serious of these challenges, he said.
To illustrate his point, he cited the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, and the need to determine where
the responsibility would lie if such an accident were to
occur in the DPRK. As another challenge, he mentioned the standards that must be met by the operating country of a nuclear power plant, stressing the
need for more transparency in the DPRK.
On the prospects for future progress, Kartman expressed
concern that it will be difficult to proceed as planned with
the project since the deep mistrust shown by the North
Koreans makes it necessary to negotiate every single
detail of KEDO's activities in the DPRK. As an example,
he cited a wage dispute earlier this year that delayed
work at the construction site, and ultimately resulted in a
decision by the North Koreans to remove their workers
from the project. He pointed out that this decision also
may cause additional problems in the future since the
North Koreans will not be familiar with the equipment. So
far, Kartman suggested, the North Koreans have shown
an attitude of "creating additional obstacles rather than
removing them."
In concluding his presentation, Kartman stressed the
need for more cooperation on the part of the DPRK in
implementing the KEDO project, saying, "it is in the North
Koreans’ hands whether they wish to proceed smoothly
with this project."
The Politics of Remembering:
Korean Americans and the Legacy
of the Korean War
In a VOICES program cosponsored by the New York
Chapter of the National Association of Korean Americans,
Ramsay Liem, a professor in the Department of psychology at Boston College, discussed his ongoing oral history project to examine the legacies of the Korean War for
Koreans, and, in particular, Korean Americans.
Ramsay Liem
In explaining why he decided to undertake this project, Liem cited his belief that "recovering family histories in Korea and especially during the War could illuminate the Korean American experience." Elaborating
on this point, he said, "Identity and purpose require
imagining the future in light of the present, but the
present is also a child of the past." As an additional
objective of the project, Liem spoke of the need "to
explore the contribution oral history could make to
stimulating community discussion and action."
Liem also spoke briefly about his methodology and subjects, noting that the interviews are conducted in two sessions, each taking about two hours. So far, he said, he
has interviewed about thirty Korean Americans of all ages
who are residents of the Greater Boston and San
Francisco Bay areas.
With this background, Liem read excerpts from a sampling of the interviews organized around three broad
themes: 1) memories of the war; 2) silence; and 3) legacies of the war. He also commented on the readings
selected for each theme to show how they "reveal the
shared experience of war, family, and life in America for
those Korean Americans I have interviewed."
In his commentary on the interview excerpts chosen to
illustrate the first theme, Liem noted how the accounts of
his informants "thoroughly humanized the cliches and
abstract images of war," thereby calling into question the
"official" designation of the Korean War as the "Forgotten
War." Liem also voiced his surprise at the "absence of a
harsh ideological tone in these recollections given the general understanding that the Korean War saturated the
Korean peninsula with the most virulent cold war hatred
for the next 50 years." Anticommunist feelings or memories of great fear of the North Koreans were expressed,
he said, but the "memories of benevolent or neutral feelings toward northerners or simply the shared human pain
of all Koreans wracked by war, were more common." This
led Liem to question if perhaps the Korean War is "forgotten" because remembering it might challenge the simplistic depiction of the war in official sources as "a victory
of good over evil."
Turning to the second theme, Liem said that the interviews made him wonder what other truths about the
Korean War remain hidden. Paradoxically, he said, it may
be that "silence is an audible legacy of the Korean War"
reflecting the natural tendency for people to suppress
20
S UMMER 2001
memories that are painful or dangerous. In this regard, he
pointed to the parallels with the common response to
overwhelming tragedies, such as the Holocaust, the
Japanese American internment and the more recent
atrocities in the Balkans and other areas of civil or international conflict. Moreover, in the case of Korean
Americans, Liem suggested that the "sacrifice of voice
and memory" may be one price of coming to this country:
"As newcomers to the United States, who also were
members of a racial minority, Koreans also had enough
obstacles to overcome without facing the added threat of
hostilities that could be stirred up by questioning the official line on the Korean War." But silence has other roots,
Liem suggested, including its psychologically adaptive
role within the Korean American community which
remains divided on the meaning of the Korean War. "As
long as Korea remains divided," Liem said, "it appears
that no one is completely free to speak his mind or to
bring up the past without the possibility of offending
someone else or being accused of disloyalty."
In his discussion of the third theme, legacies of the war,
Liem explored how the Korean war has infiltrated the
lives of Korean Americans. For some, he said, even the
very decision to immigrate to the United States has its
roots in the war and its aftermath. According to Liem,
however, one of the most significant legacies is the way
"personality styles and attitudes that were shaped at least
in part by experiences during the Korean War are often
viewed today as simply the 'way Koreans are' and always
have been." As examples, he cites intergenerational misunderstanding among Korean Americans about the concern for being well fed, the prevalence of emotionally distant fathers and the constant pressure parents exert on
their children to be high achievers. Besides the potential
for fostering intergenerational misunderstanding, Liem
also sees a linkage with the tendency toward cultural
stereotyping in contemporary American society where
'It's cultural' is an often too readily used explanation for
any unfamiliar behavior by those of a non-European
background. Liem asks, "how much of the cultural stereotype of Korean Americans is actually the product of what
it took to survive the Korean War and later years of hardship and recovery; in other words, the result of lived history?" And he concludes, "'Koreanness' may be in the
blood but some of it got there when that blood was shed
during the Korean War."
In the wrap up of his presentation, Liem reiterated the
overall objective of his project, saying: "The Korean war
is as much a part of the present as it is a moment in history. The national division it secured, the separation of
families it caused, and the cold war rhetoric it instilled are
very much a part of our world today. Reckoning with the
past, therefore, also means facing it's legacies in the
present — breaking the silence in our families, reconciling the ideological fault lines in our communities, and testifying to the unity and sovereignty of the homeland."
For further information or to participate in this oral history
project, contact Ramsay Liem, Department of
Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 or
liem@bc.edu.
conglomerates, the chaebol, have vigorously pursued the
five basic principles of reform agreed to in 1998, which
are: (1) to enhance overall management transparency;
(2) to eliminate all cross-debt guarantees among affiliKorea's Economic Restructuring
ates; (3) to continuously improve capital structures; (4) to
focus upon core competencies; and (5) to strengthen
Dr. Kap-Soo Oh, an assistant governor of the Financial accountability of controlling shareholders and manageSupervisory Service, discussed the progress and ment. Oh added: "Producing lasting improvements in the
prospects of Korea's economic reform efforts in a busi- capital structures and long-term investment strategies of
ness roundtable luncheon program. In his presentation, the chaebol, however, is the key to the continued success
Oh argued that Korea has become "a model of econom- of corporate sector restructuring efforts." Accordingly, he
ic reform" in the aftermath of the financial crisis that hit noted, stricter guidelines on the extension of credit by
the country just a little over three years ago. "The sweep- financial institutions have been established to limit the
ability of the chaebol to
ing reforms and restructurmake reckless investment
ing programs we have
decisions as well as to
embarked upon since the
compel them to pursue
onset of the crisis have not
more feasible investment
only overhauled Korea's
plans while reducing
financial and corporate
excessively high debt-tosectors," he said, "but they
equity ratios. And in line
also have changed the
with these efforts, he said,
basic orientation of the
the re-focusing upon core
economy to a more transcompetencies and dissoparent, market-based and
lution of unprofitable busiglobalized paradigm."
ness units has become
an increasingly important
As an indication of this
part of corporate restructransformation in the finanturing efforts.
Kap-Soo Oh
cial sector, Oh cited the
adoption of international
best practices based on the U.S. Generally Accepted In concluding his presentation, Oh reaffirmed his governAccounting Principles (US GAAP), which means that ment's commitment to economic reform: "It takes time to
Korean financial institutions are being held to much high- change institutions and practices, and even longer to
er accounting and disclosure standards than was the transform cultures and attitudes. But, no matter how
case previously. In addition, under the revised regula- long it takes, the Korean government will continue to
tions, non-performing loans held by financial institutions make every effort to complete the process of creating
must be identified and disclosed in a fully transparent a fundamentally sound financial system and economy
process, he said, and banks must now account for all in the most consistent and transparent manner. The
international community will, of course, remain well
estimated potential losses in their financial statements.
informed of the progress that we make, as well as the
Oh pointed out that the restructuring of financial institu- problems that we encounter, in our economic reform
tions has produced major improvements in corporate and recovery efforts."
governance and accountability as well. Included are such
changes as the introduction of an outside director system, the mandatory establishment of an audit committee Free Trade between
to promote sounder management and the stiffening of Korea and the
penalties against deceptive accounting practices.
CORPORATE AFFAIRS
United States?
Recognizing that stronger regulatory oversight often has
been cited as one the factors that could have helped to
prevent the crisis, Oh said, the government has instituted
major upgrades to the system of financial supervision
and regulation. As he explained, these upgrades began
with the consolidation of the supervisory framework in
order to foster a fair and consistent supervision of the
entire financial sector. "And with the historic establishment
of the nation's supreme and consolidated financial supervisory agency, the Financial Supervisory Commission
(FSC), and its executive arm, the Financial Supervisory
Service (FSS)," he argued, "Korea today boasts an organization that can conduct coordinated supervision of diverse
financial industries and institutions."
In the area of corporate sector restructuring, according to
Oh, both the government and Korea's large industrial
and political benefits and challenges of pursuing bilateral
FTA negotiations as well as the impact of a prospective
pact on other trading partners, on the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and on the multilateral trading system.
Schott attested that since its accession to the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1967, Korea
has maintained a steadfast devotion to the multilateral
trading system. Under this multilateral framework, bilateral trade relations between the United States and Korea
have flourished. In fact, two-way U.S.-Korea merchandise trade has grown from $9 billion in 1980 to $68 billion
in 2000. Schott further added that Korea, like Japan, did
not engage in regional trade agreements or enter into
preferential trading arrangements, preferring to rely
exclusively on the GATT, and, more recently, the World
Trade Organization (WTO), to conduct its international
trade relations. According to Schott, this rules-based multilateral system provided a modicum of protection for
Korea in its bilateral trade diplomacy with its two largest
trading partners, the United States and Japan.
Despite its allegiance to multilateralism over the past
decade, however, Schott noted that Korea has begun to
diversify its trade policy through both regional and bilateral initiatives. As examples of this trend, he noted that
Korea joined the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum and then acceded to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in
1996. Moreover, since 1999, Korea has explored bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with several small trading partners, conducted preliminary consultations with
Japan, and now is beginning to consider the implications
of an FTA with the United States.
According to Schott, Korea and the U.S. flirted with the
idea of an FTA in the late 1980s, when Korean exports to
the U.S. were threatened by trade suits under section 301
of U.S. trade law and new discrimination in the U.S. market due to the U.S.-Canada FTA. The Korean interest in a
bilateral trade pact with the United States was focused on
avoiding discrimination in the U.S. market. In contrast, he
said, the U.S. interest centered on how a bilateral
deal could both remove
Korean trade barriers and
advance the multilateral
process.
In a business roundtable
luncheon presentation,
While nothing substantive
Jeffrey J. Schott, a senior
resulted from this initial
fellow at the Institute for
U.S.-Korea FTA venture, in
International Economics,
Schott's view, Korea has a
offered his perspectives
renewed interest in pursuon the challenges and
ing a bilateral trade initiaopportunities for free trade
tive with the United States
between Korea and the
due to the IMF crisis in
United States. Noting that
1997, which has forced a
Jeffrey Schott and Donald P. Gregg
free trade agreements
dramatic reevaluation of
(FTAs) are proliferating in the Asia-Pacific region, Schott Korea's development strategies and economic system.
pointed out that Korea, for the first time, is pursuing such Schott noted that the chaebol system is defunct, and
accords as part of a strategy to restructure its economy Korea's domestic industry is being restructured and
and sustain the recovery from the 1997-98 economic cri- made more efficient. As a result, he said, new trade pacts
sis. In his presentation, Schott examined the economic have been made to encourage inflows of foreign capital
21
S UMMER 2001
and management skills and to "stir the pot" by injecting
new competition into the domestic market.
Schott pointed out that over the past few years there has
been a dramatic resurgence of bilateral trade initiatives in
the Asia-Pacific region. For its part, Korea has entered
into negotiations with Chile and discussed possible free
trade agreements with Japan, New Zealand and
Singapore. To date, the Korean FTA initiatives have
involved small trading partners who pose a relatively
modest competitive threat to domestic industry and agriculture. According to Schott, it appears as though Korea
is engaging in trial runs of FTAs with Chile, and possibly
New Zealand and Singapore, before entering into bilateral talks with Japan and the United States.
With regard to the U.S. interests in establishing an FTA
with Korea, Schott provided several possible benefits of a
bilateral initiative between the two countries. The primary
reason for the United States to consider a free trade
agreement with Korea would be commercial interest. In a
mercantile sense, the U.S. would benefit from increased
trade and investment, and in particular, increased agricultural and services exports to Korea. The U.S. could
also use its expanded access to the Korean market as a
platform for sourcing throughout Northeast Asia.
Moreover, the U.S. could use the FTA with Korea as a
catalyst to launch the next stage of the regional free trade
movement within APEC and as a building bloc to further
progress in the multilateral trading system. In a political
sense, the U.S. would benefit from a further strengthening of its security ties with Korea that could result from
an FTA. Schott believes that such an agreement
would send a signal that the U.S. commitment to a
prosperous Korea and to peace and stability on the
Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia remains firm.
Though establishing a free trade agreement between
the United States and Korea will not be easy, Schott
expressed optimism about the feasibility of achieving
this objective, which he believes will return significant
economic and political dividends.
Chairman's Special Event: Dinner with
Seoul Mayor Goh Kun
Ambassador Donald P. Gregg, president and chairman of
The Korea Society, hosted a dinner for Goh Kun, the
mayor of Seoul, and a group of prominent corporate leaders at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Mayor Goh discussed
the Seoul Metropolitan Government's plans to establish a
hi-tech, IT-oriented center in the outskirts of Seoul that
will be known as Digital Media City (DMC).
Seung-Cheol Lee picked up the theme of the importance of the IT sector, and agreed that growth in this
industry has created a favorable e-commerce environment in Korea. Citing a survey showing that there
Transforming Korea's Development Model:
are 20.9 million internet users in Korea, including 15.8
Linkages Between the Old and New
million mobile phone internet users, he pointed out
that Korea currently ranks seventh in the world in
Economy
numbers of internet users. With a fiber optic broadMay 17 • New York, NY
In a keynote address delivered at a business confer- band network providing high-speed Internet services
ence held at The Waldorf-Astoria, Jae Hoon Lee, the for over four million subscribers, Korea also is emergdirector general of the Industrial Policy Bureau in the ing as one of the leading countries in broadband interROK Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, net connections. In short, he said, widespread and
gave an overview of the current status of the Korean advanced internet usage in Korea has led to a growth
economy and the rapid growth of e-commerce within in e-commerce that is providing investment opportuniKorea. Donald P. Gregg, president and chairman of ties and incentives for Foreign Direct Investment
The Korea Society, gave the opening remarks and (FDI). While acknowledging the rapid growth of eJeffrey R. Shafer, vice chairman of Salomon Smith commerce in Korea, however, Seung-Cheol Lee
Barney International, moda l s o underscored
erated the program. The
the need for change
presenters were: Heeand reform in the old
Gook Lee, president of the
economy to meet
LG Electronics Institute of
the potential of the
Technology; Leslie Norton,
new economy. He
Asia editor of Barron's;
cited some of the
Seung-Cheol Lee, director
dilemmas facing eof the Knowledge-Based
commerce, particuEconomy Center and head
larly in venture comof the Planning Division of
panies, such as a
The Federation of Korean
lack of infrastrucIndustries; Charles Kaye,
ture, expertise, comexecutive managing direcmunication and
Jeffrey Shafer, Jae Hoon Lee, Hee-Gook Lee and
tor of Warburg Pincus; and
benchmarking.
Leslie
Norton.
(Left
to
Right)
John J. Lee, managing
director of Zurich Scudder
In his presentation,
Investments. The conference was cosponsored by the Charles Kaye argued that the internet should be seen as a
Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly Edition, Citigroup, medium to transform the economy, not a market, and
The Federation of Korean Industries, the Korean emphasized the need for all companies to adapt and
Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the USA, embrace technology for more efficiency. He also
Inc., Pohang Steel America Corporation and expressed the conviction that the proper role of the govPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
ernment is to "level the playing field."
Jae Hoon Lee began his address with a review of the
current downward trend in the Korean economy, but
stressed that the recent stabilization of production,
consumption and stock prices are signs of recovery. He then went on to describe the ongoing paradigm shift in the Korean economy from post-IMF
crisis restructuring to a "knowledge-based economy" focused on e-commerce and the IT sector. He
attributed much of the overall economic growth in
Korea to the expansion of the IT sector, pointing
out that the growth of this sector accounted for
50.5% of the overall growth of the GDP in 2000. As
for the role of the Korean government in regulating
e-commerce, he argued that the government
should avoid undue restrictions and allow the private sector to lead. Where government involvement is needed, he said, its aim should be to support and enforce a predictable, minimalist, consistent and simple legal environment. In concluding
his presentation, he stressed that Korea is becoming one of the most attractive investment destinations among countries at its level of development.
Ambassador Gregg and Mayor Goh Kun
22
S UMMER 2001
Hee-Gook Lee gave an overview on how LG Electronics
is trying to meet the needs of the new economy by
emphasizing the "digitalization" of products as well as of
the company itself, and by responding to the challenges
of globalization through expanding into strategic countries such as China and India.
Overall, the other presenters also were optimistic regarding the future of e-commerce in Korea. John Lee affirmed
that the Korean business portfolio has changed considerably in the last ten years. Investment has shifted from
large industrial chaebol to smaller technological companies with better corporate governance, he said. Similarly,
Leslie Norton voiced great confidence in the new economy and focused on the internet as the medium for success. She gave an example of how the international success of NC Soft's Internet game, Lineage, shows Korea's
potential as a leader in the e-marketplace. She also reiterated the importance of reforming the old economy but
expressed confidence that "a bet on Korea is a bet on the
new economy."
KOREAN STUDIES
Contemporary East Asia: Demonstration
of the Martial Arts of East Asia
A demonstration of the martial arts of East Asia was presented at the Martin Luther King Junior High School in
Manhattan for an enthusiastic audience of over 200 students from five New York City schools. The martial arts
demonstrated were Wu Shu (China), Tae Kwon Do
(Korea) and Kendo (Japan).
The Tae Kwon Do demonstration was presented by
Benjamin Paris, a 20-year veteran of this martial art
form with a fourth degree black belt, and Peter
Herger, who is a first degree black belt with over 10
years of experience. Both are students of Grand
Master Henry Cho, one of the pioneers in the field of
martial arts in the U.S. and the founder of the first Tae
Kwon Do school in New York City.
In introductory remarks about the origins of Tae
Kwon Do, Paris pointed out that all the East Asian
martial arts involve unarmed self-defense skills that
are clearly interrelated. The term "Tae Kwon Do" was
coined in the mid-20th century, he said, but the selfdefense techniques designated by this term are
believed to have begun to evolve at least a thousand
years ago, though the early history of the martial arts
in Korea is obscure and undocumented by extant
Contemporary East Asia
Spring, 2001
An in-service course for New York City
teachers, offered under the auspices of a
consortium project of the China Institute,
Japan Society and The Korea Society,
explored the major social and economic
trends in China, Korea and Japan at the
beginning of the 21st century.
written sources. In contemporary Korea, Tae Kwon
Do is linked to the spirit and practices of an elite
youth corps of the Silla period known as the
hwarang. Stressing the significance of this linkage,
Herger noted that traditional Korean values which
have become associated in recent decades with the
hwarang, such as patriotism, filial piety and loyalty to
one's friends, are being taught today in Tae Kwon Do
schools all over the world.
Following this general introduction, Paris and Herger
jointly demonstrated some of the basic movements of Tae
Kwon Do and explained their cultural associations. For
example, they assumed the Kumgang position, which is
intended to evoke the majesty of Mt. Kumgang by suggesting the form of the Chinese character for "mountain."
In a dramatic finale that drew rounds of applause from the
audience, the duo brought the demonstration to a close
with a series of dynamic self-defense techniques, including a creative choreographed sequence of flying kicks,
spinning kicks and take-downs.
During a Q&A period following the demonstration,
one student asked Paris what Tae Kwon Do means
to him. He responded that achievements in Tae
Kwon Do, like other artistic efforts, could be seen
as ends in themselves. At the same time, he said,
the discipline and character that Tae Kwon Do
builds also helps him to take control of his life and
to become a better person.
Session 4 — March 14
Pop Culture in Contemporary China
Renqiu Yu, Department of History,
SUNY Purchase
Held at China Institute
Religion in Contemporary Japan
Karen Smyers, Religion Department,
Wesleyan University
Session 1 — February 14
The Changing Economy and
Employment Issues in China
Renqiu Yu, Department of History,
SUNY Purchase
China's Educational System and Its
Social Impact
Margot Landman, American Council of
Learned Societies
Held at Japan Society
Session 2 — February 28
Religion In Contemporary China
Angela Zito, Department of Anthropology,
New York University
Session 7 — April 4
Political and Economic Issues in
Japan
Yoshihiro Tsurumi, International
Business, Baruch College
Environmental Issues & China's
Neighbors
Marilyn Beach, National Committee
on U.S.-China Relations
Popular Culture in Japan
Christine Marran, East Asian Studies,
Princeton University
Contemporary East Asia: Major Political
and Social Issues in Korea — North and
South Korean Rapprochement and the
Emerging Role of Korea in Northeast Asia
Drawing on the broad expertise in East Asian
affairs acquired during his long career in public
service, Donald P. Gregg, president and chairman
of The Korea Society, presented an overview of all
the major political and social issues that have
played a formative role in the development of
Korea-Japan and U.S.-Korea relations since the
dawn of the 20 th century, including the acquiescence by the United States in Japan's colonization of Korea in the aftermath of the RussoJapanese War.
With this historical overview as a dramatic backdrop,
Gregg also presented an assessment of political developments in contemporary Korea, including President Kim
Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy and U.S. foreign policy
toward North Korea.
Living up to his reputation as a keen observer of
events and developments on the Korean peninsula,
Gregg enlivened his presentation with a rich array
of enticing anecdotes and personal vignettes garnered over the five decades since his first professional encounter with Koreans in 1950 as an
instructor training Korean commandos on Saipan
during the Korean War.
Special Session — April 19
Demonstration of the Martial Arts
of East Asia
Benjamin Paris and Peter Herger,
Tae Kwon Do
Hisao Horiguchi, Kendo
Jamie, Guan, Wu Shu
Education in Japan
Nobuo Shimahara, Graduate School
of Education, Rutgers University
Session 10 — May 2
Two Social Issues: Gender and
Discrimination
Joyce Gelb, Women's Studies,
City University of New York
Major Political and Social Issues in
Korea - North and South Korean
Rapprochement and the Emerging
Role of Korea in Northeast Asia
Donald P. Gregg, The Korea Society
Held at The Korea Society
23
S UMMER 2001
Religion in Contemporary Korea
John Goulde, Department of Religion
Sweet Briar College
Identity, Globalization and Korean
Youth Culture
Stephen Epstein, Department of
Classics, Victoria University of Wellington
Korea's Educational Reform for the
21st Century
Moon Yong Lin, Fulbright Exchange
Professor, University of Minnesota
Session 15 — June 6
The Changing Economy and
Employment Issues in Korea
Yeomin Yoon, Finance and International
Business, Seton Hall University
Contemporary East Asia: Religion in
Contemporary Korea
John Goulde, a professor of religion at Sweet Briar
College in Virginia, offered a rich and balanced
assessment of religious beliefs and practices in contemporary Korea.
began to increase dramatically following the liberalization
of passport requirements in the late 1980s. These developments facilitated greater exposure and access to many
varieties of Western popular culture. Affluent youth who
traveled or studied abroad in the West also acted as a conduit for the introduction of punk sounds into the country.
Second, the relaxation of authoritarian controls that
Gould began by pointing out that contemporary Korea is began in the late 1980s contributed further to the growth
a secular society in which religion is a matter of personal of punk and the emergence of underground rock clubs.
choice, quite contrary to
Third, Epstein noted,
the situation in the preKorea is one of the world's
modern period. And yet,
largest Internet markets.
he said, Korea is still the
The role of Internet use
most religious country in
among teens in familiarizNortheast Asia. Citing
ing them with Western
poll and census data
punk music and fostering
published by the ROK
its popularity cannot be
Ministry of Culture and
denied, he said. Unlike
Sports, Goulde noted
England in the late 1970s,
that no less than 80% of
however, Korea was prosSouth Korea's populapering economically in the
tion of approximately 45
1990s. Moreover, democmillion hold some form
racy had taken a firm
of identifiable reliJohn Goulde
foothold in the nation. As a
gious belief or particiresult, while Korean punk
pate in religious activities organized under the auspices of Christianity, songs tend to voice themes that resonate "Anarchy in the
Buddhism, shamanism, Confucianism or other UK," the lyrics take a more personal turn. Rather than
native religions. Korea is also the only country in calling for public chaos, they speak of intergeneraAsia other than India and the Philippines to send tional conflict, a desire for escape, and existential
angst. So while much in the strictly musical form of
missionaries around the world.
punk is shared between the scenes in England and in
Intrigued by Korea's uniqueness in this respect, Goulde Korea, the meaning and practice of the genre differs
noted, Korea scholars have tried to explain why it is so. significantly in each context.
Some believe this special receptivity to religious belief is
a consequence of Korea's unique historical circum- According to Epstein, therefore, Korean punk permits its
stances, he said. Living in a small country situated adherents to assert new modes of being Korean and
between aggressive neighboring giants, to survive, offers a redefinition of Korean identities. That is, to be
Koreans have needed to be flexible about adopting their proudly Korean, one need
neighbors' standards or beliefs. Other scholars relate the not follow the hegemonic
heightened religiosity of Koreans to their abiding sense of directives of mainstream
han, on the grounds that trust in higher powers or the popular culture. The emercosmos can help one to transcend anger and frustration gence of punk testifies,
by controlling and disciplining emotions. In fact, he said, though, to an increasing
Koreans generally believe that people are inherently diversity of social and culgood but sometimes weak. Therefore, they may need tural options in Korea,
which remains among the
help from above to discipline themselves.
most ethnically homogenous nations in the world.
Contemporary East Asia: Identity,
Globalization and Korean Youth Culture
Stephen Epstein, a professor of classics at Victoria
University of Wellington in New Zealand, addressed the
topic of identity, globalization and Korean youth culture.
In his intriguing lecture, Epstein described several factors
that led to the rise of punk rock in Korea in the mid-1990s.
First, he stressed that the government, aware of the
increasing erosion of international borders, started to make
globalization (segyehwa) a conscious priority of the
nation's public policy in the early part of the 1990s.
Simultaneously, the number of Koreans traveling abroad
In conclusion, Epstein
Stephen Epstein
stressed that a segment
of Korean youth in the 1990s was constructing new identities via a global youth subculture and musical form
known for its socially resistant nature.
ter of education who was a visiting Fulbright exchange
professor at the University of Minnesota during the 20002001 academic year.
In his lecture, Moon characterized the Korean educational system as broadly similar to its American counterpart,
except for the strong emphasis currently being placed on
the promotion of life-long education in Korea. From the
administrative perspective, he said, there has been a
move away from a system based on strong central government controls toward the local autonomy system.
Accordingly, today the role of the Ministry of Education is
viewed as a central supervisory board serving all levels of
education by planning and coordinating national human
resource development as a whole. Unlike the situation in
the U.S., however, 85% of the expenditure for education
in Korea comes from the central government.
Despite the tremendous contributions the Korean educational system has made to recent economic development, Moon said, education in Korea still faces many
problems: 1) knowledge-oriented education; 2) elitecentered learning; 3) instrumental subject-centered
learning; 4) a supplier-centered school system; 5) evaluation-oriented (i.e., test-centered) education; 6)
school-oriented education; and 7) college entrance-oriented education.
Moon concluded his presentation with a review of the
education of reforms carried out in Korea from 1995 to
1997. The reform agenda was focused on a wide array of
issues, including: the diversification of education at the
tertiary level; the promotion of greater autonomy for the
school community; the implementation of a new system
for college and university admissions; the expansion of
the vocational education system; the reform of the elementary and secondary school curricula; the development
of a blueprint for educational information networking; and
the promotion of civic education to enhance public adaptability to the information society of the 21st century.
Contemporary
East Asia: The Changing Economy and
Employment Issues in Korea
An update on the challenges and opportunities facing the
Korean economy was the topic of a wide-ranging presentation by
Yeomin Yoon, a professor of finance and international business at
Seton Hall University in New Jersey.
Contemporary East Asia: Korea's
Educational Reform for the 21st Century
Yoon began his presentation by noting that the South
Korean economy now ranks as the 13th largest in the
world, despite the setback caused by the Asian financial
crisis of 1997, due to the extremely rapid economic
growth achieved during the preceding three decades
through export-oriented industrialization. As a "late-late
industrializer," he said, South Korea also achieved
remarkable successes in imitating the technologies of
more advanced countries.
The topic of educational reform for the 21st century in
Korea was addressed by Moon Yong Lin, a professor of
education at Seoul National University and former minis-
Yoon noted two factors that underscore the rapid rate of
industrialization and mode of technology acquisition in
South Korea: First, the "Internet penetration rate" of 23.2%
24
S UMMER 2001
though the chances that another sharp and protracted
currency and banking crisis will occur are slim, he said,
South Korea still faces the risk of long-term economic
stagnation a la Japan, due the snail's pace of the economic restructuring efforts in the financial, corporate,
labor and public sectors.
Korean Studies Conference
Healing Divisions: Religion in Korea Today
Yeomin Yoon
achieved in South Korea as of January 2001 was the
highest among the OECD countries, outranking even
the rates achieved in Canada (20.2%), the U.S.
(18.2%) and Japan (8.4%). Second, with one robot per
10,000 persons in the manufacturing sector in 1997,
Korea has become the heaviest user of industrial
robots in the world apart from Japan.
Turning to the implications for employment issues, Yoon
noted that Korea's economic strategy during the first two
decades of industrialization prior to 1987 depended on
taking advantage of lower labor costs to capture international markets through selling relatively low quality goods
at low prices. In order to keep industrial wages at a low
level, therefore, the government resorted to a number of
repressive tactics. For example, prior to 1987, strikes
were illegal, and whenever a strike broke out, the government intervened and suppressed it.
In 1987, however, a massive people's movement for
democratization succeeded in establishing a relatively democratic rule. Unfortunately, Yoon said, democratization turned out to be a double-edged sword for
the economy. That is, it opened the floodgate for management-labor disputes, resulting in double-digit
wage increases that far exceeded productivity gains
and thus hampered the international competitiveness
of Korean exports. Moreover, there was an extreme
swing in the pendulum of Korea's labor laws from the
pre-1987 prohibition of strikes to the current rules.
Now, it is very difficult for corporations to lay off workers and corporations are required to pay full wages
and benefits to full-time labor union officials and staff,
thereby making Korea's labor market very inflexible.
As Yoon explained, "democratization" touches all
aspects of South Korea's society and economy. As
the economy matures, slower economic growth will
add to unemployment. At the same time, the growth
of the economically active population will begin to
slow, and Korean workers will continue to demand
job security, shorter working hours, higher wages
and more benefits. Moreover, he said, a corollary to
this trend will be the increased demand for social
welfare as the population ages.
In the final section of his lecture, Yoon discussed the
causes and ongoing implications of the Asian financial
crisis of 1997, pointing out that it changed the perceived
status of South Korea overnight from "star economic miracle maker of East Asia" to "economic miscreant." Even
This one-day conference for K-12 teachers featured the
following topics and presenters: “Contemporary Native
Traditions” by John Goulde, professor of religion and director of Asian studies at Sweet Briar College; “Buddhism and
National Renewal” by Richard Shrove, a Son meditation
specialist, and Jongin Kim, a Ph.D. candidate at SUNY
Stony Brook; and “Christianity and the Future of Korea” by
Donald N. Clark, professor of history and director of international studies at Trinity
University. In addition, retired
New York City high school
teacher Greg Tumminio presented a workshop entitled
“Richard Kim’s The Martyred
as a Classroom Resource.”
concluded that new religions arise from dissatisfaction
with old religions, yet are nothing new in themselves.
Shrove offered an entertaining introduction to Korean
Buddhism by recounting legends about Wonhyo and
Kyongho, two famous Korean Buddhist monks. In a storytelling format, he cleverly incorporated key concepts of
Korean Buddhism into his accounts of the lives of these
early figures. Kim added to Shrove’s presentation by
defining Buddhism as an individualistic and intellectual
religion. He also provided a thorough overview of the history of Buddhism in Korea.
Tumminio led an interactive workshop on ways to use
Richard Kim’s novel The Martyred as a teaching resource
in the classroom. He pointed out the parallelism between
The Martyred and the story of Christ, which led to a lively discussion on the role of religion in literature and the
place of religious awareness in school.
Clark concluded the conference with an informative presentation on the
history of Christianity in
Korea. Since its introduction over 200 years ago,
he said, Christianity has
been woven into the
Goulde got the conference
history of Korea. Clark
underway by elaborating
explained the significant
on his view that religion in
role Christian missionaries
Korea is inextricably linked
and schools played in
in its origins to the characKorean history by proteristically Korean feeling
viding Koreans with eduof “unrequited resentment,
cation and opportunities
anger or bitterness” which
Richard Shrove and Jongin Kim
i n d e p e n d e n t of the
is glossed by the term han.
Japanese during the coloThis pent up feeling is said
to have developed in response to a long history of con- nial period. As the grandson and son of Protestant misflict and oppression in Korea by both outsiders and sionaries, he drew on his personal experiences to illusinsiders. It creates a psychological need for religion in trate the impact of Christianity in Korea. The presentation
the sense of a “mechanism” that helps individuals to ended with an emphasis on the active role churches play
transcend their circumstances by offering them hope in modern Korea.
and providing a means of coping with everyday hardships. In addition, he explained, religion traditionally
has provided opportunities for upward social mobility Introducing Korean Traditional Music
by promoting literacy and making education more This on-going series introduces the distinctive features of
accessible to the less advantaged.
the Korean musical tradition to diverse audiences
across the country in collaboration with colleges, uniCiting official statistics, Goulde noted that eighty per- versities, museums and other educational or cultural
cent of the South Korean population holds some form organizations. The program consists of a lecture with
of religious belief, with Christian and Buddhist sects accompanying demonstrations on the changgo (drum)
claiming the majority of adherents. As examples of and komungo (a six-stringed zither) by Jin Hi Kim, the
other variants, he discussed four highly syncretic highly acclaimed composer of cross-cultural composinativist religions that combine a diverse array of tions and komungo virtuoso. Three variants of the probeliefs and religions, namely: Chondogyo (“Teaching gram are available:
of the Way of Heaven”), a synthesis of Roman
Program A: Introduction to Korean Music: Melding
Catholicism, Neo-Confucianism and Taoism;
Memory, Heritage & Passion
Chunsangyo (“Teaching of the Lord on High”) which
This variant of the program contrasts folk and court music,
incorporates Christian, Confucian and Islamic beliefs;
compares the influences of Shamanistic ecstatic possession
Won Buddhism (“Buddhism of the Perfect Circle”)
in folk music with the influences of Taoism’s middle way
which is described as “Confucianized” Buddhism; and
between the static and dynamic, the Confucian concept of
Tanjonsonwon
(“Cinnabar
Field
Breathing
right conduct, and Buddhism’s meditative quest for nothingMovement”), a New Age religion that incorporates
ness in court music.
Taoist notions into health and religious rituals. Goulde
25
S UMMER 2001
Program B: The Elements and Characteristics of
Korean Music
This variant of the program is for ethnomusicology classes.
The lecture focuses on the following topics: the integration of
traditional music and dance into ritual; the impact of eastern
philosophy and cosmology on Korean court music; the forms
of court orchestral music; traditional musical instruments; the
techniques of sliding notes, microtonal shadings, and vibrato in
vocal music; shamanistic and ecstatic energy in folk ensemble
music; scale and mode; the musical notation system; and a
demonstration of rhythmic cycles using the changgo.
Program C
Composition Seminar: “Living Tones”
In this variant of the program, Ms. Kim describes how each
tone in traditional Korean music must be perceived as “alive,
embodying its own individual shape, sound, texture, vibrato,
glissando, expressive nuances and dynamics.” She refers to
this quality as “Living Tones,” a compositional concept that she
has developed over the past twenty years. Ms. Kim also discusses her series of cross-cultural compositions to illustrate
this essential element of traditional Korean music.
Recent Program Venues:
May 25 • Middletown, CT, Wesleyan University (Program A)
June 24 • Seattle, WA, Seattle Art Museum (Program A)
June 25 • Seattle, WA, Washington Composers Forum
(Program C)
July 1 • Oakland, CA, Oakland Asian Cultural Center
(Program A)
July 2 • San Francisco, CA, San Francisco Main Library
(Program A)
I was stunned by Ms. Kim’s lecture presentation and
her own brilliant improvising and synthesizing of
Korean music performance. Her application of yinyang theory to music dynamics both East and West
was simply breath-taking. Her lecture presentation
was, and I do not exaggerate, the most rewarding
musical encounter I have ever had. You are indeed fortunate to have Ms. Kim doing your Korean music programs. Her insights into Korean music and music performance were as brilliant as were her general theories of music. —David A. Titus, Chair of East Asian
Studies, Wesleyan University
Internationally acclaimed komungo artist, Jin Hi Kim,
was featured in The Center of Sound Festival 2 presented by Alliance of Emerging Creative Artists
(AECA), Asian Improv aRts, and Oakland Asian
Cultural Center. Taking place at the Oakland Asian
Cultural Center in the heart of Oakland Chinatown,
Center of Sound 2 presented a free lecture/demonstration by Ms. Kim entitled “An Introduction to Korean
Music: Melding Memory, Heritage, and Passion” that
introduced the attendees to the variety and complexity of Korean music, which included examples from
court, folk, and shamanistic traditions.
The afternoon lecture/demonstration was then followed by an evening concert. Opening the proceedings was Turn of the Century, a dynamic quartet dedicated to the performance of new/creative
music that featured saxophone, acoustic bass, and
Donna Kwon and Dohee Lee performing on poongmul instruments. Ms. Kim then took the stage and
gave a captivating solo performance on both
acoustic and electric komungo.
The concert was attended by a diverse, multigenerational audience consisting of members of the
Korean American community as well as world music
and new/creative music enthusiasts. This very special event provided many opportunities for the presenters of The Center of Sound Festival to work with
organizations such as the Korean Community
Center of the East Bay and the Korean American
Women Artists & Writers Association. We would like to
extend our gratitude to The Korea Society for its generous support in making it possible to present a world
class artist such as Jin Hi Kim in this educational, creative, and inspirational program.
—Jeff Chan, associate director, Oakland Asian
Cultural Center.
Program Highlights
Monday, June 25 — Arrival in Seoul/Check-in at the
Tower Hotel. After a brief rest, the group traveled by subway to Ehwa Woman’s University.
Following a buffet lunch at the faculty cafeteria, the group toured the Ehwa Woman’s
University Museum guided by Assistant
Curator Rha Sunhwa. The museum is famous
for its permanent collection of woman’s garments and accessories of the Choson period.
There also was a special exhibit on life in
Silla Korea, with a special emphasis on life
cycle rituals.
Summer Fellowship
in Korean Studies
June 25-July 12 • Korea
A group of nineteen
American teachers visited
Korea for an intensive
study tour. The tour is an
annual project of The
Korea Society implemented in Korea in cooperation
with Korea University with
the joint support of the
Freeman Foundation and
the Korea Foundation.
Ms. Concetta C.
Czerwinski and
Ms. Michelle
Davidson Walker
teaching English
to fourth graders
in Chongju,
Korea.
2001 Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies Participants:
Karen Waite Aromando
Ridgewood High School
Ridgewood, NJ
Brad Badgley
Stuyvesant High School
New York, NY
Concetta C. Czerwinski
Forest Park Elementary
School
Albany, NY
Thomas Tracey Fallon
Glen Landing Middle
School
Blackwood, NJ
William P. Fitzhugh
Reisterstown Elementary
School
Reisterstown, MD
Dianne Kirksey-Floyd
PS 145
New York, NY
Stephen Johnson
Monterey High School
Lubbock, TX
James W. Lane
Orange High School
Pepper Pike, OH
Barbara Ledig-Sheehan
Marymount School of
New York
New York, NY
Sean Peter McManamon
Fashion Industries High
School
New York, NY
Nancy Maguire
Cornwall Central High
School
Cornwall, NY
Marion A. Makin
Skyline High School
Issaquah, WA
Barbara B. Mercier
Oswego High School
Oswego, NY
Leah Osteer Renzi
Dundalk Middle School
Baltimore, MD
Paul Robinson
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
Robert Rodey
Marian Catholic High
School
Chicago Heights, IL
Pat Schnack
South East Junior High
School
Iowa City, IA
Sharon Shambourger
Martin Luther King Junior
High School
New York, NY
Michelle Davidson Walker
State Dept. of Education
Nashville, TN
26
S UMMER 2001
Tuesday, June 26 — The group visited the Public
Affairs Office of the U.S. embassy in Seoul for
an orientation program conducted by Deputy
PAO Alden Stallings, Assistant Country Program
Officer Yanina de Guzman and Vice Counsel
Lamont C. Colucci who was a participant in the
1997 Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies program. Stallings gave a brief presentation on
U.S.-Korea ties and the role of the U.S.
embassy in promoting a constructive relationship. The rest of the morning and afternoon was
spent touring historic areas of Seoul, including
Sajik Park, the Bukak Skyway, an extant section
of the old city wall, the White Buddha shrine and
the Water Gate in the extension connecting the
old city wall to the North Fortress. The group
also went to the scenic P’yungch’ang-dong residential area north of the city for a visit to the Lee
Eung Ro Fine Art Gallery and lunch at a Korean
barbecue restaurant. That evening the group
joined colleagues from Australia, Canada and
New Zealand for a dinner party which inaugurated the workshop portion of the program.
Wednesday, June 27 - Thursday, July 5 — The
group participated with their colleagues from the
other countries in a workshop held at Korea
University in Seoul. The workshop included lectures
on Korean language, society, politics, fine arts, the
education system, the family system, management,
architecture, history, religion, mass culture, traditional music and other performing arts and inter-Korean
relations. They also went on guided field trips to
royal palaces, museums, the Yejiwon Culture
Institute, the Insadong District, P’anmunjom, the
Daeil Foreign Language High School, Samsung
Electronics and the Yong-in Korean traditional village. The program also included a home visit.
Friday, July 6 - Monday, July 9 — The group set out
for a four-day trip through the southeastern part of
the Korean peninsula. Highlights of the trip included:
a visit to the Haeinsa Buddhist Monastery, where
they participated in the 4 AM prayer meeting; and a
three-day tour of the Kyongju area. In addition to visiting the major Silla sites in Kyongju, such as the
Sokkuram Grotto and the Bulkuk Temple, the group
climbed Mt. Namsan, toured the Yangdong
Traditional Village and the Oksan Confucian
Academy and stopped off at Ch’onma-ch’ong and
other pre-Buddhist archaeological sites.
Tuesday July 10 - Wednesday, July 11 — The group
had two free days for independent study or to
explore Seoul on their own. As a joint independent
study project, four elementary school teachers in the
group traveled to Chongju, North Chungchong
Province, to visit an elementary school. The school
has 800 students enrolled in grades K-6. They
observed the third and fourth grade classrooms, and
each teacher conducted a 10-minute lesson for the
students. They also ate lunch at the student cafeteria. Drawing on this experience, these four teachers
will create a collection of lesson plans for use at the
third grade level tentatively titled Ch’ongju, A Global
Village: A Day in a Korean Elementary School.
Thursday, July 12 — In the morning, the group met
with Yeonsook Lee, the National Assembly woman
who is a vice president of the Grand National Party
and the chairperson of its Special Committee on
Woman’s Affairs. The group was enthralled by her
biographical account of how she balances her roles
as both a professional woman and a wife in a society still very much based on Confucian values. Lee
also spoke about her efforts as minister of woman’s
affairs during the Kim Yong Sam administration to
enhance the status of women in the workplace, and
noted that the legal provisions she introduced subsequently were implemented by the current government. The group greatly appreciated her candid and
inspiring presentation. Then, in the afternoon, the
group met with three Korean high school teachers
and two elementary school teachers. In a wide-ranging discussion, the group asked their Korean counterparts about their school life, including topics such
as: the ratio between male and female teachers; the
content and methodology of moral education (i.e.,
do they teach Confucian or Western morals?); the
organization and role of the teachers union in Korea;
and educational reform efforts in Korea. They also
asked several questions about their Korean counterparts’ professional attitudes: Are they are proud of
being public school teachers? What would they like
to see changed in their teaching career? How do
they feel about the size of their (by American standards) large classes?
Friday, July 13 — Free day/Departure for the U.S.
Korean Language Scholarships for Teachers
May 22 • Flushing, NY
At its annual Teachers' Day Banquet, the New York
Korean-American Parents Association awarded tuition
scholarships to three teachers for two terms of Korean
language study at The Korea Society. These scholarships are underwritten jointly by The Korea Society and
the Korean Consulate General of New York.
Scholarship Recipients
Dyrel Bartee is a science teacher at Newtown High
School in Elmhurst, New York. He has over six years of
experience as a teacher, and has been teaching in New
York for the last three years. He hopes the scholarship
will help him to develop a deeper appreciation of Korean
history and culture.
Helen Cedeno is a teacher at P.S. 150 in
Sunnyside, New York, which is the school
she attended as a child. Working in a
school with a fairly large Korean population
has given Cedeno the desire to gain more
knowledge about Korea, including its language and culture. Although she grew up in
a home with a Korean mother, Cedeno
feels there is much for her to learn about
Korean customs and traditions.
Nilda M. Rosa teaches at P.S. 22 in
Queens, NY. In addition to her regular
teaching schedule, she also teaches drama
and international dance. Rosa has worked
with many Korean students and their parents. She feels that learning to speak
Korean will better enable her to understand the problems her students have in
learning English as a second language.
THE ARTS
In-Young Sohn Dance Company: Tradition
and Creation in Korean Dance
In-Young Sohn and four accompanying members of her
dance company presented an exciting performance for a
capacity audience at The American Museum of Natural
History. Copresented by the Museum and The Korea
Society, under its Old Roots - New Branches Korean
Performing Arts Initiative, the program combined modern interpretations of Korean traditional dances with
video and poetry.
Program
Kumjing Mu (Gong Dance)
Originally performed during
the victory celebration of a
battle with Japan in 1592,
the drum dance, sungjon
mu, continues to be passed
down to each generation in
the city of Tongyong, South
Korea. By using gongs, and
not the traditional drums,
Ms. Sohn reinterprets the
dance, costumes and staging while maintaining the
original dance style.
Kutkori Ch’um
(Swinging Rhythm Dance)
The dancer depicts a weeping willow in spring with
smooth-flowing, relaxed
Photo by Ed Hermann
and elegant movements,
gradually becoming more
vigorous with hops and jumps, conveying nature’s
Spring 2001 Korean Language Program
vitality. This dance continues to be taught in the city
January 29 - April 23 • New York, NY
of Chinju, South Korea, by Su-ock Kim, a National
There were 35 students enrolled in five different levLiving Treasure.
els for the twelve-week term. Students in the lower
levels studied basic grammatical structures and practiced common expressions while expanding their
vocabulary. In the more advanced levels, students
studied more complex language structures and
improved their fluency. All classes emphasized conversational skills while also paying attention to reading and writing. The lower level classes were taught
by Shin-Hark Suk, an instructor at CUNY Queens
College. Kyungah Yoon, an instructor at Columbia
University, taught the advanced level classes.
36th International Work Camp and 5th
Arirang Youth Camp
July 15-28 & August 8-13 • Suwon, Korea
In an on-going annual collaboration, The Korea Society
recruited four young Americans for two summer camp
programs organized by the Korean National Commission
for UNESCO and provided partial support for their participation in these unique programs.
27
S UMMER 2001
Ch’un’gyong (Spring Scenery)
Traditionally performed at the center of the village
and at people’s homes to bring good luck and
well- being to the family, this dance is reinterpreted for the theater stage in honor of spring. The
dance portrays the energy of spring — waiting,
arrival, blooming, and vanishing. Inspired by
Changgo ch’um, a tradtional dance focused on
drum playing, the choreography of this work
stresses the dancer’s movements.
Pujong Nori (Purification Rite)
The dancer, inspired by the shamanic tradition,
invokes the spirits to cleanse the area with a sudden
shake of a bell. The elegant placement of the curledtoe socks and the ornamental bell and fan are traditional elements of the dance. Although evil spirits
can bring about disasters or a state of imbalance,
this ritual dance of exorcism offers a pleasurable aesthetic to achieve a renewed balance.
Documentary Video: Pleasure of the “Empty Center,”
Director: In-ho Jun; Film-maker: Rang-il Kim.
three years. She joined the In-Young Sohn Dance
Company last year.
Minority Relations Seminar with Vivian
Louie and Pyong Gap Min
Salp’uri (Exorcism Dance, Han-Young Suk Style)
Salp’uri has been described as a highly expressive solo
dance of spiritual cleansing. The dancer goes through a
series of emotions from sadness to invigorating joy. In
some interpretations, the dancer expresses a wife’s
desire to call her deceased husband back to the world
of the living, her ecstasy at meeting him, and her pain
upon being separated again. The dancer’s movements
are full of suspensions, as the motion is held back,
before bursting out with surprising flicks of the scarf.
Salp’uri requires the dancer to have a magnetic, yet
subtle command of the body.
Ji-eun Kim received her B.A from Jongang University
and worked with the Didim Dance Company for a year.
She joined the In-Young Sohn Dance Company this year,
and is pursuing an M.A. in dance at Jongang University.
May 12, 2001• New York, NY
Vivian Louie, a professor at Harvard University, and
Pyong Gap Min, a professor of sociology at Queens
College copresented a seminar for the New York area
Project Bridge 2000-01 participants following their return
from the study tour of Korea.
About the Company
Program assistant: Kwang-ryul Jang
School Outreach Program:
Traditional Korean Music Dance
May 1-4 • New York, NY
The In-Young Sohn Dance Company conducted an outreach program at four schools in New York City: Newtown
High School, Elmhurst, NY (May 1); Bayside High
School, Bayside, NY (May 2); Brooklyn Technology
High School, Brooklyn, NY (May 3); and P.S. 145,
New York, NY (May 4). The program included
dance performances, a short workshop on Korean
music and a Q&A session.
The In-Young Sohn Dance Company was established
in 1992, premiering at the National Theater in Seoul,
Korea. The company rapidly grew and performed in
major theaters in Seoul and toured throughout Korea,
later making a sold-out New York debut at
the American Museum of Natural History.
The company also performed at the
Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival,
which included the participation of 40 volunteers from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Later, the company toured throughout the
United States for three years from 1996-8,
performing at the Smithsonian Institution,
the Philadelphia Museum of Art and 20
other venues. More recently, the In-Young
Sohn Dance Company has performed at the
Total Arts Center in 1999, the Jayu Theater
In-Young Sohn Dance Company at P.S 145.
in 2000, and The National Center for
Traditional Performing Arts in 2001. This
year the company will premiere new works at the Gana
Dong-Suk Kang with Paschal Devoyon
Arts Center on August 28th, and the Jayu Theater from
in Concert
September 12-14, 2001 in Seoul, Korea.
The Korea Society was a cosponsor of a performance at
The Artists
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, featuring the renowned
In-Young Sohn, artistic director of the In-Young
violinist Dong-Suk Kang and the pianist Pascal Devoyon.
Sohn Dance Company, is a former member of the
The program included Dvorak’s Sonatina in G Major for
Korean National Dance Company and a past artisViolin and Piano, Op.100; Schubert’s Fantasy in C Major
tic director for dance at The Seoul Performing Arts
for Violin and Piano, Op.159/D.934; de Falla’s Suite
Center in Seoul. Sohn is currently leading workPopulaire Espagnole for Violin and Piano; and Grieg’s
shops, master classes, and lecture demonstrations
Sonata No. 3 in C Minor for Violin and Piano, Op.45. The
and performances in the United States and teachprogram was presented by the Korean Cultural Service.
es dance in the School of Dance at The Korean
National University of Arts in Seoul, Korea. She has
received grants from the Asian Cultural Council, the
Korean Culture and Arts Foundation and the
Korean Cultural Service. She will be an artist-inINTERCULTURAL
residence at SUNY Buffalo in November 2001.
Jung-suk Sea has studied traditional Korean dance for
more than 15 years. She received her B.A. from King
Sejong University and joined the In-Young Sohn Dance
Company in 1995, touring with the company since then.
Young-mi Song received her B.A from Suwon
University and has worked with the Seoul Arts Company
for the past 6 years. She worked with In-Young Sohn for
two years and recently joined the company.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
(ICOP)
Project Bridge 2000-01 Study Tour to Korea
April 9-19 • Korea
See the Portfolio Section, pages 34-36.
Ji-hea Han received her B.A from Hansung University
and performed with the Hanul Dance Company for
28
S UMMER 2001
In her lecture entitled “Asian Americans as a Model
Minority: Origins, Interpretations and Implications,” Louie
discussed the implications of the widely held perception
of Asian Americans as a “model minority” for interracial
relations. She pointed out that the term “model minority”
refers to the notion that Asian Americans are a minority
group that has successfully assimilated into the mainstream, and as such, are viewed more favorably than
other minority groups that fail to achieve a comparable
level of assimilation. Like other Asian Americans, Korean
Americans are often viewed in this way, Louie pointed
out; and as the culture of success supposedly enjoyed by
Korean Americans is contrasted with the culture of poverty and struggle afflicting other minorities, particularly
African Americans, the interethnic dynamic that results is
generally not conducive to cooperation between Korean
Americans and these other ethnic groups.
Situating this perception in its socio-historical context,
Louie noted that Asian Americans are not the only group
in America to have been classified along the lines of a
model minority. American Jews, for example, are another
group perceived to have a high regard for education that
has brought rapid upward mobility. Likewise, she said,
West Indian immigrants have been held up as a black
model minority, and are typically compared to native-born
African Americans, with the implication being that race
alone cannot account for unequal outcomes since West
Indians are doing better than other African Americans in
terms of income and the kinds of jobs they hold.
Further showing how the portrayal of Asian Americans as
a model minority is a historical construct, Louie pointed to
the images that were predominant prior to the 1960s.
Specifically, some Asian groups, Koreans among them,
have been in the United States since the nineteenth century, she noted, and the prevalent media depictions of
them before the 1960s were as risk-imbued foreigners
who could not possibly assimilate. These images were
featured in novels, films, comic strips and other forms of
mass media. Such negative portrayals coincided with
periods when immigration policy and the legal system
ascribed an inferior status to Asian Americans, who were
seen as economic competitors in the labor market, persons to be excluded from legal immigration to the U.S., or
wartime adversaries, she said.
Considering these negative images, Louie observed, it is
particularly striking that Asian Americans have now
become a group worthy of emulation. Posing the question
of why and how this image of the model minority materialized, Louie located the answer in the socio-political context
of the 1960s. The model minority emerged at a time when
traditionally subordinated racial and ethnic groups and
women challenged the existing social system. The notion
of the model minority — and in particular, with its empha-
TKS EVENTS AHEAD
sis on work, perseverance and assimilation — functioned as
a rebuke to African Americans and other minority groups.
Used in this sense, the notion of a model minority became an
articulation of the American meritocratic ideal, conveying the
idea of equal opportunity rather than equal results. According to
the ideal of equal opportunity, everyone, regardless of race,
ethnicity, class and gender, has the same opportunity to climb
the mobility ladder. Equal results, on the other hand, stresses
that there are constraints, in education or in the workplace,
which need to be addressed because they diminish some people’s chances to climb the mobility ladder. Therefore, by subscribing to the American ideal of meritocracy, she concluded,
the concept of the model minority shifts the attention from
external constraints — government policy, housing patterns and
educational inequity — to the individual.
In his presentation, Min offered an analysis of the structural
roots of social problems by elaborating on the interracial
themes explored in his book entitled, Caught in the Middle:
Korean Communities in New York and Los Angeles. He pointed out that in discussing Korean-African-American conflicts, it
is important to distinguish between collective forms of hostility
toward Korean merchants, such as boycotts, and individual
disputes between merchants and customers. Further, while
socio-psychological factors such as cultural differences, mutual prejudice and the language barrier have contributed to the
frequent disputes that have occurred on the individual level,
these conflicts need to be situated within a larger context.
In Min’s view, Korean-Black conflict at the collective level is
the result of broad structural forces such as the deteriorating
economic conditions and increasing crime rates in the inner
city that pushed large chain stores and independent Whiteowned businesses out of African American neighborhoods.
As another factor, many highly educated Koreans, who had
left Korea due to socio-political and economic conditions,
turned to self-employment in small businesses as the most
appealing alternative when they were unable to obtain jobs
suited to their skills after arriving in the U.S. These “two
forces” placed Korean merchants in a middleman role in lowincome neighborhoods, he said. Moreover, the Koreans distributed the products of multinational corporations to African
American customers and, by so doing, became the scapegoats for residents who were frustrated by their inability to
improve their economic conditions. Korean merchants were
easy targets, Min explained, and as recent immigrants, they
lacked political power to deal with the situation in which they
found themselves. Thus, Min concluded, for change to occur
and for the Korean-African-American conflict to subside,
changes at a structural level must be made.
Project Bridge Community Presentation
and Commencement Ceremony
This final activity of the Project Bridge 2000-01 program
included dramatic photo and essay presentations.
Participants shared their experiences and explained how the
trip to Korea had expanded their horizons and broadened
their understanding of cultural differences.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
VOICES Program
The Bridge at No Gun Ri: A Hidden Nightmare from the
Korean War
August 30 • 6:30-8:00 PM
The Korea Society, 8th Floor, 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY
Associate Press (AP) Special Correspondent Charles J. Hanley
will discuss his views on the tragic events at No Gun Ri, as
described in a book he has coauthored with two AP colleagues,
Sang-Hun Choe and Martha Mendoza. The book is based on
investigative reporting for which Hanley and his colleagues were
awarded the 2000 Pulitzer Prize. The presentation will be followed by a book signing and reception. Cosponsored by the
New York Chapter of the National Association of Korean Americans (NAKA), the program is
free of charge and open to the public. RSVP requested by August 28. Contact Naomi Paik
at 212-759-7525 ext. 28 or Naomi.ny@koreasociety.org.
Cosponsored Conference
North Korea's Prospects - The Views of the Major Northeast Asian Countries and the
United States
October 12 • 8:15 AM - 2:00 PM
The World Bank Main Building, H Street (between 18th and 19th), Washington, DC
The Korea Society is a cosponsor of the Diplomats and Counselor Officers Retired
(DACOR) annual Bacon House Foundation conference.
Tentative Schedule
8:15 AM — REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:45 AM — CONFERENCE OPENING
11:00 AM — BREAK WITH COFFEE, TEA, SOFT DRINKS AND
COOKIES
11:15 AM — KOREA'S REGIONAL SECURITY OUTLOOK
Amb. Alan Lukens (DACOR)
Amb. James R. Lilley (AEI)
MODERATOR
9:00 AM — NORTH KOREA'S PROSPECTS, POSSIBLE PEACE
ARRANGEMENT, CBMs, MISSILES
Amb. Paul Cleveland, President, The IndonesiaU.S. Society
PANELISTS
MODERATOR
Amb. William H. Gleysteen, Jr.
PANELISTS
Amb. James Lilley, AEI
Amb. Donald P. Gregg, The Korea Society
Mr. Donald Oberdorfer, SAIS, Johns Hopkins
University
10:00 AM — KOREAN PENINSULA ECONOMIC, SOCIAL,
POLITICAL OUTLOOK
MODERATOR
Mr. Joseph A.B. Winder, KEI
Amb. Yang Sung Chul, Embassy of the Republic
of Korea
Chinese Ambassador (invited)
Russian Ambassador (invited)
Amb. Shunji Yanai, Embassy of Japan (invited)
12:45 PM — LUNCHEON AT WORLD BANK 12TH FLOOR
DINING ROOM
INTRODUCTIONS
Amb. Alan Lukens
Amb. James R. Lilley
Congressman Matt McHugh, World Bank
PANELISTS
SPEAKER
Dr. Kurt Campbell, Senior Vice President,
CSIS (invited)
Mr. Brad Babson., North Korea, World Bank
Dr. Marcus Noland, Senior Fellow, Institute of
International Economics
Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, Research Fellow, AEI
Department of State Senior Asian Specialist
Fee: $55 (includes breakfast and lunch). To register, contact Mrs. Sue Faircloth, program
coordinator, DACOR, at 202-682-0500.
29
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TKS EVENTS AHEAD
Dinner Co-Chairs
The Korea Society
ANNUAL DINNER 2001
Reception 6:00 PM • Dinner 7:00
Friday, September 28
William R. Rhodes
Vice Chairman
Citigroup
PM
John F. Smith, Jr.
Chairman
General Motors
Dinner Comittee
Benefac tor
The Waldorf-Astoria — New York City
Honoring
H.E. Han Seung-soo
Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, Republic of Korea
Candidate for the President of the
56th Session United Nations
General Assembly
and
2001 Van Fleet Awardee
Dr. Kim Kyung Won
President
Institute of Social Sciences
with special guest
H.E. Kofi A. Annan
Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations
William R. Rhodes
Vice Chairman
Citigroup
John F. Smith, Jr.
Chairman
General Motors
Charles K. Koo
Chairman & CEO
LG International
(America), Inc
Patron
James F. Dowd
President & CEO
Fairfax, Inc.
Moon Q. Kim
President
Pohang Steel America Corporation
Sponsor
Donald H. Layton
Vice Chairman
JP Morgan
Chase & Co.
Maurice R. Greenberg
Chairman & CEO
American International
Group, Inc
Daniel P. Burnham
Chairman & CEO
Raytheon Company
Dong-Jin Oh
President & CEO
Samsung Electronics
America, Inc.
Woong Yeul Lee
Chairman
Kolon
Paul Ford
Partner
Simpson Thacher &
Bartlett
Young Cho
Partner
Charles Kaye
Executive Managing
Director
Warburg Pincus
(List in formation)
For further information, contact Sophia Kang at 212-759-7525 ext. 29
or sophia.ny@koreasociety.org.
CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Business Conference
The Future of the Korean Power Industry
Schedule
September 19 • 2:00–4:30 PM
Benay Venuta Hall, Lighthouse International, 111 East 59th Street, New York, NY
1:30–2:00 PM
REGISTRATION
Cosponsored by The Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly Edition, Korea
Electric Power Corporation and Westinghouse Electric Company.
A law passed at the end of 2000 by the South Korean National Assembly
laid the foundation for the privatization of the power industry over the next
decade. The South Korean power industry has been growing very rapidly
since the 1970’s. One major reason for privatization is to move investment
costs from the public to the private sector. One of the first steps in privatizing the power industry was the sale of Hanjung Corporation (Korea
Heavy Industries and Construction), a manufacturer of nuclear and thermal
power plant equipment, to the Doosan Group. The South Korean power
industry is also on the forefront of economic exchange between South and
North Korea both as providers of the light water reactors for North Korea
through KEDO and as a potential source of electric power via grid connections, such as the proposal to provide 500 MW via Munsan in South
Korea to the Kaesong industrial park in North Korea. How will these factors
affect the future of the Korean power industry?
2:00–2:05 pm
WELCOME
Donald P. Gregg
President & Chariman
The Korea Society
2:05–3:20 PM
PRESENTATIONS
Gary Sullivan (Moderator)
Partner
Haynes and Boonie
Ed Lynch
General Counsel
KEDO
Bill Strohecker
President
HF Controls, LP
30
S UMMER 2001
Stacy Jernigan
Chair, Brankruptcy and
Reorganization Practice
Haynes and Boone, LP
3:20–4:00 PM
JOINT DISCUSSION
The Future of Korea’s Power
Industry
4:00–4:30 PM
Q&A
For further information or to
register, contact Sarah Kim at
212-759-7525 ext. 11 or
sarah.ny@koreasociety.org
TKS EVENTS AHEAD
Distinguished Visitor Luncheon Series
The Geostrategic Importance of the Korean Peninsula in
Northeast Asia
with
Jae Chul Kim, chairman & CEO of Korea World Trade Center
and Korea International Trade Association (KITA)
The Korea Society
Eleventh Annual Van Fleet Memorial
Golf Tournament
October 15
Alpine Country Club, Alpine, New Jersey
October 11 • 12:00–2:00 PM
The Empire Room, The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue, New York, NY
Jae-Chul Kim, elected chairman of the Korea International Trade
Association (KITA) on February 10, 1999, is one of Korea’s foremost
entrepreneurs. As chairman of KITA, he directs an organization composed of 91,000 member companies — virtually all Korean businesses
engaged in international trade. Established in 1946, KITA has played a
prominent role in Korea’s rise as a major trading nation and in the country’s economic development, which is so closely bound up with international trade. Among the extensive membership services it provides are
professional advice on accessing foreign markets, research on trade
issues and strategies, and trade-related training courses.
Kim also chairs three collateral organizations of KITA: the Korea–U.S.
Economic Council, which promotes bilateral cooperation; KT-NET, an
information and communications company that is a pacesetter in paperless transactions; and COEX, which operates the largest exhibition and
convention center in Korea. In addition, he serves as a director of the
World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) and chairman of the Korean
Shippers’ Council.
RSVP requested by October 5. Contact Naomi Paik at 212-759-7525 ext.
28 or Naomi.ny@koreasociety.org.
11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Registration/Lunch/
Open Driving Range
Schedule of
Events
12:30 PM
Shotgun Tee Off
6:30–8:00 PM
Dinner/Raffle
8:00–9:00 PM
5:30–6:30 PM
Cocktails
Awards Ceremony
Co-chairs
Donald P. Gregg
President & Chairman
The Korea Society
Young Min Kim
Managing Director
Citibank
Nicholas Bratt
Managing Director
Zurich Scudder Investments
Charles K. Koo
Chairman & CEO
LG International (America), Inc.
Young Cho
Partner
Joon Hwa Kwon
President
Korea International Trade
Association
Edward Kelleher
Managing Director
Bank of America
Young Jin Kim
President
SK Global America, Inc.
Dong-Jin Oh
President & CEO
Samsung Electronics
America, Inc.
Chong-Yun Park
Partner
KPMG LLP
Justin X. Ramstek
Managing Director
JP Morgan Chase
Regis A. Matzie
Senior Vice President,
Nuclear Systems
Westinghouse Electric
Company
For further information or to register, contact HanNa Kim
at 212-759-7525 ext. 26 or hanna.ny@koreasociety.org.
Korean Language Program
The Korea Society, 950 Third Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY
Placing equal emphasis on speaking, listening, reading and writing, the language program’s balanced and thorough
approach instills the student with greater understanding and appreciation for Korean Culture. Korean language courses
extend over a term of twelve sessions. Instructors are experienced Korean language teachers with university affiliations. Class
size is limited to ten or fewer students to allow more interaction with the instructor and other students. Classes are offered
throughout the year in six sequential levels from beginning to advanced.
Fee: $375 (non-members); $350 (members)
Payment must be received prior to class attendance to guarantee your place. No refunds or cancellations will be made after
the second day of class. There will be a $40 service charge for all cancellations of enrollment. All classes are held at The
Korea Society, 950 Third Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022. To register and for further information, contact Naomi
Paik at 212-759-7525 ext 28 or naomi.ny@koreasociety.org.
Scheduke for Fall 2001
September 10 - December 6
Basic
Beginning I
Beginning II
M 6:00-7:45 PM
M 7:45-9:30 PM
TH 6:00-7:45 PM
31
Intermediate
Business Korean
S UMMER 2001
TU 6:00-7:45 PM
TU 8:00-9:45 PM
TKS EVENTS AHEAD
In its on-going collaboration with Asian CineVision, The Korea Society is
sponsoring a night devoted entirely to Korean and Korean American cinema that has become an annual feature of this oldest and longest running festival in the U.S. devoted to featuring the works of Asian and Asian
American filmmakers.
KOREAN STUDIES
Summer Institute
Korea for Beginners
August 13–17 • 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
Conference Room, The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue, Eighth Floor (SW corner of 57th Street), New York, NY
In-Service Course of the Board of the Education, The City of New York (3-G)
In-Service Course of the Board of the Education, New Jersey
(30 hours Professional Development)
This course will offer a general introduction to Korea for K-12 teachers. It
will include a varied program of lectures, classroom discussions and field
trips. Mornings will be devoted to lecture/discussion sessions on history,
language, literature, family and society, arts and religion. Guided field
trips to Korea-related venues and organizations, including the Korea
Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum, will be arranged in the afternoons.
Participants will be required to complete extensive daily reading. For
information, contact Yong Jin Choi at 212-759-7525 ext. 25 or
yongjin.ny@koreasociety.org.
Fall Fellowship in Korean Studies
October 6–17 • Korea
The annual docent-led study tour of Korea for 10 American textbook writers, editors and state-level educational administrators is
scheduled for October 6-17. This program is made possible by
major support from the Freeman Foundation and the Korean
Overseas Information Service.
Participants:
Susan L. Burns, assistant professor, Department of History, University of
Texas at Austin; Jane Hathaway, associate professor, Department of
History, Ohio State University; Mary C. Janisch, managing editor,
Microsoft Corporation; Alan Karras, lecturer, IASTP, University of
California at Berkeley; Gail S. Ludwig, associate professor, Dept. of
Geography, University of Missouri; Scott C. Monje, area studies editor
Grolier, Inc.; Theodore Pappas, executive editor, Encyclopaedia
Britannica; Christopher A. Reed; assistant professor, Department of
History, The Ohio State University; Wesley Sasaki-Uemura, associate
professor, Department of History, University of Utah; Frankie Wright,
executive editor, Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company.
THE ARTS
“Korean Cinema Night” at the 24th Asian
American International Film Festival
July 27; 7:30–11:30 PM
Florence Gould Hall, French Institute/Alliance Francaise
55 East 59th Street (between Park Avenue and Madison
Avenue), New York, NY
Preceded by a short film entitled Woodcutter & His Bride, the first program of “Korean Cinema Night” will feature So-young Kim’s documentary
Sky Blue Hometown. This film depicts the little known forced migration of
Korean-Russians in 1937 through the life of a survivor who has gone on
to become a renowned artist.
The second program of the night will present a debut feature entitled
Roads and Bridges, directed by Abraham Lim. This film brings us a new
generation of American pioneers (Lyndon, a young Asian sentenced to
work on a Kansas road crew, and Daryl, the only black man on the crew)
who are given the choice to fight for their homes or get out of Dodge.
On opening night, the festival will show Chan-wook Park’s Joint
Security Area (J.S.A.). Screenings will be held over a two-week
period from July 19-28.
Shorts by filmmakers of Korean descent include the following:
All American Ecstasy (Director: Greg Pak)
Live Fish (Director: Jason Cho)
Princess Fever (Director: Juli Jiyoung Kang)
Subrosa (Director: Helen Lee)
Self-Portrait (Director: June Yup Yi)
Performing Arts Tour
Five Clowns Play: A Performance of the Kosong Okwangdae
The masked play of Kosong Village in South Kyongsan Province is
known as “Okwangdae” or the “Five Clowns Play.” It was designated as
the Seventh National Intangible Property by the Korean government in
1964. There currently are 30 officially designated practitioners, and many
students are trying to master it. It is believed that this form of drama had
its origins around the tenth century and became established as a distinctive form of entertainment in the middle of the eighteenth century. Written
descriptions of this style can be found as early as 1530.
When they take the stage, the five clowns from which the drama takes its
name represent the five cardinal directions—east, west, south, north and
center. The masked play originally consisted of five scenes, including
those depicting a leper, ruined aristocrats and a fallen Buddhist monk.
This performance presents selected scenes with a focus on dance. The
performers in the all-male cast are actual farmers who reside in Kosong
Village. Their leaping movements are evocative of a green sprout emerging through the earth, while the smooth uplifting of their arms is like a
branch holding mature fruit. The performance features geometrical
leaning movements and exciting improvisational rhythms. Its most
attractive feature is the energetic dance movements of the male performers, “the men of the earth.”
32
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TKS EVENTS AHEAD
Five Clowns Play: A Performance of the
Kosong Okwangdae
Dates/Venues
INTERCULTURAL OUTREACH PROGRAM (ICOP)
ANNOUNCING PROJECT BRIDGE 2001-02
November 2
University of Hawaii at Manoa (HI)
T he Korea Society and the Pacific
Century Institute are accepting applications for Project Bridge 2001-02, a
year-long program of intercultural
learning for American youth focused
on a study tour to Korea.
November 4
University of California at San Diego (CA)
November 7
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (CA)
November 9
World Music Institute at
Danny Kaye Playhouse (NYC)
November 10
University of Bridgeport (CT)
November 11
Painted Bride Art Center
in Philadelphia (PA)
November 12
The John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts (DC)
For further information, contact HanNa Kim
at 212-759-7525 ext. 26
or hanna.ny@koreasociety.org
The Project Bridge program is an initiative of The Korea Society's
Intercultural Outreach Program
(ICOP), which seeks to build relationships and promote mutual understanding among Americans of diverse
ethnic backgrounds. The program
was established in 1993 as a response to the April 29 Incident (sa-i-gu) in Los Angeles.
High school students who will be juniors or seniors during the 2001-02 school year are
eligible to apply for the sixteen available openings - eight in New York City and eight in
Los Angeles. Application also is invited from high school teachers interested in working
with the program staff as a group leader. There are two group leader positions available
in each locale.
Objectives
F O S T E R greater sensitivity to, and respect
for, ethnic and cultural differences in
contemporary American life
D E V E L O P the leadership skills and
competence of talented and academically
accomplished urban youth
P R O M O T E individual growth by exploring
new ideas, different perspectives and
cross-cultural experiences
E X P L O R E the spectrum of cultural homogeneity and diversity through a first-hand
educational experience in Korea
Activities
Monthly after-school workshops led by experts on:
relations among Americans of different ethnic backgrounds
multicultural youth leadership issues
history, language and culture of Korea
Field trips
Weekend retreat
Involvement with community ser vice organizations
Forum on race relations in America
Using the arts to communicate identity and culture
A 10-day educational study tour of Korea in mid-April 2002
How to Apply
In the NYC area, for further information contact HanNa Kim
at 212-759-7525 ext 26 or hanna.ny@koreasociety.org
In the LA area, contact Jennifer Hahn 818-704-8200 or jhahn@cbolcorp.com
33
S UMMER 2001
Project Bridge
Connects with
with
K o r e a
An ethnically diverse group of 17 American high school students from the New York and Los Angeles areas traveled to
Korea this past April for a two-week study tour organized by The Korea Society. The tour was the culmination of the
year-long Project Bridge 2000-01 program. In the passages from selected essays that follow, several of the students
from New York and Los Angeles and the group leaders from New York describe their experiences in Korea and the
impact of the program on their lives.
’ve always known there to be a lack of
culture in my life, but I thought it was
because I didn’t live in Pakistan (the
country of my parents). So what else
could I expect? I had to Americanize
because I grew up in America. I never
thought it could happen to someone in
his or her own native land the way it is
happening in Korea.
Korea is Americanizing very fast. Their
youth imitate American culture, and their
malls and popular music are similar to
those found in America. I concluded
that the reason for this conformity to
American things is their idealization of
America.
The most surprising moment of my
time in Korea came when we arrived at
Banp’o High School in Seoul to meet our
home-stay friends. Little was I to know
that we were going to be welcomed in a
fashion similar to that of the Beatles. As
we approached closer to the building I
saw the madness: Korean teenagers,
squeezed together, four or five to a window, in every window yelling: “Hello,
I
hello, American! American!” I don’t know
what surprised me more – the extent of
the welcome or the lack of reasoning
behind it. I didn’t understand it. Big deal,
so we’re from America.
Many say that Americanization is
“globalization” and it is inevitable everywhere, which is true to a certain extent.
However, in all my observations of cultural diffusion in Korea, I still recognize that
the amount of tradition that exists is still
overwhelming. That is the greatest thing
that I noticed in Korea, that in a world of
“globalization” – cultural exploitation, the
internet and the influence of multinational
capitalistic ventures – Korea still holds on
to its tradition and values. —Ali Najmi
HS for Environmental Studies (NY)
hroughout my stay in Korea,
the majority of the Koreans I
met spoke at least a little
English. I realized how important
language was to our ability to communicate. I was flattered when spoken to in English, feeling a sense of
T
34
S UMMER 2001
guilt that I could not reciprocate in
Korean.
Signing the release of liability form at
the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was an act
that spoke louder than words. I realized
the threat and burden South Korea must
feel regarding North Korea. I had many
questions for my home-stay host regarding the border and learned about the
varying opinions on reunification. I was
amazed when I was told that most
teenagers do not support the reunification of North and South Korea due to fear
that it would bring down their economy.
I arrived in Korea expecting to find a
culture much different from my own. But
I noticed that the dreams and interests of
every human being are mainly the same.
Like the U.S., Korea has its own stock
market and leading manufacturers, such
as the Hyundai Corporation. The only difference I found was in the Korean educational system, which is much stricter than
American schooling.
When people ask me about my experi-
PORTFOLIO
ence in Korea, my story is never-ending. I
want to communicate to others all of the
insights and connections I made with
Korean culture, hoping to convey the
same feeling of urgency to visit the rest
of this infinite world.
—Natalie Sakai, Gabrielino HS (LA)
his trip to Korea changed my perspective of myself as well as the
world around me. As a person of
many different cultural backgrounds I can
understand how the Korean people are in
a constant struggle to stay true to their
traditional culture and values while
embracing the modern western world.
During one of the workshops held at The
Korea Society to prepare us for the trip, I
remember reading about a young lady
who felt alienated by her Korean culture.
This young lady was born in Korea but
immigrated to the U.S. at an early age.
From the very beginning she felt that
T
South Korea is in a similar situation as
this young lady. On the one hand, it is
important for the well-being and success
of Korea to accept the modern world.
On the other hand, it is also important for Korea to stay true to their
traditional ways. The only difference
between the young lady and Korea as
a whole is that the Korean people are
in the struggle as a collective.
As an American of multi-ethnic background, I find it extremely difficult to
show national pride and follow traditional
ways at the same time because they often
conflict. What this trip taught me was that
the only way I can be successful is if I am
true to myself. By adapting modern ideas
to apply to my traditional views and convictions, I believe I am improving myself.
—Roberto Moses
Abraham Lincoln HS (NY)
Clockwise from l-r: Project
Bridge participants and
U.S. Air Force escort
Senior Airman Beverly
Earl (corner left) enjoying
a Korean barbecue dinner
hosted
by
attorneys
Regina Ryu, Luke Shin
and Mr. Walters, representatives from the Law
Offices of Kim & Chang;
learning about the history
of
Korea
University;
Group leader Michelle Sale
with Payne Hiraldo at the
I’taewon subway station in
Seoul; checking e-mail in
the computer classroom at
Banp’o High School.
there was no way she could mix Korean
and American cultures. Besides the fact
that she looked different from white children, her language was also different, as
were the customs and the food she ate.
lobalization has become a major
force in world culture. As corporations spread their influence to
more countries, intertwining economies
with one another, the diversity of her-
G
35
S UMMER 2001
itages and cultures begins to fade
away. My Mexican background is just
one culture whose values and heritage
are being thwarted by corporate propaganda and liberalization movements
alike. Many people now question which
way to go and seem torn between two
worlds.
When we visited South Korea, I was
able to witness a similar conflict being
inflicted upon Koreans. One could easily
see that although there are attempts to
preserve Korean culture, corporate commercialization and “westernization” have
caused a similar situation there.
Although this globalization and commercialization process endangers Korean
culture, the same western influence has
contributed to progress within the country. These days, the structural class hierarchy influenced by Confucian philosophy
seems to be lessening. As the country
moves towards a democratic
form of government, the
power of government is
spreading out into the
hands of more people. Also,
workers have gained certain
rights and power, such as
healthcare coverage and the
right to unionize. The feminist movement has also
opened up doors for women
within society. Women are
starting to take on more
progressive roles in the
world, although, as in
Mexico, one hundred percent equality has not been obtained.
Although the globalization process has
its ups and downs, one might take special
note of the influence it has on the
younger generation, since it is this gener-
PORTFOLIO
ation that needs to resolve the internal
conflict inflicted by these changes. We
are the ones who have to take the step
and decide the direction for the road
we choose to take. Project Bridge has
exposed us “youth ambassadors” to a
society with conflicting values where
tradition is fighting to stay alive in a
changing world. It is up to us to help
show our community the opportunities
and dangers of globalization for our
society and our lives.
—Carlos Ortiz
Bronx HS of Science (NY))
s we cautiously stepped into the
expensive restaurant, me in my
cargo pants and Kyi-Min in his
jeans and flannel shirt, I suddenly realized
how utterly foreign I seemed, but also
how closely connected I was with my new
family. Words were now but a mere remnant of how I used to communicate. I
spoke with my face and accented my message with my hands. At every corner that
night at dinner, I turned to discover that
I was no longer “the normal” but instead
“the abnormal.”
My home-stay family treated me to a
fine dinner at an elegant restaurant in
order to provide me with, in their minds,
the best possible experience in Korea.
What they didn’t realize was that I would
have been just as happy eating rice with
them in their kitchen/living room. I have
to admit, it was one of the best dinners I
have ever had. My picky eating habits
were my major point of stress before the
trip. I thought I would not see any “normal” food; I expected Korean food to
nauseate me and send me into an elevenday fasting period, a typical xenophobic
misconception. The kimchi was a little too
spicy for me, but there were many delicacies that I took to right away.
While I ate the food that was very
familiar to me by now, I had a frightening
yet inspiring revelation that condensed
my visit to Korea into a single moment.
I was overwhelmed by an emotion that
showed me why I was in Korea. I was
alone. I was halfway around the globe,
eating food I couldn’t name and conversing with a family I had never met
before – I was the foreigner. We were
in Korea to learn about other cultures
but also to learn about our own.
Cultural understanding comes from
more than a textbook or an after-
A
From l-r: Teri Gindi, Matthew Lutz-Kinoy and
Laurence Smith singing karaoke at the top of the
tallest building (63 Building) in Korea after dinner
hosted by the Korean Securities Dealers Association.
thought to a confrontation, it may also
be found in an experience like the one
we all had in Korea.
My experience changed me forever. I
will no longer be unconscious of using the
word “normal,” which is just a way of
defining our comfort zone and what we
know to be familiar to us. It’s important
to know where we stand, but it is also
dangerous in that we fear anything outside our realm of knowledge. Going to
Korea expanded the boundaries of what I
understand and showed me that I am
36
S UMMER 2001
truly one in six billion on this planet.
However, the world is now within reach
with feelings and emotions of discovery
and, most importantly, a friend across the
globe who wears jeans and flannel shirts
just like me.
—Daniel Torres-Rangel
Gabrielino HS (LA)
mericans are told that we are the
most advanced and modern country whereas other countries are
backwards. Schools don’t really educate
us about other countries in their present
state, so we learn to make assumptions.
Before going to Korea I expected the men
to be rude, foreigners not welcomed and
the surroundings to be hectic. I thought
that I would encounter people wearing
straw hats and riding on bicycles. I
arrived, and all these preconceptions
changed. After completing my stay I was
able to put things together for myself.
Myths that I once believed were gone.
Korea was not some third world country
still stuck in the Middle Ages. The country was beautiful and modern. It embodied the richness of culture in a capacity
that I could have never imagined.
I went thinking that I was going to add
or give something to Korea. Instead,
Korea ended up giving me many things. I
was in awe at the way the children
respected their elders, who are deemed to
be great assets in society. Here in
America, old people are put away in nursing homes. The importance of resources
is another great thing that I was able to
bring back with me. Koreans are very
aware of economic resources and how
they are used. Here in America we as a
people are very wasteful. Many of us
don’t realize what we have, and those
who do aren’t very appreciative. Though
there are many differences between
America and Korea, there are also many
A
RE: SOURCES & INFORM@TION
FILMS
THE GOLDEN AGE OF KOREAN CINEMA
Kim Kiyoung’s The Housemaid:
Exploring Diabolic Desires and Death during Korea’s Early Industrialization Period
onsidered as possibly the most bizarre and twisted auteur of Korean cinema, Kim Kiyoung is now widely recognized as one of the leading Korean directors of the 1960s and 1970s. Kim’s oeuvre, which consists of 31 films, shows a wide spectrum of experimentation and a brilliant combination of artistry, horror and sleaze. His works are often compared to that of Shohei Imamura, Sam
Fuller, Alfred Hitchcock, Douglas Sirk, Nicholas Ray and Roger Corman. His most notable films are horror dramas that deal primarily
with marginalized, psychologically-fraught femme fatales.
C
In his films, Kim Kiyoung examines human behavior in an attempt to unveil the risks and consequences of social conditioning. In particular, his
study of traditional female roles had great impact on Korean cinema of the 1960s. His analysis functioned as a selfreflection on the nature of human beings and posed a challenge to the hypocrisy in a society largely dominated by traditional values.
Through exploration of dark, morbid psychological themes, Kim Kiyoung’s works express the unease and uncertainty of Korea’s changing times
during the 1960s and 1970s. Influenced by Italy’s neo-realist masterpieces of the late 1940s, Kim adopted the genre’s harsh, gritty and unsentimental
tone and approach to his own films. After a brief spell in the 1950s where he made films in Italy’s neo-realist tradition, Kim abandoned the style
for macabre psychological horror-melodramas. In doing so, Kim detached himself even further from the Korean cinematic mainstream.
While the current of 1960s world cinema ran towards alienation, nihilism and emptiness, Kim Kiyoung attempted to analyze relationships
between men and women in the context of troubled domesticity. In other words, his focus changed from the lower strata of society to the
domestic sphere. There he discovered a profound instinctual drive for sexuality and death.
Kim’s The Housemaid (1960), the first of the director’s series of melodramas about middle-class families destroyed by greed and paranoia, is
a striking example of the director’s unique vision. The film features a stable family whose unity and harmony become unspeakably threatened
when the husband, a popular music teacher, becomes involved with a factory girl that he and his wife have hired as a housemaid. When the
young housemaid becomes pregnant, the husband and his wife force her to have an abortion, which in turn drives her insane, especially after
discovering that the wife has just given birth. The two women engage in a lethal power struggle that results in the double suicides of the
husband and the housemaid.
On the surface, the film is a torrid and disturbing melodrama about a housemaid who seduces a married man of a middle-class household, thereby
reeking psychological havoc and disrupting the domestic structure of the family. On another level, it is a work examining the perils of trying
to mix western capitalism with Korean traditions. During a time of rapid industrialization and modernization in Korea, a housemaid was often
the marker that a middle-class family had joined the upper echelon of society. Turning that status symbol into a source of evil, Kim exploited
the fear that many Koreans were feeling during those uncertain times where the growing western encroachment seemed to be stamping out
much of Korea’s traditions.
Kim’s stark black and white cinematography, haunting sound effects and expressionist mise-en-scenes amplify the lurid plot twists. His chaotic filmic style with
its hyper zoom shots, extreme overacting and unpredictable turns in plot structure seem to have captured the frenetic zeitgeist of Korea during the 1960s and
1970s. Kim’s films manifest many aspects of South Korea’s postwar reality. The
highly charged eroticism that pit men and their sexual fantasies against predatory women in their workplace can be seen as a symbolic metaphor of the massive
social and psychological displacement wrought by Korea’s rapid industrialization
in the 1960s and 1970s. Thus, as eccentric a stylist as he was, Kim Kiyoung is
often highly regarded as a director who captured the chaotic pulse of his times.
Sources: www.cinekorea.com/filmmakers/kimkiyoung.html, www.dailybruin.ucla.
edu/db/issues/99/10.15/ae.kiyoung.html, www.fdk-berlin.de/forum98/kim-kiyoung, www.iic.edu/korean-studies/archive/199909/msg00014.html, www.knau.ac.
kr/cinema/KKY/What-Saw/KSNtest.htm, www.sfweekly.com/ssues/1998-06-10/
film.html.
37
Next issue’s feature: Stray Bullet
S UMMER 2001
FILM FESTIVALS
When Korean Cinema Attacks!: New York Korean Film Festival 2001
August 17-26, 2001
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, New York, NY
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Subway Cinema and the Korean Film Forum are proud to bring the first major festival of
Korean cinema to New York City. This festival will exclusively showcase contemporary Korean films for the first time in the
United States. With eleven films and attendance by the respective directors, this event should firmly establish Korean cinema, which is “the world’s fastest-growing film industry,” in the New York filmscape. For more information on the festival’s
program schedule and ticketing information, please see www.subwaycinema.com.
Schedule
Friday, August 17, 2001
Wednesday, August 22, 2001
Tell Me Something (116 min)
Director will be present for Q&A
10:00 PM Attack the Gas Station (113 min)
7:00
9:30
7:30
PM
PM
PM
An Affair (107 min)
The Foul King (116 min)
Thursday, August 23, 2001
Saturday, August 18, 2001
Christmas in August (108 min)
PM The Isle (85 min)
Director may be present for Q&A
8:45 PM Joint Security Area (110 min)
11:15 PM Barking Dogs Never Bite (106 min)
4:00
6:30
PM
7:00
9:30
PM
PM
Barking Dogs Never Bite (106 min)
The Isle (85 min)
Friday, August 24, 2001
6:00 PM An Affair (107 min)
8:30 PM The Foul King (116 min)
11:00 PM Joint Security Area (110 min)
Sunday, August 19, 2001
PM
Saturday, August 25, 2001
PM
3:30 PM Art Museum by the Zoo (108 min)
6:00 PM The Isle (85 min)
8:15 PM Memento Mori (97 min)
10:30 PM An Affair (107 min)
My Heart (114 min)
The Foul King (116 min)
Director will be present for Q&A
10:00 PM Memento Mori (97 min)
5:00
7:30
Monday, August 20, 2001
7:00
9:30
PM
PM
Art Museum by the Zoo (108 min)
Attack the Gas Station (113 min)
Tuesday, August 21, 2001
7:00
9:30
PM
PM
Sunday, August 26, 2001
4:30
7:00
9:30
PM
PM
PM
Christmas in August (108 min)
Barking Dogs Never Bite (106 min)
Attack the Gas Station (113 min)
My Heart (114 min)
Joint Security Area (110 min)
RESFEST Korea Digital Film Festival
October 25-28, 2001
DongSoong Art Center, 1-5 Tongsung-dong, Chongno-Gu, Seoul, Korea
Produced by RES Media Group (RMG), an internationally recognized leader in the art and exhibition of digital filmmaking,
the RESFEST tour is an annual celebration of digital film that features screenings, panels and technology demonstrations. The
tour includes three to five day events in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, London, New York, Los Angeles, Seoul, Bristol and
Tokyo. Films are projected using state-of-the-art digital projection systems at each venue. In the Seoul venue, DongSoong
Art Center will host the festival with its two-tiered, 500 seat proscenium theatre, which is fully equipped with state-of-the-art
equipment and facilities. For more information, please visit www.resfest.com.
38
S UMMER 2001
KOREAN FILMS WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES AVAILABLE ON DVD
ATTACK THE GAS STATION (1999)
Director: Kim Sang-jin
Starring: Lee Sung-jae, Yoo Oh-sung, Yoo Ji-tae
In this comedy, four young thugs decide to rob a gas station.
When they find it has no money, they take the workers hostage
and work the pumps themselves. Codes: All. Distribution:
Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese (removable).
Aspect ratio: widescreen 16:9 (for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to 16:9).
Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1. Running time: 110 min. Includes trailer,
highlights, making of the feature, music video. Codes: All; Distribution:
EDKO Video (Hong Kong). Subtitles: English, traditional and simplified
Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio: full screen 4:3. Audio: Korean; Dolby
Digital 5.1. Running time: 110 min.
BEAT (1997)
Director: Kim Sung-soo
Starring: Chung Woo-sung, Ko So-young, Yoo Oh-sung
Based on a comic book, this film tells the story of four Gen-X teens. Codes:
All. Subtitles: English (removable). Aspect ratio: 16:9. Running time: 114 min.
EDROOM AND COURTROOM (1998)
BE
Director: Kang Woo-suk
Starring: Ahn Sung-ki, Moon Sung-keun, Shim Hye-jin, Hwang Shin-hye
A woman sues her husband’s company for depriving her of a sex life. The
litigation eventually turns to a war between husband and wife. Codes: All.
Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English, Chinese, Japanese,
Korean (removable). Aspect ratio: widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TVs).
Audio: Korean; Dolby 2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 116 min.
Includes still photos, cast and crew info, original soundtrack.
CHANNEL 69 (1996)
Director: Lee Jeong-guk
Starring: Chin Hyun-june, Choi Sun-mi, Hong Kyung-in
An ex-journalist teams with a group of computer hackers and an
aspiring actress to broadcast a porn channel over the 9:00
news. What begins as fun gradually evolves into an attack on
mainstream media and the government. Codes: All. Subtitles: English
(removable). Aspect ratio: 4:3. Running time: 101 min.
CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST (1998)
Director: Hur Jin-ho
Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Shim Eun-ha
A photographer with a terminal illness befriends a meter reader
who often comes to his shop. Codes: Region 3 (confirmed to
work also on Regions 1 and 4). Distribution: EDKO Video (Hong
Kong). Subtitles: English, Traditional Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio: letterbox. Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1. Running time: 97 min.
ratio: widescreen 16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 Stereo
Surround. Running time: 126 min. Includes trailer, music video, cast info.
GREEN FISH (1997)
Director: Lee Chang-dong
Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Moon Sung-keun, Shim Hye-jin, Song
Kang-ho
A man returns from his obligatory military duty to find his hometown changed by Korea’s rapid industrialization. Eventually he
becomes a gang member to earn money. Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum
DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English, Chinese, Japanese (removable). Aspect
ratio: widescreen 16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby 2.0 Stereo Surround. Running
time: 111 min. Includes still photos, cast and crew info, making of the feature.
IL MARE (2000)
Director: Lee Hyun-seung
Starring: Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae
A beautifully-shot melodrama shot on Kanghwa Island, about two people
living two years apart in time who are able to communicate through letters.
Codes: Region 3 only. Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English
(removable). Aspect ratio: letterbox (for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to
16:9). Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time:
97 min. Includes two trailers, music video, cast info.
INTERVIEW (2000)
Director: Daniel H. Byun (Byun Hyuk)
Starring: Shim Eun-ha, Lee Jung-jae
Asia’s first Dogma film about a group of filmmakers making a
documentary and the director who falls in love with one of his
interviewees. Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea).
Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio: widescreen
16:9 (for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to 16:9). Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital
5.1. Running time: 108 min. Includes trailer, making of the feature, music
video, unsubtitled video essay.
JAKARTA (2000)
Director: Jung Chosin
Starring: Kim Sang-joong, Lim Chang-jung, Yoon Da-hoon, Jin
Hee-kyung, Lee Jae-eun
A comedy/thriller where three different groups of crooks all
decide to rob the same bank on the same day. Codes: All.
Distribution: Media Bank (Korea). Subtitles: English, Korean (removable).
Aspect ratio: anamorphic widescreen 16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital
AC-3 5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 96 min. Includes trailer, music
video, Korean-language screenplay (PC only), making of the feature, director and cast info.
THE FOUL KING (2000)
Director: Kim Ji-woon
Starring Song Kang-ho, Chang Jin-young, Park Sang-myun
A shy banker decides to learn pro-wrestling, partly to escape the
headlocks put upon him by his manic bank manager. Codes: All.
Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English,
Japanese, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio: widescreen 16:9. Audio:
Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 112 min. 72
minutes of bonus materials: includes trailer, music video, director’s commentary audio track (Korean only), cast info, making of the feature, storyboard, photo outtakes, etc.; special edition contains a swimming cap.
LA BELLE (2000)
Director: Yeo Kyun-dong
Starring: Lee Ji-hyun, Oh Ji-ho
A writer begins living with a beautiful nude model, yet as his
feelings for her grow into obsession, she continues to meet
her old boyfriend. Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum DVD
(Korea). Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese (removable). Aspect
ratio: widescreen 16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1. Running
time: 93 min. Includes trailer, cast info, etc.
GHOST IN LOVE (1999)
Director: Lee Kwang-hoon
Starring: Kim Hee-sun, Lee Sung-jae, Chang Jin-young, Cha
Seung-won
After dying, a young woman becomes a member of a group of
souls who have all committed suicide. Codes: All. Distribution:
Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English, Chinese (removable). Aspect
LAST PRESEN T (2001)
Director: Oh Ki-hwan
Starring: Lee Young-ae, Lee Jung-jae
A struggling comedian finds his relationship with his wife deteriorating, but she has a tragic secret that she tries to keep from him
at any cost. Codes: Region 3 only. Distribution: 20th Century Fox
Korea. Subtitles: English, Korean (removable). Aspect ratio:
anamorphic widescreen 16:9/4:3. Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital
39
S UMMER 2001
5.0. Running time: 110 min. Includes theatrical trailer, music video,
making of the feature, etc.
L E S I N S U R G E S (1999)
Director: Park Kwang-soo
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Shim Eun-ha
Based on an actual uprising in the early twentieth century on
Cheju Island, where a group of locals rebelled against the government and the influence of Catholic missionaries. Codes: All.
Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English, Chinese, Japanese,
Korean (removable). Aspect ratio: widescreen16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 101 min. Includes trailer, still
photos, highlights, cast and crew info.
L I B E R A M E (2000)
Director: Yang Yoon-ho
Starring: Choi Min-soo, Yu Gee-tae, Cha Seung-won, Kim Kyuri, Park Sang-myun
A Hollywood-style action thriller set in Pusan about a group of
firefighters. Codes: All. Distribution: Saerom Entertainment
(Korea). Subtitles: English (removable). Aspect ratio: 4:3. Audio: Korean;
Dolby Digital 5.1. Running time: 120 min; two-disk set includes trailers,
making of the feature, director and cast info, music video, Q & A, character guide (all in Korean).
LO V E (1999)
Director: Lee Jang-soo
Starring: Ko So-young, Chung Woo-sung
Shot in Los Angeles, this film is about a marathoner who gives
up his sport for the woman he loves. Codes: Region 3 only.
Subtitles: English, Korean, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio:
16:9. Running time: 99 min.
L O V E B A K E R Y (2000)
Directed: Park Hun-soo
Starring: Choi Min-soo, Hwang Shin-hye, Lee Mi-yeon, Yeo
Kyun-dong
A baker worries incessantly about his wife’s melancholy. When
she seems to take a romantic interest in a regular customer, he
encourages it in hopes of making her happy. Codes: All. Distribution:
Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles: English (removable). Aspect ratio: letterbox
(for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to 16:9). Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital
5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 108 min. Includes trailer, making
of the feature, cast interviews, video essay (all unsubtitled).
L O V E H E R (2001)
Director: Park Sung-il
Starring: Kim Tae-yeon, Lee Joo-hyun, Kwon Min-joong
An adaptation of the French film Betty Blue (1986) by JeanJacques Beineix set in Korea. Codes: All. Distribution: Media
Bank (Korea). Subtitles: English, Korean (removable). Aspect
ratio: anamorphic widescreen 16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1.
Running time: 93 min. Includes theatrical trailer, adult trailer, music video,
making of the feature.
L O V E W I N D , L O V E S O N G (1999)
Directed: Park Dae-young
Starring: Chang Dong-gun, Ko So-young
A melodrama about a man from Seoul hoping to escape his
troubles with a trip to Cheju Island, where he meets a local tour
guide. Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles:
English, Chinese, Japanese (removable). Aspect ratio: widescreen 16:9.
Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 97 min.
Includes trailer, still photos, cast and crew info, complete soundtrack.
M Y H E A R T (2000)
Director: Bae Chang-ho
Starring: Kim Yoo-mi, Kim Myung-gon
A period film tracing a woman’s life from her early marriage to
her late middle ages while exploring the emotion that Koreans
refer to as “Jeong.” Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum DVD
(Korea). Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio:
widescreen 16:9. Audio: Korean; Dolby Pro Logic/2.0 Stereo Surround.
Running time: 116 min. Includes trailer, cast and crew info, director’s commentary audio track (Korean only), information about the film.
N O . 3 (1997)
Director: Song Neung-han
Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-shik, Lee Mi-yeon, Song Kang-ho, Park
Sang-myun
A comic group of gangsters, cops and poets. One of the classic Korean films
from the late 1990s. Codes: Region 3 only. Distribution: Spectrum DVD
(Korea). Subtitles: English, Chinese, Japanese (removable). Aspect ratio:
widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TVs). Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0
Stereo Surround. Running time: 109 min. Includes still photos, cast and crew
info, video essay.
N O W H E R E T O H I D E (1999)
Director: Lee Myung-Se
Starring: Park Joong-hoon, Ahn Sung-ki, Chang Dong-gun
An action/art film constructed around the pursuit of a deceptive
killer. Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea). Subtitles:
English, Japanese, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio:
widescreen 16:9 (for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to 16:9). Audio: Korean;
Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 112 min. Includes
trailer, highlights, making of the feature, music video.
P E P P E R M I N T C A N D Y (2000)
Director: Lee Chang-dong
Starring: Sun Kyung-gu, Moon So-ri, Kim Yeo-jin
A soul-searching backpedal through 20 years of a man’s life,
reflecting the changes that have wrought Korean society over
that period. Codes: All. Distribution: Alto Media (Korea).
Subtitles: English, Korean, Japanese (removable). Aspect ratio: 4:3. Audio:
Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1. Running time: 127 min.
T H E P ' Y O N G Y A N G C I R C U S (2000)
A performance of the P'yongyang Circus Troupe during their visit to Seoul in
early 2000. Codes: All. Subtitles: English, Chinese, Japanese (removable).
Aspect ratio: 4:3.
R E A L F I C T I O N (2000)
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Starring: Joo Jin-mo
A portrait artist is frustrated with his life and finally snaps, catapulting him on a murderous rampage throughout the city. This
film was shot without retakes of any kind, in a total of 3½ hours.
Codes: All. Subtitles: English (removable). Aspect ratio: 4:3. Running time:
95 min.
T H E R I N G V I R U S (1999)
Director: Kim Dong-bin
Starring: Shin Eun-kyung, Jung Jin-young
An official Korean remake of the Japanese horror film Ring.
Codes: All. Subtitles: English, Japanese (removable). Aspect
ratio: 16:9. Running time: 110 min.
S H I R I (1999)
Director: Kang Jae-gyu
Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-shik, Kim Yoon-jin, Song
Kang-ho
In this major blockbuster hit, a group of North Korean terrorists
infiltrate the South with plans to ignite a second Korean war.
Codes: All. Distribution: Bitwin (Korea). Subtitles: English, Japanese, Korean
(removable). Aspect ratio: anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1). Audio: Korean;
DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1. Running time: disc one: 120 min, disc two: 110 min.
Includes director’s cut, trailers, music video, making of feature, interviews, NG scenes, gun index, English language cast and director’s profile, etc. Codes: Region 3 only. Distribution: EDKO Video (Hong Kong).
Subtitles: English, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio: letterbox. Audio:
Korean; DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1. Running time: 120 min. Includes making of feature, NG scenes.
40
S UMMER 2001
T H E S O U L G U A R D I A N S (1998)
Director: Park Kwang-choon
Starring: Choo Sang-mi, Ahn Sung-ki, Shin Hyun-june
The orphaned daughter of a woman involved in a cult learns
that Satan is pursuing her for evil ends. Codes: All. Distribution:
EDKO Video (Hong Kong). Subtitles: English, Chinese. Aspect
ratio: letterbox. Running time: 97 min.
S P R I N G I N M Y H O M E T O W N (1999)
Director: Lee Kwangmo.
Starring: Ahn Sung-ki, Song Ok-sook, Yoo Oh-sung
A portrait of life with impressive visuals in a small town during
the Korean war. Codes: All. Subtitles: English (removable).
Aspect ratio: 16:9, 2.35:1. Running time: 124 min.
T E L L M E S O M E T H I N G (1999)
Director: Chang Yoon-hyun
Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Shim Eun-ha
A serial killer is leaving body parts in plastic bags around Seoul,
and Detective Cho discovers that the victims are all connected to
one woman. Codes: All. Distribution: Spectrum DVD (Korea).
Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese (removable). Aspect ratio: widescreen
16:9 (for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to 16:9). Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital
5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 117 min. Includes trailer, highlights,
making of the feature, music video. Codes: Region 3 (confirmed to be allregion). Distribution: EDKO Video (Hong Kong). Subtitles: English, Chinese
(removable). Aspect ratio: letterbox. Audio: Korean, Cantonese; Dolby
Digital 5.1. Running time: 117 min. Includes trailer, director/cast info, photo
gallery, music video, four postcards, uncut version.
V I R G I N S T R I P P E D B A R E B Y H E R B A C H E L O R S (2000)
Director: Hong Sang-soo
Starring: Lee Eun-ju, Jung Bo-seok, Moon Sung-keun
Shot in black and white, an art film about a woman named Soojung and the two men who try to get her into bed. Codes: Region
3 only. Distribution: Spectrum DVD. Subtitles: English (removable). Aspect ratio: letterbox (for 4:3 televisions, set TV mode to 16:9).
Audio: Korean; Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 Stereo Surround. Running time: 126
min. Includes trailer, making of the feature, unsubtitled video essay.
WHY HAS BODHI-DHARMA LEFT FOR THE EAST?
(1989)
Director: Bae Yong-kyun
An intense meditation on Buddhism and life, this film focuses on
three generations of monks and features some gorgeous cinematography. Codes: All. Subtitles: English (burned in). Aspect
ratio: 1.77:1. Running time: 137 min.
Websites where the above-mentioned DVDs may be purchased:
www.asiandb.com
www.dvdasian.com
www.dvdkorea.co.kr
www.pokerindustries.com
www.yesasia.com
Source: www.koreanfilm.org
DVDs are programmed according to the following regional codes:
1 – United States, U.S. territories and Canada
2 – Japan, Western Europe, the Middle East, Egypt, South Africa and
Greenland
3 – South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia
4 – Mexico, South America, Central America, Caribbean, Australia, New
Zealand and Pacific Islands
5 – Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Africa, North Korea and Mongolia
6 – China
(Most DVDs manufactured in Korea are for all regions.)
NEW BOOKS
The Armies of East Asia: China,
Taiwan, Japan, and the Koreas
By Dennis Van Vranken Hickey
$55.00/hc, ISBN 1-5558-7992-6
Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner
Publishers, June 2001
Japan and Korea's Future: A
Japanese-Korean-US Trilateral
Dialogue
By Robert Dujarric (editor)
$19.95/pb, ISBN 1-5591-3080-2
Indianapolis, IN: Hudson Institute,
April 2001
Contemporary Korean Cinema:
Identity, Culture, and Politics
By Hyangjin Lee
$29.95/hc, ISBN 0-7190-6007-9
Manchester, UK: Manchester
University Press, July 2001
Korea After the Crash: The Politics
of Economic Recovery
By Brian Bridges
$90.00/hc, ISBN 0-4152-2326-1
New York: Routledge, April 2001
Continuity and Transformation:
Religious Synthesis in East Asia
By Sang Jin Ahn
$54.95/pb, ISBN 0-8204-4894-X
New York: Peter Lang Publishing,
April 2001
Korea in the Cross Currents: A
Century of Struggle and the Crisis
of Reunification
By Robert John Myers
$49.95/hc, ISBN 0-3122-3815-0
New York: Palgrave, March 2001
Country Commercial Guide:
Korea
By US Embassy Seoul
$9.95/pb, ISBN 0-8949-9043-8
Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of State, 2000
Korea: Dynamics of Diplomacy
and Unification
By Byung Chul Koh (editor)
/hc, ISBN 0-9306-0724-4
Claremont, CA: Keck Center for
International & Strategic Studies,
April 2001
[Acrobat version: http://www.state.gov/ww
w/about_state/business/com_guides/2001/
eap/korea_ccg2001.pdf]
Destination Korea
By Dana Abbott Curtis, Jennifer R.
Willand Dillard
/hc, ISBN 0-7618-2047-7
University Press of America
East-Asian Archaeoastronomy:
Historical Records of Astronomical
Observations of China, Japan,
and Korea
By Zhenoao Xu, Yaotiao Jiang,
David W. Pankenier
$115.00/hc, ISBN 9-0569-9302-X
Newark, NJ: Gordon & Breach
Publishing Group, April 2001
F-80 Shooting Star Units
Over Korea
By Warren E. Thompson
$19.95/pb, ISBN 1-8417-6225-3
New York, Osprey Publishing,
Limited, May 2001
Formidable Enemies
By Kevin Mahoney
$24.95/hc, ISBN 0-8914-1738-9
Novato, CA: Presidio Press,
June 2001
Free Trade between Korea and
the United States?
By Inbom Choi, Jeffrey J. Schott
$20.00/pb, ISBN 0-8813-2311-X
Washington, DC: Institute for
International Economies,
April 2001
41
S UMMER 2001
Korean Intangible Cultural
Properties: Traditional Music
and Dance
By Hollym International
Corporation
$9.95/pb, ISBN 1-5659-1150-4
New York: Weatherhill, Inc.,
June 2001
Korean Security Dynamics in
Transition
By Kyung-Ae Park, Dalchoong Kim
$45.00/hc, ISBN 0-3122-3874-6
New York: St. Martin's Press,
June 2001
Korean War: Story and
Photographs
By Donald M. Goldstein, Harry J.
Maihafer
$19.95/pb, ISBN 1-5748-8341-0
Dulles, VA: Brasseys Inc.,
May 2001
The Korean War, Vol. 2
By Korean Institute of Military
History, Allan R. Millett
(Introduction)
$39.95/pb, ISBN 0-8032-7795-4
Lincoln, NE: University of
Nebraska Press, April 2001
Korea's Future and the Great
Powers
By Nicholas Eberstadt, Richard J.
Ellings
$22.95/hc, ISBN 0-2959-8129-6
NEW BOOKS continued...
Seattle: University of Washington Press,
April 2001
Mao's Generals Remember Korea
By Bin Yu, Allan R. Millett (editors), Xiaobing Li
(translator)
$39.95/hc, ISBN 0-7006-1095-2
Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas,
June 2001
Negotiating Your Way Through Korea
By Richard Saccone
$27.95/hc, ISBN 1-5659-1158-X
New York: Weatherhill, Inc., June 2001
New Approaches to North Korea: Balancing
Diplomacy and Deterrence in a Time of Transition
Independent Task Force Report
By Morton I. Abramowitz, James T. Laney,
Michael Green
/pb, ISBN 0-8760-9277-6
New York, Council on Foreign Relations,
April 2001
A New Paradigm for Korea's Economic
Development: From Government Control to
Market Economy
By Sung-Hee Jwa, Sung Hui Chwa
$70.00/hc, ISBN 0-3337-6063-8
New York, St. Martin's Press, 2000
North Korea in Transition: Prospects for Economic
and Social Reform
By Chang-Ho Yoon, Lawrence J. Lau (editors)
$100.00/hc, ISBN 1-8406-4623-3
Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publications,
May 2001
The Political Economy of Development and
Environment in Korea
By Jae-Yong Chung, Richard Kirkby, R. J. Kirkby
$90.00/hc, ISBN 0-4152-0536-0
New York: Routledge, June 2001
The Productive Efficiency of Container Terminals:
An Application to Korea and UK
By Dong-Wook Song, Kevin Cullinane,
Michael Roe
$74.95/hc, ISBN 0-7546-1639-8
Aldershot, Hampshire, UK: Ashgate Publishing
Company, May 2001
Reading the Korean Cultural Landscape
By Je-Hun Ryu
$39.50/hc, ISBN 1-5659-1156-3
New York: Weatherhill, Inc., June 2001
Remembering Korea 1950: A Boy Soldier's Story
By Hyung Kyu Shin
$17.95/pb, ISBN 0-8741-7482-1
Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, April 2001
Syncretism: The Religious Context of Christian
Beginnings in Korea
By David Chung, Kang-Nam Oh (editors)
$59.50/hc, ISBN 0-7914-4941-6
$19.95/pb, ISBN 0-7914-4942-4
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press,
April 2001
A Single Shard
By Linda Sue Park
$15.00/hc, ISBN 0-3959-7827-0
New York: Clarion Books, 2001
To Swim Across the World
By Frances Park, Ginger Park
$21.95/hc, ISBN 0-7868-6733-7
New York: Talk Miramax Books, June 2001
Unbroken Spirits: Nineteen Years in South Korea's
Gulag
By Sung So, Jean Inglis, James Palais, Suh Sung
$21.95/hc, ISBN 0-7425-0122-1
Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, ND
Under Army Orders: Army National Guard
During the Korean War
By William Donnelly
$34.95/hc, ISBN 1-5854-4117-1
College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press,
May 2001
Under the Black Umbrella: Voices from Colonial
Korea, 1910-1945
By Hidi Kang, Hildegarde S. Kang
$25.00/hc, ISBN 0-8014-3854-3
Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, April 2001
Understanding Korean Politics: An Introduction
By Soong Hoom Kil, Chung-In Moon (editors)
$65.50/hc, ISBN 0-7914-4889-4
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press,
June 2001
A Very Long Weekend: The Army National Guard
in Korea, 1950-53
By William Berebitsky
$19.95/pb, ISBN 1-5724-9256-2
Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Publishing
Company, Inc., 2001
War and Democracy: A Comparative Study of the
Korean War and the Peloponnesian War
By David R. McCann, Barry S. Strauss (editors)
$77.95/hc, ISBN 0-7656-0694-1
Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, December 2000
The War in Korea: The US Army in Korea,
1950-53
By Christopher J. Anderson
$14.95/pb, ISBN 1-8536-7443-5
London: Greenhill Books/Lionell Leventhal,
Limited, May 2001
42
S UMMER 2001
CONFERENCES
The New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS)
2001 Annual Meeting: "Knowing Asia"
October, 25-27, 2001; Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
The Cornell University Southeast Asia Program, East Asia Program, and
South Asia Program with the Mario Einaudi Center for International
Studies are hosting a conference of people in the profession of "knowing
Asia." This conference will explicitly address methodologies used to analyze and present knowledge about Asia and perspectives on global
issues that arise from Asian materials and experience as to how the
world is known from Asia. "Knowing" can be read as either a verb or an
adjective: it can be contextualized in terms of research and scholarly
work, of pedagogy and the practice of teaching, of the application of academic knowledge to current issues and public affairs, or how the internet
has affected the way knowledge from and about Asia circulates and is
formulated. Themes include the following: language and linguistics, literature, government and politics, gender, state religion and ideology, popular religion, business and trade diplomacy, warfare, urban and rural
societies, upland and lowland societies, historical writing and formulations of the past, popular culture. For more information, contact:
Professor Keith Taylor, Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University,
388 Rockefeller Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853.
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for Papers
The African American Studies Program at Boston University invites proposals for individual papers and complete panels for an international conference entitled "Black and Asian Encounters through Time and Space"
scheduled for April 12-14, 2002. The topics can cover all aspects of the
global encounter of peoples of Asian and African descent from antiquity
to the present. The program seeks to convene an interdisciplinary international assembly of scholars interested in exploring how the peoples of
Africa and Asia and their diaspora have interacted with each other and
impacted the development of the modern world. Proposals on all aspects
of this historic encounter including presentations that explore the social
and cultural construction of collective identities such as Asian, Black,
Japanese and Indian as well as those that examine the nature of interethnic, interracial, intercultural and international exchanges among blacks
and Asians are welcome. Proposals may focus on a single geographic
area, such as Japan or the United States, may be comparative in perspective or may adopt a global framework. To be considered, proposals
must be received no later than October 15, 2001. Please send a 250
word abstract together with a current curriculum vita to: Mr. Ronald K.
Richardson, Director, African American Studies, Boston University, 138
Mountfort Street, Brookline, MA. 02446 or e-mail: loken@bu.edu.
resenting meanings across and within cultures. This workshop will
attempt to answer some of the questions surrounding translation from an
interdisciplinary perspective: linguistics, semiotics, cultural studies, philosophy, gender studies, postcolonialism, etc. The workshop will stress
the various factors influencing the translating process, practical problems
of translation, and the analysis of issues pertaining to the historical effectiveness of major texts of world literature when translated into other languages. Form of presentations will be either interactive-workshops or lectures. Each workshop/lecture will consist of a 40-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute discussion session. Deadline for receipt of submissions is October 30, 2001, and notification of acceptance will be sent
out as soon as possible after that date. Please send your abstracts of a
maximum of 500 words, including name, title and institution by e-mail to
gchang@tpg.com.au. If you have any queries, please e-mail Dr. Alice
Caffarel at alice.caffarel@french.usyd.edu.au.
POSITIONS
Kaya Press, an independent not-for-profit publisher of Asian and Asian
diasporic literature, is seeking a marketing fellow for a publicity collaboration with three other presses that publish literature by people of color.
The fellow's duties will include: compiling and maintaining a database of
media contacts, event venues, libraries and academics interested in literature by people of color; assisting Kaya staff in publicizing published
books; and organizing one of four lunches for the presses to learn about
a publicity topic. The applicant should be an independent worker with
good phone manners, research skills and an enthusiasm for literature,
who is interested in pursuing a career in publishing. Knowledge of
Filemaker Pro or other database software is a plus. Term of fellowship is
one year. A modest stipend is available. Please fax or email resume with
three professional or academic references to: Julie Koo, Managing
Editor; Tel/Fax: 212-740-3519; Email: julie@kaya.com; Website:
www.kaya.com.
AsianAmericanFilm.com and Pak Man Productions seek interns and
volunteers in New York City. Positions include coders and designers
experienced with HTML and Adobe Photoshop; good writers interested in
covering events and reviewing Asian American films; associate editors
willing to develop and run departments within the website; interns to help
out with office work and website maintenance; and general volunteers
interested in helping distribute postcards at events, etc. For more information, please see www.asianamericanfilm.com. Please send all materials, including a resume and/or writing sample as well as a brief cover letter describing your interests and availability to: Mr. Greg Pak at
info@asianamericanfilm.com.
Call for Submissions
The Third Language, Text and Culture Workshop, entitled "Translating
Worlds," being held from February 4-5, 2002 at The University of Sydney
in Australia is focusing on translation as a means of exchanging and rep-
44
S UMMER 2001
WEBSITES
The Korean Heritage Library, East Asian Library, University
of Southern California (USC)
http://www.usc.edu/isd/locations/ssh/korean/
The Korean Heritage Library (KHL) was established in April, 1986, with
the aim of building comprehensive collections in all areas of Korean studies, including history, culture, language, literature, philosophy, thought,
sociology, politics, economics and arts. In its first thirteen years, it has
emerged as one of six leading Korean collections in North America. Its
current collections include more than 40,000 books, 500 serials, 650
video cassettes, 2,000 reels of microfilm, 200 maps (including 170
antique maps), several hundred photographs and significant holdings of
archival materials. The KHL's particular collection strengths are in
Korean newspapers, Korean-Americans and immigration history, Korean
cinema, journalism and mass media, Korean independence movements,
Korean War and local materials of the Cholla-do region. Unique among
academic East Asian libraries in North America, USC's library has placed
its greatest emphasis on building its Korean collection. While a typical
Korean collection in this country comprises only about 5-10% of East
Asian holdings, the Korean Heritage Library represents over 40% of all of
our East Asian holdings, followed by Chinese and Japanese. This is a
reflection of the importance that Korean studies holds at the University of
Southern California.
Center for Immigration Studies (CIS)
http://www.cis.org/aboutcis.html
The Center for Immigration Studies is a non-partisan, non-profit organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal and other impacts of immigration on the United States.
CIS's mission is to expand the base of public knowledge and understanding of the need for an immigration policy that gives first concern to
the broad national interest.
TEACHING RESOURCES
KOREA: LESSONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES
This book serves as an introduction to Korea's distinctive historical and cultural legacy for English-speaking students. It is organized thematically for the convenience of teachers who are interested in incorporating lessons on Korea into their social studies classes. Each of
the twelve lesson plans in the book can be taught in conjunction with lessons about other geographical regions. They also can be modified to suit a variety of classroom subjects. In addition to photographic materials to enhance the content of each lesson, the book has
a reference section including a world chronological table, a list of Internet sites, a bibliography of resources, and a glossary of commonly used Korean words spelled phonetically as an aid for students and teachers. There is a charge of $12 for the book (includes
postage and handling).
TALES OF KOREA I & II
Tales of Korea I & II are teaching resources which consist of an audio tape and accompanying teacher's
guide. These resources were developed by Cathy Spagnoli as part of The Korea Society’s curriculum materials development project. Tales of Korea I is suitable for the elementary school level, and Tales of Korea II is suitable for the junior high
school level. There is a charge of $5 for each set, (includes postage and handling).
BRIEF HISTORY OF KOREA: A BIRD’S EYE VIEW by Young Ick Lew
“This booklet is an outgrowth of my lectures to English-speaking students, teachers and writers who have had little or no prior exposure to
Korean history and culture. It situates Korea’s political and cultural development within the general context of East Asian and world history. My aim is to provide a concise yet broad introduction to the long colorful history of Korea, and I hope that it will serve to whet the reader’s appetite for further reading on Korean history.”
—Young Ick Lew, Ph.D., chair professor of Korean Studies and director of the
Institute for Modern Korean Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
2000; 88pp; $10 (includes postage and handling). ISBN 1-892887-00-7
The above books are published by The Korea Society. To order, mail a written request along with a check made payable to
The Korea Society to: Korean Studies, The Korea Society, 950 Third Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022.
45
S UMMER 2001
ON THE RECORD
Joint Press Statement Issued by the
U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Coordination
and Oversight Group (TCOG)
after Their Meeting in Honolulu on May 26, 2001
The delegations of the United States of America, the Republic of Korea (ROK)
and Japan, headed respectively by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly, Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Yim
Sung-joon, and Director-General of Asian and Oceanian Affairs Kunihiko Makita,
held this year’s second U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Coordination and Oversight
Group (TCOG) meeting in Honolulu on May 26.
The three delegations reviewed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the
status of their bilateral relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
They expressed their strong continued support for the Republic of Korea’s policy
of reconciliation and cooperation with North Korea and President Kim’s leading
role in resolving inter-Korean issues.
The three delegations also reiterated the importance of continued close consultation and coordination of policy toward North Korea on the range of issues,
including missiles, weapons of mass destruction, and humanitarian affairs. In this
regard, the three delegations expressed the shared hope that North Korea would
take steps to address the concerns of the international community.
The delegations reaffirmed their commitment to continue the 1994 Agreed
Framework and called on North Korea to join them in taking the needed steps for
its successful implementation.
The ROK delegation members briefed their counterparts on the current situation
in the North-South dialogue and their expectation that Chairman Kim Jong Il will
pay a return visit to Seoul. The U.S. and Japanese delegations voiced hope that
a second inter-Korean summit would contribute to the expansion of North-South
cooperation and exchanges and lead to a substantial reduction of tensions on the
Korean Peninsula.
The U.S. side presented preliminary elements of the Administration’s review of
policy toward North Korea. The U.S. invited the ROK and Japan to provide comments and suggestions. The U.S. delegation was deeply appreciative of the
excellent exchanges of views that will help bring the review to a conclusion soon.
The Japanese delegation explained the current status of Japan-DPRK relations
and expressed its continuing readiness to conduct Japan-DPRK normalization
talks and to pursue an engagement policy with the DPRK.
Finally, the three sides agreed to hold the next round of trilateral consultations
within a few months to further coordinate their respective policies
towards the DPRK.
Economic Agreements between
South and North Korea
ROK Ministry of Unification Bulletin, May 2001
I Background
1. Progress of the Talks
The Second Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks (August 29-September 1,
2000; P’yongyang)
In accordance with the June 15 Joint Declaration, the two Koreas agreed to
provide such institutional mechanisms as a bilateral agreement on investment protection and prevention of double taxation to facilitate the expansion
of inter-Korean economic exchanges and cooperation.
The First Working-level Meeting on Inter-Korean Economic
Cooperation (September 25-26, 2000; Seoul)
The two Koreas had an intense discussion over the agreement on investment protection and prevention of double taxation. The two sides agreed that
they would resolve the differences between the drafts presented by each
side during the second round of the meeting.
The Second Working-level Meeting on Inter-Korean Economic
Cooperation (November 8-11, 2000; P’yongyang)
The two sides initialed the agreements on investment protection, prevention
of double taxation, procedures for resolution of commercial disputes and
clearing settlement.
The Fourth Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks (December 12-16, 2000:
P’yongyang)
The four economic agreements were officially signed between the two
Koreas.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
2. Effectuation
South Korea suggested that the two Koreas vest the inter-Korean agreements with legal authority by submitting the documents to their respective
legislative body. In a telephone message sent to the North on January 22,
the South also proposed to discuss the effectuation of the agreements and
follow-up measures during the second meeting of the Inter-Korean Economic
Cooperation Promotion Committee.
Due to the recent stalemate in inter-Korean relations, all forms of dialogue
between the two Koreas, including the second meeting of the economic committee, have been put on hold. However, as processing trade and other
forms of economic cooperation between the two Koreas continue to expand,
the four economic agreements would be important tools in improving the
environment for inter-Korean investment and trade.
After an inter-ministry review and consultation with legal experts, the South
Korean government has decided to effectuate the agreements in the form of
treaties. The decision was made in the vice ministers’ meeting on May 17
and confirmed in the cabinet meeting on the following day. Having been
approved by the President on May 28, the inter-Korean agreements are now
awaiting ratification by the National Assembly.
In the meantime, the South Korean government sent a letter to the North on
May 18 to discuss the follow-up measures for economic agreements. The
South handed the North a draft agreement on the establishment and operation of a South-North Commercial Arbitration Committee and proposed to
discuss the issues by exchanging documents through P’anmunjom.
The government urged the North to take the follow-up measures at a suitable
time to facilitate economic interaction between the two Koreas.
46
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ON THE RECORD
II Significance and Implications
A Visible Result of the Implementation of
the June 15 Joint Declaration
The four economic agreements were concrete
measures to implement an agreement in point
four of the June 15 Joint Declaration stating that
“The South and North shall develop national
economy in a balanced way through mutual economic cooperation.”
Establishment of a Common Institutional
Mechanism to be Applied to Transactions
between South and North Korea through
Consultations between the Two Korean
Authorities for the First Time in History
Although there have been some agreements
made between the two Koreas on the guidelines
for inter-Korean economic cooperation, the
new set of agreements is significant in that
they are the first ones made on the institutions that would regulate specific economic activities of joint efforts.
Unlike simple transaction of goods, investment
is accompanied by exchange of people and
technology as well. Therefore, the agreement
will contribute greatly to the expansion of overall
inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation.
2. Agreement on Prevention of Double
Taxation
The introduction of an agreement on the prevention of double taxation between South and
North Korea will reduce the tax burden on
investors from both sides while increasing
investment earnings. Thus, it will create the
same effects as providing direct support.
Inter-Korean investment is largely made of
South Korean investment in North Korea.
Therefore, with this agreement, the tax burden the South Korean investors must bear in
North Korea, where the earnings are derived
from, is expected to be reduced by a considerable amount.
In addition, having incorporated the peculiar
nature of inter-Korean economic cooperation
as internal transactions while fully accepting
international practices, these four agreements and the procedures for their effectuation will become good precedents for various
other agreements to be signed between the
two Koreas in the future.
3. Agreement on Procedures for Resolution
of Commercial Disputes
As inter-Korean economic cooperation continues to expand in the future, various forms of
commercial disputes are also likely to increase
in proportion. Consequently, the establishment
of procedures for the resolution of commercial
disputes will contribute greatly to the steady promotion of inter-Korean economic cooperation.
Establishment of a Firm Basis for
Expansion Corresponding to the Progress
in Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation
Having acknowledged the difference between
the economic systems of the South and North
in reality, the four economic agreements will
create an environment conducive to stable
promotion of economic cooperation between
the two Koreas.
4. Agreement on Clearing Settlement
With the introduction of a clearing settlement
system, cost for payment settlement between
South and North Korea will be reduced considerably in terms of both money and time. The
new system is also expected to reduce the risk
involved in inter-Korean transactions greatly by
assuring the collection of payment between the
two parties.
In particular, by providing an institutional mechanism to facilitate continuing expansion of interKorean economic cooperation in the private sector, including processing trade, these agreements will raise the level of inter-Korean cooperation one step higher.
In addition, for those bilateral transactions made
outside of the new settlement system, the two
Koreas agreed to settle accounts using the general methods conforming to international practices. In accordance with this agreement, the
two Koreas will soon introduce a system of
direct settlement, including foreign exchange
transaction and remittance.
III Expected Effects
1. Agreement on Investment Protection
Because it would reduce the degree of uncertainty related to South Korean investment in
North Korea, the agreement on investment
protection is expected to contribute greatly to
the expansion of South Korean investment in
the North.
The agreement will lead to the major expansion
of inter-Korean cooperation in the financial area.
47
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IV Procedures for Effectuation
1. Effectuation of the Agreements in the
form of Treaties
Since the inter-Korean agreements have effects
on the rights, duties and properties of the citizens, the South Korean government plans to
vest legal authorities in them to protect
investors and facilitate inter-Korean economic cooperation.
The inter-Korean agreements can be effectuated in two ways, by making new laws or establishing official treaties. The first method is prone
to distortions and twists in meaning as the bills
are processed through the legislative bodies.
Therefore, the government thinks it is more
appropriate to effectuate the agreements by
turning them into formal treaties.
2. Post-Ratification Procedures
The inter-Korean agreement states that “the
Agreement shall become effective on the day
the written copies of the Agreement, which are
signed by both the South and North and which
have also fulfilled the necessary formalities for
effectuation, are exchanged.”
The agreement also provides for a deadline for
the completion of follow-up measures for both
the procedures for resolution of commercial disputes and clearing settlement as “six months”
from the date the agreement is signed. Since the
agreements were signed on December 16 last
year, it is desirable to promote their effectuation
by June 15.
The government plans to exchange the signed
copies of the agreements with North Korea
before it publishes the documents in the official
gazette after having them ratified by the National
Assembly.
ON THE RECORD
Perhaps with that, I should stop and respond to your
questions.
Transcript of Question and
Answer Session with the Press
by Secretary of State Colin
Powell and South Korean
Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo
after their June 7, 2001, Meeting
in Washington, DC.
SECRETARY POWELL: Good afternoon, ladies and
gentlemen, it has been my great pleasure to host
today Foreign Minister Han, an old friend who has previously served in the United States as Ambassador
and now as Foreign Minister. I am pleased to have a
new relationship with him.
We talked about the strength of our bilateral relationship, and of course the item of greatest interest to us
both this morning was President Bush’s statement of
yesterday that the United States is prepared to resume
an enhanced dialogue with North Korea on issues of
mutual interest to both nations. And we wish to speak
to the North Koreans about missile sales, about their
missile programs, talk about the Agreed Framework
program. We want to see if we can enter into a dialogue that will assist us in helping them with their
humanitarian problems.
We also are hopeful that that dialogue could touch on
the conventional force posture that exists along the
border between the two Koreas. We also wanted to do
it in a way that was very, very supportive — and I know
that it is very supportive — of President Kim Dae
Jung’s very bold efforts for his opening to North Korea.
Everything that we did in the review that the United
States has just concluded was done in consultation
and coordination with our friends in the Republic of
Korea and with Japan, and with other nations also. I
am pleased that this review period has now come to a
close. We have finished our review and we are ready
to move forward, and the Minister and I had a good
conversation on how we can move forward together
and move forward as part of a TCOG group of nations
that are interested in this. And we look forward to hearing from the North Koreans in due course.
MINISTER HAN: Thank you. I had a very good time, a
good lunch and a pleasant talk, and it was a great
opportunity to renew my acquaintance with Secretary
Powell. And we would like to welcome the statement
made by the President last night, and we hope that
the US will engage North Korea in a very meaningful and useful dialogue and, in doing so, the United
States and South Korea will coordinate our policy
toward North Korea.
Q: When and where will the talks resume?
SECRETARY POWELL: I don’t know yet, but I assume
they will resume in New York where we have had regular contacts with the North Koreans in the past. That
will be the first point of entry, I would expect. We don’t
have a date yet, but I hope it will be in the very near
future. We have to wait to hear from the North
Koreans, but we will be reaching out to them in the
very near future and hope we get a quick response.
Q: What is your opinion on… a possible visit by the
North Korean leader?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, this is a matter for the
two leaders to decide. I think the plan was in due
course for the President of North Korea to visit the
South, and I hope that that visit can now be put back
on track. But that is, of course, between the Republic
of Korea and North Korea to decide. I think it would be
a positive step in the right direction...
Q: Mr. Secretary, there has been a fair amount of criticism and questioning, even within the Bush
Administration, about the Agreed Framework and the
providing of these two reactors to North Korea. That
now appears to be back on track.
Can you explain why the Administration came down on
the side of going forward with that agreement?
SECRETARY POWELL: Because it is an agreement
and we see no reason to change our position right now.
We have examined it carefully. There will be a problem
in a few years time as that construction moves forward;
a point will be reached [when] the North Koreans will
have to come into compliance with IAEA requirements,
and at that point we would expect them to come into
compliance with their obligations before we could go
even further with the reactor project.
But it seemed to us at this point, after consultation with
our Korean friends and Japanese friends, we should
continue moving in the direction of the Agreed
Framework….
Q: Secretary Powell, you said, if I noted correctly, that
you hope for a dialogue on conventional forces. Is that
a precondition to the Bush Administration, or will you
go ahead if the North Koreans were to talk only about
missiles?
SECRETARY POWELL: We’re not setting any preconditions right now. I think it’s important for us to have an
open dialogue on all of the issues that are of concern,
and this is an area that should be of concern to all of
us because of the size of the North Korean army on
the border. And it seems to me you can’t really have a
full set of discussions without raising this particular
48
S UMMER 2001
issue, but we’re not putting any preconditions down.
There are some things we are very, very interested in,
more interested than in other items, and they would be
at the top of our agenda, but we’re not prepared to
start effecting the talks with preconditions.
Q: Secretary Powell, do you envision seeing your
North Korean counterpart perhaps by meeting with
him, perhaps in July when you both will be at [at
APEC]?
SECRETARY POWELL: I don’t know yet. It is premature to speculate on that. It is a possibility, but I don’t
know yet….
Q: Could you explain the basic difference between your
policy and the Clinton Administration policy, if any?
SECRETARY POWELL: I think we have expanded the
areas of dialogue by putting conventional forces on the
agenda and by making it clear to the North Koreans
that we want to talk about missiles and missile technology and missile sales and nuclear weapons programs, but also we want to talk about humanitarian
issues. We want to talk about other issues that affect
relationships between North and South Korea, but
especially between North Korea and the United
States. So I think we’re expanding it in a more comprehensive way...
Source: United States, Department of State.
Transcript: Powell-S. Korean Foreign Minister
Remarks (Powell: No U.S. preconditions for talks
with N. Korea). (1630)
Spokesman of DPRK Foreign
Ministry on Bush’s Statement on
Resuming Negotiations with DPRK
P'yongyang, June 18 (KCNA) — The spokesman for
the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK today issued a statement concerning U.S. President Bush’s statement
issued on June 6 as regards the resumption of negotiations with the DPRK. The statement said:
It is noteworthy that the new U.S. administration
proposed to resume DPRK-U.S. dialogue which it
unilaterally had put under suspension for four
months, but we cannot but remain vigilant against
its real intention.
The U.S. side, while proposing to resume negotiations without preconditions, unilaterally set out
WHO’S WHO & WHAT’S WHAT
and opened to the public topics of discussion before both sides
sit together.
North Korea’s Must See TV
By those topics of discussion it means the so-called nuclear, missile and
conventional armed forces related issues of the DPRK. We cannot construe this otherwise than an attempt of the U.S. to disarm the DPRK
through negotiations.
Such attitude[s] of the U.S. as putting up conditions which the
DPRK can never accept cannot but arouse… apprehension and
doubt as to whether the U.S. intends to have a dialogue with sincerity and has a willingness to settle the issues through dialogue.
It is the universally recognized elementary requirement that dialogue between sovereign states should be conducted on a fair
and equal footing.
This is evidenced by the fact that the previous DPRK-U.S. dialogues were
held in conformity with the interests of both sides and produced results
helpful to improving bilateral relations. In this sense, we cannot but interpret the U.S. administration’s “proposal for resuming dialogue” as unilateral and conditional in its nature and hostile in its intention.
Our aim [in] hav[ing] a dialogue with the United States is to discuss and
carry into practice measures to wipe out the mistrust and misunderstanding between both sides and put the DPRK-U.S. relations on a normal orbit
to meet the bilateral interests.
All the pending issues related to the DPRK-U.S. relations originate from
the U.S.[‘s] hostile policy, a big threat to the DPRK.
If the U.S. has a true will to drop its hostile policy and have a dialogue with
the DPRK, it should, first of all, adopt as topics of discussion practical matters related to the implementation of the provisions of the DPRK-U.S.
Agreed Framework and the DPRK-U.S. joint communiqué…
The DPRK’s conventional armed forces can never be a subject of discussion before the U.S. forces are pulled out of South Korea at least as they
are means for self-defence to cope with the grave threat posed by the
U.S. and its allied forces.
The U.S. should refrain from making a sinister attempt to shift the responsibility for the stalled negotiations on to the DPRK after deliberately raising such unrealistic and unacceptable demands.
The most realistic and urgent issue at present as regards the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework, the keynote of which is the
U.S. LWR provision in return for the DPRK’s nuclear freeze, is to handle
in a responsible manner the grave situation where the LWR provision is
too much delayed.
The Agreed Framework is in the danger of collapse due to the delay in the
LWR provision.
We are of the view that the issue of compensating for the loss of electricity caused by the delay in the LWR provision which we have already proposed to the U.S. side as a solution to the issues should be adopted as a
primary item to be taken up at the negotiations.
The U.S. side is well advised to dispel our doubt as to whether the U.S.
has a political will to drop its hostile policy toward the DPRK and discuss
and settle the pressing issue of the loss of electricity.
March 26, 2001 — From Dandong, China, a port city of 700,000, one has access to
North Korean television. During the day, it shows nothing but fuzzy static, but late
afternoon gives way to those essential programs worthy of electrical power usage.
The network concentrates the majority of its time on the all-important Kim Jong Il.
Whether he appears as the subject of praise and exaltation on red banners passed
out at an awards ceremony, or while making routine factory tours, he is omnipresent
and received with reverence by a public who bow, salute, beat their chests, wave
both hands in the air, jump up and down, or all of the above. Mr. Kim visited one particular factory where the managers are shown inside bundled up in winter gear. In
another clip, thousands of workers transport rocks strapped to their backs, sprinting
diligently back and forth like charged machines. They even remember to smile while
a gay voice narrates the merits of hard labor in the background. Is anyone else startled that the eyes show utter terror beneath the shallow smiles or is this too, like the
indoor winter attire, routine? If this is what one sees as the result of careful, boastful, nationalistic programming, do we dare consider the reality?
(The New York Times)
Music Competition Minus Stage Fright
April 12, 2001 — For thousands of highly skilled musicians, athletes, dancers, etc,
proving their worth often times means reducing an entire lifetime of practice and
rehearsal to a single performance. Not so with Web Concert Hall (www.webconcerthall.com), where Yoon-il Auh, cofounder, brings international classical competition to the web. Applicants of all ages may submit recordings to win publicity and
exposure offered via promotional email to top arts managers. Mr. Auh started the violin at the age of six in South Korea, but his performing career ignited four years later
in 1971 when Isaac Stern heard him play during his Asia tour and urged the young
prodigy to study at Juilliard. Young Yoon-il rose to the numerous challenges that
faced him in the new virtuosic world and was ready to embrace more, when suddenly
a severe physical hand weakness thwarted his career plans. With a Juilliard master’s degree under his belt, Mr. Auh began anew with studies in computer programming and education at Columbia University where he met Dr. Robert Taylor, his dissertation adviser and Web Concert Hall’s other cofounder. Mr. Auh hopes to facilitate
other musicians’ careers with a more lasting, significant impact through WCH: “…the
names of our winners aren’t just posted on the site. Their music is too.”
South Korean Victory at Boston Marathon
April 21, 2001 — April 16 marked a triumphant day for Lee Bong-ju as he walked
away from the 105th Boston Marathon with the coveted trophy. His winning time of
2 hours, 9 minutes and 43 seconds was 24 seconds ahead of runner-up Silvio
Guerra of Ecuador and 46 seconds ahead of third place Joshua Chelang’a of
Kenya. South Korea claims two previous Boston marathon winners, Suh in 1947
and Ham in 1950. Suh said he could not help holding back tears when he heard
the news and Ham replied that he had been “waiting for a Korean winner for 51
years.” Born in Chonan in 1970, the thirty-year-old Lee became a long-distance
runner in high school and pursued training under “Korea’s Marathon Godfather,”
Chong Bong-soo, who persuaded him to be a marathoner. After a few notable
victories, including a Korean record at the Tokyo Half-Marathon in 1992, Lee
suffered repeated misfortunes in his career and was ready to call it quits after
finishing a distant 24th at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. But he persevered. He
now says, “My good running is not inborn but the result of my efforts.”
(KOREA Now)
49
S UMMER 2001
WHO’S WHO & WHAT’S WHAT
Harry G.A. Seggerman, 73, a Pioneer Investor in Asia
May 23, 2001 — Harry G.A. Seggerman, a pioneer in investing in Asian
companies, died on Saturday [May 18] in Fairfield, Conn., where he lived.
He was 73. The cause was complications from diabetes, according to his
family. Mr. Seggerman was one of the first mutual fund managers to
explore investment opportunities in Asia. As a fund manager for the
Capital Research and Management Company in the 1950s, he visited
Japan and was among the first mutual fund managers to invest in companies there after World War II. He then became president of the Japan
Fund, a joint venture of Prudential Bache, PaineWebber and Nikko
Securities, and in 1969 joined Fidelity Investments, the fund giant. Acting
once again as an Asia pioneer, he started the Fidelity Pacific Fund, the
company’s first overseas investment venture. He rose to the position of
vice chairman of Fidelity by the time he retired in 1992. At the time of his
death, Mr. Seggerman was president of International Investment Advisors
Inc., a hedge fund that invests in South Korean securities. Its investors
included Sir John Templeton, the well-known international investor who
said that he tracked Mr. Seggerman’s portfolio and considered him skillful
in evaluating foreign companies. Mr. Seggerman is survived by his wife of
50 years, Anne Crellin Seggerman; six children, Patricia Seggerman, of
Fairfield; Marianne Seggerman, of Westport, Conn.; Yvonne Seggerman
Beauregard, of Cumberland, R.I.; Suzanne Seggerman, of New York;
Henry Seggerman, of Los Angeles; and John Seggerman, of Arlington,
Va.; a brother, Frederick Seggerman of Milford, Conn.; and five grandchildren. Mr. Seggerman graduated from Princeton Unviersity in 1949 and
was a trustee of Sacred Heart University. He served on the advisory
boards on international investment to the State Department and to the
United States trade representative. He also had a long interest in conservative causes and was a major contributor to the Republican Party. He
served on the national advisory board of Accuracy in Media, the watchdog
group, and was an early investor in Newsmax, a conservative news website. Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax, said that Mr.
Seggerman “was very passionate about ideas — he was not just a pure
business guy.”
South Korea Approves University Project in North Korea
June 8, 2001 — The South Korean Ministry of Unification announced June
5 that it has approved a request by the International Foundation for
Education and Culture in Northeast Asia to open a university in
P’yongyang. The school, tentatively named the P’yongyang Information,
Science and Technology College, will be the first school built in North
Korea by South Korean investors. The foundation plans to spend about
$31 million to open the school and intends to start a Ph.D. program in
September of 2002. Undergraduate courses would begin after 2003. The
agreement with the North Korean authorities calls for the school to be run
jointly by the foundation and the North Korea’s Ministry of Education for
the next 50 years.
(Republic of Korea Ministry of Unification)
Donald P. Gregg Receives Williams College Kellogg Award
June 9, 2001 — Williams College gave Donald P. Gregg, Class of 1951,
its Kellogg Award. The award named for James C. Kellogg, Class of 1937,
who made his mark in financial circles and became chairman of the New
York Stock Exchange in 1956. It is presented each year to a Williams
graduate with a similarly distinguished career.
The award cited Amb. Gregg's forty-two years of government service
building relations between the countries of East Asia and the United
States-in the CIA, as a member of the Nathinal Security Council staff,
as National Security Advisor for Vice-President Bush and as United
States Ambassador to South Korea. It also noted his current work, as
president and CEO of The Korea Society, to promote "greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the
United States and Korea."
Portland State University to Offer
Business Program in P’yongyang
June 14, 2001 — Portland State University received permission from
North Korea last week to start the first phase of a business education program for students and business leaders in North Korea. Six instructors will
be selected from the university faculty and the local business community
to teach courses that are supposed to start this fall, probably at Kim Il
Sung University in P’yongyang. The program will begin with a two-week
session in late August or early September, followed by a six- to eight-week
program later in the year. Courses will focus on the practical elements of
international trade so as to be useful for the intended student body of
exporters, export manufacturers, and academics who specialize in these
areas. The program will be directed by Earl Molander, a business professor, and will be run by the Free Market Business Development Institute.
The institute has offered similar courses in 15 socialist or formerly socialist countries, including China, Poland, Russia and Vietnam.
(Associated Press)
Monks at War Over Symbol of Peace
July 6, 2001 — Haein Temple has been known for centuries as the site
where the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of over 80,000 hand-carved
wooden tablets that record the Buddhist canon, is stored. Recently, however, the temple is known as the battleground between two contending
groups of monks. The dispute rises from the temple’s plan to commission
the world’s largest Buddha statue, which is to be seated on top of a mountain half a mile from Haein Temple. Protesting monks denounce the project as the essence of materialism and greed masked by a pretense of religious devotion, even though the idea is attributed to the revered Song
Chol and Cha Wun, two late Korean monks whose religious devotion was
uncontested—until now. Su Kyong, a monk, wrote the Korean Weekly
Modern Buddhist, “If it is true that this was their will, we must discard them
as guiding lights and put them into the trash can.” The letter prompted an
irate group of thirty monks from Haein Temple to set out in search for Mr.
Su, who went into hiding. When he could not be located, the monks
destroyed his office door and computer. Such behavior by monks isn’t
unprecedented. What seems to strike the greater Korean community with
particular poignancy is how this controversy so closely mirrors the problems of contemporary Korean society..
50
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South Korean Ministry Concerned
about New Japanese Texts
April 3, 2001 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade has expressed deep concern and disappointment towards Japan’s decision to authorize
several nationalistic history books that tend to
glorify its role in World War II, among other distortions. Officials complain that five out of the
eight books that can be selected for use in 2002
omit the sexual slavery forced upon Korean
“comfort women.” The Grand National Party
urges the government to take action by joining
forces with other countries occupied by Japan
during the war. The Millenium Democratic Party
and United Liberal Democrats met and decided
to pass a resolution calling for an official protest
and request for revisions. Japanese civic groups
have also noted and criticized the inaccurate
content of the textbooks. (Chosun Ilbo)
Inch’on Airport Opens
our country and to improve relations with our
country.” Minister Han said, “We welcome [the
E.U.] visit. The E.U. has been trying to encourage North Korea to be a responsible member of
the international community.”
E.U. President Visits North Korea
May 4, 2001 – The European Union has decided
to maintain contact with North Korea and encourage communication between North and South
Korea while the Bush administration reviews its
policy toward the North. To this end, a delegation
led by E.U. President and Swedish Prime
Minister Goeran Persson arrived in P’yongyang
on May 1, 2001 to meet with Chairman Kim Jong
Il. Mr. Persson, the first Western leader to visit
P’yongyang, was accompanied by E.U.
Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten
and Foreign Policy and Security Chief Javier
Solana. After two days of meetings, the delegation flew to Seoul for brief talks with South
Korean President Kim Dae-jung. At the meeting
in P’yongyang, Chairman Kim told the E.U. officials that he would maintain a moratorium on
missile testing through 2003. Although Mr.
Persson said, “We have a clear message that
Kim Jong Il is committed to a second summit,”
Chairman Kim said that he would not travel to a
summit in South Korea until Washington clearly
defined its policy toward P’yongyang. South
Korea’s Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo
acknowledged, “South-North relations are at a
standstill. We are waiting for the early conclusion
of the U.S. government policy review toward
North Korea…. On our part, we are trying, but
North Korea is waiting for the end of the policy
review…. We hope when [the U.S.] concludes its
policy review, it will resume negotiations.”
The E.U. initiative was positively received in both
North and South Korea. The Presidium President
of North Korea, Kim Young-nam, stated, “We
believe it was good judgment, a good decision for
the European Union to normalize relations with
Photo courtesy of The Korea Times.
April 15, 2001 – The Inch’on Airport opened as
scheduled on March 29. Although some had predicted a multitude of problems, the opening was
smooth and relatively problem-free. The airport
has the potential to become a major hub in
Northeast Asia. Located within three and one half
hours flying time from 43 cities of a million or more
people, it now has the capacity to handle 27 million passengers and 1.7 million tons of cargo a
year. Unlike Kimp’o, which it replaces for most
international flights, Inch’on Airport will operate 24
hours a day. The new airport is 32 miles west of
downtown Seoul and rests on what were originally tidal flats between two islands. At present, the
only land connection to the airport is a dedicated
expressway. A railroad line is planned that will
connect the airport to Kimp’o in 2005 and Seoul in
2007. A taxi to the airport nominally costs 30,000
won, roughly 25 dollars, but the driver may want
extra compensation to cover the return trip to
Seoul. Limousines and buses cost 5,500 to
10,000 won. A trip to the airport in a bus or limousine takes one and a half to two hours.
(The Korea Herald & The New York Times)
Nonetheless, the letter from the South Korean foreign minister requests further revisions be made
where the content rationalizes and glorifies
Japan’s past wrongdoings. (BBC)
South Korea Asks for Additional
Revisions in New Japanese Texts
April 19, 2001 – South Korea’s ambassador
to Japan returned to Tokyo after being
recalled last week to protest new textbooks
published in Japan. He carried a formal
protest letter. Japanese officials state that
appropriate changes have been made.
The European Union’s efforts have helped revive
progress in North and South Korea relations, but all
parties wait expectantly for the completion of
President Bush’s policy review. Mr. Persson stated
that the E.U.-North Korea dialogue “must not be
seen as something that can replace the American
dialogue. Both are needed.” (Reuters, The Wall
Street Journal & Washington Post)
South Korea Postpones
Joint Naval Exercise with Japan
May 8, 2001 – Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo
called Japanese ambassador to Seoul, Terusuke
Terada to his office yesterday to deliver an official
list of demands for textbook revisions. The letter
calls for changes in numerous passages that
Seoul perceives as flawed and distorted.
Although Japanese government officials
announced in early April that no changes would be
made in their decision to approve the textbooks,
newly appointed Japanese Foreign Minister
Makiko Tanaka stated today that the government
“needs to fully examine” the newly submitted
demands. Meanwhile, in protest, South Korea has
postponed the joint naval exercise with Japan
originally scheduled for June until the controversy
is settled. (CNN & The Korea Herald)
Armitage Optimistic about the
Resumption of U.S.–North Korea Talks
May 10, 2001 – During a meeting in Seoul on
May 9, Deputy Secretary of State Richard L.
Armitage assured President Kim Dae-jung that
he expected the U.S. to resume talks with North
Korea after the Bush administration completed
his policy review of North Korea. Mr. Armitage
said the policy review would be completed in a
few weeks. Mr. Armitage was in Seoul to seek
South Korean support for the United States’ proposed missile defense system. President Kim
made no commitment on missile defense and
urged the U.S. to proceed in a way that promotes world peace and security. (BBC & The
New York Times)
Dutch Envoy Accredited to Both Koreas
Visits P’yongyang
May 11, 2001 – Dutch Ambassador to Seoul
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Henry de Vries arrived in P’yongyang on
Monday, May 7 — the first time a top foreign
envoy assigned to both Koreas has visited the
North Korean capital. Ambassador de Vries
originally planned to cross into North Korea at
P’anmunjom but had to go to P’yongyang via
Beijing after North Korea objected to this route.
The Netherlands established diplomatic relations with the North in January 2001.
(The Korea Herald)
through 2000. Hubbard visited North Korea several times when he led the working-level negotiations with North Korea under Ambassador
Gallucci that led to the 1994 Agreed Framework.
Officials in Seoul believe the appointment of such
an experienced diplomat will help maintain consistency in U.S.–South Korea relations during the
transition from Clinton to Bush foreign policy
goals. (The Korea Times)
North Korean Merchant Ships Violate
South Korean Territorial Waters
E.U. to Establish Relations
with North Korea
May 14, 2001 – The European Commission, the
executive body of the E.U., formally announced
their decision to establish relations with North
Korea. The news comes one week after France’s
similar announcement to open ties with the
North, leaving Ireland as the only one of the fifteen E.U. nations yet to acknowledge the reclusive nation, and two weeks after the E.U.’s
unprecedented visit to P’yongyang. Meanwhile,
U.S.-North Korea relations remain stalled as the
new Bush administration reviews the North
Korea policy. (BBC & The Korea Herald)
North Korean Official Documents
Health Decline
May 16, 2001 – North Korea’s Deputy Foreign
Minister Choe Su Hon, speaking at a UNICEF
conference in Beijing, reported major declines in
several of North Korea’s health indicators
between 1993 and 1999. Overall life expectancy
declined from 73.2 to 66.8, mortality for children
under 5 rose from 27 to 48 deaths per 1,000 and
vaccination coverage for diseases like polio and
measles fell substantially. Mr. Choe attributed the
declines to natural disasters, the disappearance
of trading partners with the fall of the Soviet bloc
and sanctions imposed on North Korea for not
ending missile sales abroad. Detailed accounts
like this by North Korean officials are unusual,
and his figures are close to estimates made by
outsiders. (The New York Times)
Hubbard Nominated U.S. Ambassador
to Seoul
May 24, 2001 – Thomas Hubbard, a career diplomat with extensive experience in East Asian
affairs, was officially nominated as George W.
Bush’s first ambassador to Seoul. Hubbard, 58,
is principal deputy assistant secretary of state for
East Asia and Pacific affairs. He served as
ambassador to the Philippines from 1996
June 7, 2001 – Several North Korean merchant
ships sailed through South Korean territorial
waters during the first week of June. The most
significant intrusions were in the shipping lane
between Cheju island and the south coast of the
Korean peninsula, as these were the first North
Korean vessels to pass through the strait
since the Armistice Agreement ended the
Korean conflict in 1953. Foreign merchant
vessels are normally allowed the right of
“innocent passage” through the strait, as
specified by the UN Convention on the Law of
the Sea, but North and South Korea are still
technically at war and the intruding North
Korean merchant vessels were met and
escorted through South Korean waters by
patrol boats and surveillance aircraft. In
response to these intrusions, the South
Korean government offered to let North
Korean merchant ships pass through South
Korean waters, but only if they provided
advance notification and only if North Korea
reciprocated by extending similar privileges to
South Korean ships passing through North
Korean waters.
According to South Korean Defense Minister
Kim Dong-shin, stronger measures were not
taken since such actions might have undermined South Korea’s image in the international community and brought international condemnation. Representative Kang Chang-sung
of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP)
criticized the defense minister’s position, saying the North Korean ships should have been
boarded and inspected when they entered
South Korean waters. At least one of the ships
was carrying rice from Japan to North Korea,
and a government official speculated that the
ships were carrying rice Japan donated to
North Korea through the World Food Program.
Since North Korea agreed to ship the rice for
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less than $10 per ton, they may have sailed
through the strait to keep their costs down.
(Korean Overseas Information Service)
U.S. Completes Review of
North Korea Policy
June 7, 2001 – President Bush announced on
June 6 the completion of his administration’s policy review and his decision to resume talks with
North Korea. In an official statement, President
Bush said: “I have directed my national security
team to undertake serious discussions with North
Korea on a broad agenda to include: improved
implementation of the Agreed Framework relating to North Korea’s nuclear activities; verifiable
constraints on North Korea’s missile programs
and a ban on its missile exports; and a less
threatening conventional military posture.
“We will pursue these discussions in the context
of a comprehensive approach to North Korea
which will seek to encourage progress toward
North-South reconciliation, peace on the Korean
peninsula, a constructive relationship with the
United States and greater stability in the region.
These are the goals South Korean President Kim
Dae-jung and I discussed during his visit here
last March. I look forward to working with him.
“Our approach will offer North Korea the opportunity to demonstrate the seriousness of its desire
for improved relations. If North Korea
responds affirmatively and takes appropriate
action, we will expand our efforts to help the
North Korean people, ease sanctions and take
other political steps.”
South Korea welcomed President Bush’s decision. President Kim Dae-jung renewed his call for
Chairman Kim Jong Il to make his promised visit
to Seoul, but South Korea’s ambassador to the
U.S., Sung-chul Yang, worried that resuming the
talks at a low level would not produce results fast
enough. Others were concerned that North
Korea would balk at the requests for improved
implementation of the 1994 Agreed Framework
and reductions in conventional forces. Although
Chairman Kim Jong Il assured a visiting E.U.
delegation in early May that he would not resume
missile tests until 2003, he said that no decision
would be made about his visit to Seoul until he
saw the results of Washington’s policy review.
(U.S. Department of State, The New York Times
& The Wall Street Journal)
Memo to Bush Advocates Dialogue
with North Korea
June 10, 2001 – In an effort to counter the advice
President George W. Bush is receiving from the
pentagon, former President George H. W. Bush
sent a memo through his aides forcefully arguing
for renewed negotiations with North Korea. The
memo, written by Donald Gregg, president of
The Korea Society, was sent to Condoleezza
Rice, who gave a summary to the president.
According to those who have read it, the memo
advocated re-engaging North Korea to avoid
undermining the Kim Dae-jung administration in
South Korea and damaging U.S. security interests in Northeast Asia. Although much of the
memo seems to have been used in the
announcement earlier this week that the U.S.
would resume talks with North Korea, some
experts in Washington worry that the administration may set such strict terms that the North
Koreans will be unwilling to participate. It is clear
from the memo that former President Bush wanted his son to adopt a more moderate position
regarding North Korea. The memo is also the first
concrete indication that the former president has
given his son informal advice on foreign policy.
Agreement on First Regular Road
between North and South Korea
June 11, 2001 – After more than a year of
negotiations between executives of the
Hyundai Group and officials in North Korea,
North Korea’s Asia-Pacific Peace Committee
has agreed to allow travel over an eight-mile
road from South Korea’s unification observatory to the Kumgang region, a scenic cluster of
mountains near the east coast of North Korea.
Although there is now a road between North
and South Korea at P’anmunjom, it is closed
to traffic except for official visits. The new road
would substantially lower costs for Hyundai
Asan, which has been running tours to the
Kumgang mountains by sea since 1998.
Demand for the ship-based tours has declined
substantially in the last few months. Kim Yoon
Kyu, president of Hyundai Asan, said that as
many as one million visitors per year may use
the new road. The implications of this agreement go far beyond the road itself. North and
South Korea agreed last year to construct a
rail link through the DMZ near P’anmunjom.
This would allow the South direct rail access
to China, Russia and Europe, but the North
has yet to begin work on its portion of the railroad. (The New York Times)
Some Question Sunshine Policy on First
Anniversary of North-South Summit
June 13, 2001 – June 15 will mark the one-year
anniversary of last year’s groundbreaking NorthSouth summit and brings with it a critical examination of President Kim Dae-jung and his Nobel
Peace Prize winning Sunshine Policy. Most critics acknowledge that the summit was a major
breakthrough but feel that the momentum and
vision surrounding last year’s summit has waned
considerably. Most of the blame falls upon Kim
Dae-jung, with whom disappointment continues
to rise. In part this criticism is due to the South’s
economic difficulties, but many feel that
President Kim has been too tolerant of the North
and not demanded enough reciprocity. Family
reunions have halted. High level talks have
stopped and planning for a railroad link between
the North and South is at a standstill. Moreover,
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has yet to
respond to President Kim’s requests to visit
Seoul to fulfill a promise made during the first
summit. North Korea has said that the NorthSouth dialogue would not continue until
Washington completes its North Korea policy
review. (BBC & Christian Science Monitor)
Cheju Meeting Urges Pragmatic U.S.
North Korea Policy
June 18, 2001 – The consensus among U.S. participants at a meeting on Cheju island was concern that the Bush administration might try to
extract too many concessions from North Korea
in the talks that resumed last week, killing the dialogue. The forum included many who have played
influential roles in recent Korean history and the
U.S. contingent included those who had played
major roles in the development of U.S. policy
toward North Korea. Mr. William Perry, one of the
architects of the 1994 Agreed Framework, recommended that conventional arms reduction be
given a lower priority than missiles or nuclear
weapons. Former U.S. Ambassador to Korea
Donald Gregg worried that the current administration was viewing North Korea through a Cold War
lens and cautioned against being “too harsh in
demanding reciprocity.” (The Wall Street Journal)
erly rejected a 1997 application by Newsis to be
a news agency. The government originally rejected the application on the grounds that Newsis did
not have the wireless communications necessary
to function effectively as a news agency. The
Supreme Court said that other effective means of
communication, such as the Internet, now exist.
Yonhap, which has had a monopoly as a news
agency since 1980, when the military government created it by merging the Hapdong and
Orient news services, may now have to contend
with competition in local news gathering and distribution. (The Wall Street Journal)
North Korean Food Situation
July 13, 2001 – According to a report released by
the World Food Programme (WFP) today, the
yield from spring crops in North Korea, 170,000
tons, will be less than half of what the government expected due to an extremely bad drought
that lasted until mid-June. The drought appears
to have significantly affected the maize crop, but
the rice crop generally seems normal and should
do well, provided rainfall is adequate to refill
reservoirs, lakes and streams. WFP food shipments should be adequate through September,
but distributions may have to be reduced if the
expected shortfall in the fall harvest materializes and food is needed for the last quarter of
the year. The last of the South Korean loan
food will be distributed by mid-July, after which
the public distribution system will limit food distribution to 150 grams (about 1/3 pound) per
day per person using the output from the spring
harvest and limited commercial imports. In
many areas, especially regions with limited
amounts of good farmland, the food supply in
August may not be adequate for those who do
not receive WFP assistance (i.e., most of the
adult population). (World Food Progamme)
Yonhap Faces Competition
July 1, 2001 – South Korea’s Supreme Court
ruled June 29 that the government had improp-
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Hyundai Problems Magnified
by Family Feud
April 26, 2001 – Financial problems and a power
struggle among his heirs are speeding the dissolution of the Hyundai conglomerate.
The core group, under Chung Mong Hun, was still the
second largest conglomerate in South Korea shortly
after the death of his father, Chung Ju Yung, the
founder and master architect of the conglomerate, at
the end of March. However, this group will lose several major components over the next year. Hyundai
Electronics will separate from the group within two
months. It will drop the Hyundai name and become
Hynix Semiconductor and will be chaired by Park
Chong Sop. Hyundai Engineering and Construction,
the first company founded by the father in 1947, is
expected to leave the group after creditors take a
controlling stake by swapping some of the company’s
$5 billion debt for equity at the May shareholders’
meeting. Hyundai Heavy Industries is also supposed
to leave the group by the end of the year. Although it
will stay in the family under Chung Mong Joon, it will
no longer be controlled by Chong Mong Hun.
The Hyundai-Kia auto group, under Chung Mong
Koo, is trying to become the most successful surviving component of the old Hyundai. Chung Mong
Koo fought off attempts to have him relinquish
his title last May when Chung Ju Yung and
Chung Mong Hun relinquished theirs. He has
also revived his group and has the backing of his
board. (The New York Times)
North Korea to the Garlic Rescue?
May 2, 2001 – The South Korean government
turns to the North as a possible solution to their
excess garlic quandary. South Korea finds itself
having to purchase 10,300 tons of Chinese garlic
to fulfill a commitment made last year and to
appease Chinese threats to cut off South Korean
exports of mobile phones and polyethylene. By
purchasing the garlic, the government will resolve
a foreign trade dispute but, in turn, will bring forth
an irate farm lobby from the politically pivotal
southwest, where much of South Korea’s garlic is
grown. Sending the garlic to the North, along with
the requested shipment of 200,000 tons of fertilizer, as a good-will gesture would not only solve this
predicament but hopefully help to ease the tensions says one diplomat. If the North declines, the
garlic will be stored temporarily in Inch’on until
another recipient can be lined up. Meanwhile, who
will pay the $5.7 million garlic tab remains unset-
tled. The government has suggested the mobile
phone and polyethylene companies take responsibility, but they have refused to make any payments. (The New York Times)
IT Might Help Open North Korea for
Business
May, 2001 – The recent rapid thaw between the
two Koreas and North Korea's recent interest in
using IT as a key component of economic development has encouraged South Korean IT companies to attempt to make agreements with their
North Korean counterparts. Negotiations have
already produced some tangible results this year.
Agreements have been reached to establish a
South-North joint venture company and an IT education center. Other projects were set in motion
when members of the Unification IT Forum —
Gigalink, Wooam, Hermedi and the Korea Internet
Information Center — visited North Korea in early
February. Gigalink agreed to install a high-speed
telecommunication network at the P’yongyang
Information Center and currently has two engineers
installing equipment. Wooam will jointly develop
solutions for screen conferencing. Herbmedi will
adapt North Korean software for medical diagnosis
and sell it in the South. The Korea Internet
Information Center shared views on how to integrate
South Korea's domain name, co.kr, and North
Korea's co.kp to find a unified form.
60% owned by Hanabiz and 40% by the
P’yongyang Information Center.
The South Korean government has offered a wide
range of support. It is offering institutional support
for the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the Seoul-Uiju
rail link between North and South, restoration of
roads and other infrastructure projects. It also plans
to offer financial support on a case-by-case basis.
The government now develops policy in this area
through the Council for South-North Economic
Cooperation, an advisory group of businessmen,
scholars and researchers administered by the
Ministry of Information and Telecommunication. The
Ministry of Unification provides some funding
through the South-North Cooperation Fund, which
has a budget of 500 billion won. Finally, the Korea
Association of Information and Telecommunication
(KAIT) is to be established this month to consult with
South Korean IT companies planning to do business in North Korea.
In spite of these promising developments, several
obstacles remain. North Korea's IT-related infrastructure needs an overhaul, direct network connections need to be established between North
and South Korea, trade and telecommunications
agreements need to be negotiated and economic
sanctions against the North by the U.S. need to be
eased. (Korean Business Review)
Woman Credit Power
Other major projects are also underway. The
Hyundai Group, at the request of North Korea, will
establish a Mount Kumgang Valley center for joint
R&D in the IT industry. IMRI has set up a printed circuit board production facility in the North,
provides the necessary materials, and imports
the finished boards into South Korea for use in
monitors. IMRI has also been successful selling
software developed mainly in the North and
completed in the South. Ntrak signed a contract
with North Korea on March 26 to build "Koryo
Business Town." This undertaking will be a
33,000 square meter IT industrial complex for
South-North cooperation and will be built in
P'yongyang. Finally, Hanbiz will launch this
month an IT complex in Dandong, China. The
complex will initially employ ten North Korean
software engineers and is supposed to expand
to a payroll of 200. A similar complex is planned
in the middle of next year in the North Korean
city of Sinuiju, just across the Yalu river from
Dandong. The joint venture company will be
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May 31, 2001 – Gender-specific credit? That’s the
idea behind the growing market for credit cards
especially marketed to women in South Korea. In
1999, LG Capital Services Corp. launched their hit,
“Lady Card.” Advertised by a fearless, sexy young
woman leading a pack of snowboarders down a
mountain, and including discounts to movies,
amusement parks, restaurants, department stores,
wedding-related businesses and even plastic surgery, “Lady Card” now serves more than 3.5 million
customers. Song Eun Shil, 24, one of many South
Korean women who signed up for the card immediately after its release, commented that the ad
“really made me feel like [the card] will give me
power.” The success of “Lady Card” paved the way
for other companies, including Samsung Card Co.
and BC Card Co., to introduce their own versions.
The seemingly materialistic trend thrives on a
deeper certainty: women are working more and
earning more. “Before, credit cards were targeted
for men or for the family,” says Ms. Ahn Jeong Yun,
the 33-year-old creator of “Lady Card.” “But now
it’s all about women. Women are in charge of
spending in the family, even if both spouses work.”
(The Wall Street Journal)
BIT Computer to Help North Korea
Implement Satellite-Based
Internet Infrastructure
June 28, 2001 – Cho Hyun-jung, president of BIT
Computer, announced yesterday that his firm had
made an agreement with North Korean officials to
develop a satellite-based internet infrastructure for
North Korea. The satellite link should be established within three months. According to Cho,
North Korea now has only limited international
access to the internet by phone line via China.
Although major North Korean cities have already laid
optical cables with UN support, connecting major
institutions and establishing connections to foreign
countries would be prohibitively expensive. As a part
of the project, BIT Computer will also provide cyber
education for North Korean officials via a web site;
establish BitHotLine, a dedicated communications
channel to facilitate exchanges between businessmen in the two Koreas; and set up a PC room at the
Chosun Computer Center to give visitors to
P’yongyang access to email and other internetbased communications. (The Korea Herald)
South Korean Tax Auditors Urge
Prosecution of Six Newspapers
for Tax Evasion
June 29, 2001 – After a four-and-a-half month
investigation of twenty-three major newpapers and
television stations, the government charged June
20 that the organizations under investigation evaded taxes totaling 505.6 billion won ($390 million)
between 1995 and 2000. On Friday [June 30], the
National Tax Service filed complaints against six
newspapers and their owners. Meanwhile, the Fair
Trade Commission asked for additional penalties
of 24.2 billion won from thirteen major dailies and
3 TV stations for illegal trading with affiliates or
owners’ families. Critics charge that the actions are
part of government attempts to muzzle media critical of the administration, but the government says
the audits are routine and required by law. No tax
probe has been undertaken since 1994, when the
media were audited for the first time. Former
President Kim Young-sam, who ordered the 1994
probe, said early this year that the 1994 audit
revealed that most papers had evaded enormous
sums of taxes, but he did not disclose figures.
(The Wall Street Journal)
Foreign Investment Surge
in South Korea
July 3, 2001 – In the last two weeks, Korean companies have raised more than $3 billion in offerings
on U.S. and European exchanges. Korea Telecom
Corp. raised $2.24 billion on June 28 by selling a
17.8% stake in the company as American depository receipts on the New York Stock Exchange.
This follows the sale last month by Hynix
Semiconductor of $1.25 billion worth of global
depository receipts to investors including Texas
Instruments Inc. These two offerings may be the
largest equity offerings in Asia this year, raising
hopes that South Korea’s stalled drive for economic reform can be revived. However, analysts warn
that much of the money that has been coming into
Korea has been short-term investments in property or portfolios. Longer-term deals, like the pending sale of Daewoo to GM or several Hyundai
investment firms to AIG, must be closed to help
reform efforts take hold. Moreover, falling sales
for South Korea’s high-tech exports, like DRAM,
recent government moves to have state-owned
financial institutions prop up family-run conglomerates, like units of the Hyundai Group, and a
slower pace of economic growth cast doubt on
the ability of the current government to achieve its
reform goals. (The Wall Street Journal)
Low Memory Prices Disastrous for
Producers
July 5, 2001 – After peaking a year ago at about
$18, memory chips now fetch prices below $2
each. Spot prices for 128-megabit DRAM chips
have fallen to around $1.75, while contract prices for
chips supplied to PC makers have dropped to close
to $2. Consumers love the low prices, but manufacturers are losing money on every chip they sell. This
means 2001 may be the worst year in the industry’s
history. According to Dataquest, DRAM sales are
projected to fall 56% to $14 billion from last year’s
$31.5 billion. Of the world’s manufacturers, only
Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest, is still
making a profit, mainly because it is expanding production of specialty memory chips based on a technology backed by Intel Corp. There should be an
increase in demand later this year, but full recovery
may not occur until 2003. (The Wall Street Journal)
Daewoo Posts First Quarterly Profit
in Three Years, But Purchase by GM
Reported Stalled
July 11, 2001 – Restructuring and increased sales
made it possible for Daewoo to post its first quar-
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terly operating profit in three years last
Wednesday. Although it did not expect to post a
profit until this month or later this year, it managed
to move into the black last April. It ended the quarter with a profit of 21.9 billion won ($16.9 million).
Sales increased 24 percent during the quarter and
accounted for much of the financial improvement.
Although the profitable quarter would seem to
make Daewoo a stronger candidate for purchase
by GM, Lee Keun-young, chairman of the Financial
Supervisory Commission, said that talks between
the FSC and GM were stalled. At the end of June,
talks were reported to be progressing smoothly, but
they seem to have foundered over the status of
Daewoo’s plant in Pup’yong and the purchase price.
The older Pup’yong plant would require substantial
investment to bring it up to the standards of
Daewoo’s newest plants in Kunsan and Ch’angwon.
(The Korea Herald, The Wall Street Journal)
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July 18, 2001 – According to the Financial
Supervisory Commission, the value of shares listed on the Korean Stock Exchange (KSE) owned
by foreigners was $56.2 billion at the end of June,
up slightly from the end of last year. Foreignowned stock amounted to 30.7 percent of the total
market capitalization of about $183 billion.
Foreign holdings in the over-the-counter KOSDAQ market were much smaller, about $2.9 billion, only 8.3 percent of total shares. (Korean
Overseas Information Service)
Korea Leads China in Sales of 16 out of
58 IT Products
July 18, 2001 – According to a report released yesterday by the Korea Economic Research Institute
(KERI), South Korea leads China in the sales of only
16 out of 58 major IT products. The report, an analysis of 58 IT products in 31 countries, found that
South Korea was the largest producer of only one
product, DRAM, while China was the leading producers of four products, one of which was radios.
Overall, Korea led China in the production of semiconductors, TV cameras, cellular phones, remote
controls, cash registers, semiconductor devices and
particle generators. China leads Korea in a wide
range of categories, including electronic calculators,
electronic integrated circuits, and miniature assemblies. (The Korea Herald)
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—continued from page 6
Getting Started Again with
North Korea: Castro as a
Role Model for Kim Jong Il
There was virtual unanimity about the vital
need for Chairman Kim Jong Il to pay a
reciprocal visit to Seoul, as he agreed to do
last year in P’yongyang. Former ROK
Foreign Minister Gong Ryo Myung opined
that Presidium President Kim Young Nam
might be sent to Seoul by P’yongyang to
arrange for Chairman Kim’s visit and to
demand electric power from the South as a
precondition for it.
Messages from former Presidents George
H. W. Bush, Roh Tae Woo, Mikhail
Gorbachev and former Prime Minister
Yasuhiro Nakasone were clear reminders
of how much had been done from 1989 to
1991 by all the major powers in the region
to get both North and South Korea into the
United Nations and to lay the groundwork
for the North-South Joint Accord signed on
December 13, 1991. Former President
Bush was particularly forceful in pointing
out the positive role China had played on
the Korean peninsula over the past decade.
Newly appointed Russian Ambassador
Ramishvili stressed the need for the United
States and North Korea to establish some
degree of mutual trust before they could
expect to move forward effectively to deal
with specific agenda issues such as missiles or conventional forces. E.U.
Ambassador Hesske was clearly pleased to
have his organization become more directly involved in the North-South reconciliation
process, especially since many European
countries have recently established diplomatic relations with P’yongyang.
Ambassador Choi’s remarks, in particular,
warrant further elaboration. He said that
South Korea’s goal was to have a significant enough engagement with North Korea
to help it become a “normal nation.” He
stressed that North Korea finds it hard to
deal with the outside world, and some people in North Korea would prefer to preserve
the security of isolation rather than risk the
disruption that greater openness might
bring. He said that North Korea must “plug
into globalization,” but that for some North
Koreans that “medicine” might be worse
than the “disease” of poverty and isolation
from which they suffer today. On the issue
of getting North Koreans to make more
reciprocal gestures in response to the concessions they receive from the outside,
Choi said that this was a very difficult challenge for the North, and that we should see
it as a question of capability, not intention.
For Choi, that means accepting the concept
of delayed reciprocity from North Korea.
Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo concluded
the day by giving an up-beat report of his
most recent visit to Washington, which had
included good meetings with Secretary of
State Colin Powell and National Security
Advisor Condeleezza Rice. He was too
polite to mention the fact that he had not
been able to see Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld, although this perceived
slight has evoked irate reactions from the
Korean press.
From my point of view, the conference was
a significant success. Cheju Island is a
magnificent and natural setting for such
meetings, and within the past decade has
been the venue for meetings attended by a
distinguished array of foreign leaders
including President Yeltsin of Russia, Prime
Minister Hashimoto of Japan, President
Jiang Zemin of China and President
Clinton. The setting alone was eloquent evidence of South Korea’s emergence as the
hub of Northeast Asia.
Most significant of all was the unanimous
support for engagement with North Korea
expressed by the conference participants,
as well as those past leaders who sent
messages of encouragement. Every one of
South Korea’s neighbors, plus the
European Union, want Kim Dae-jung’s
Sunshine Policy to succeed. While they
recognize the difficulties of dealing with
North Korea, their willingness to be active
participants in the process was highly
encouraging. I hope that this message can
be fully absorbed by all factions within the
Bush administration.
The Next Phase of
Engagement with North Korea
process over the past three years to be
insufficient, and the pace too slow. In
response, let me remind you that it took
more than 70 years for the Soviet Union to
collapse; and more than 20 years elapsed
after Willy Brandt launched Ostpolitik
before the Berlin Wall crumbled. And, I
don’t need to remind you that the United
States’ decision to establish full diplomatic
relations with the Soviet Union in 1933 was
not based on trust. Nor did the question of
trust enter into the Nixon-Zhou Enlai
Shanghai Communiqué in 1972, which
began the process that led ultimately to the
normalization of relations between the U.S.
and communist China on January 1, 1979.
As a matter of fact, all these relationships
have commenced despite a lack of trust.
North and South Korea, too, need such forbearance from the United States. We do not
ask the U.S. to blindly trust North Korea;
only that it continue its relationship in order
to build up mutual trust. And ultimately, we
ask that the U.S. understand the suffering of
the Korean people after more than 50 years
of division. The desire to reunite the nation
stems from the Korean people’s deepest
soul-searching. Why must the Cold War persist on the Korean peninsula when it has
ended everywhere else around the world?
We need empathy for our efforts to resolve
this last relic of the Cold War.
This leads us to the so-called “place in the
sun” issue. That is, one should not look at
Korean questions through Japanese,
Chinese or Russian prisms. We appeal to
the U.S. government to look at Korean
questions through a Korean prism. Only
when Korean affairs are examined primarily through a Korean prism, and only secondarily through the prisms of the surrounding
nations of Japan, China and Russia, will a
truly balanced policy emerge. Such an
approach is long overdue.
Current Korean Situation
Let me now address the current Korean situation. For the last several months, North
Korea has demonstrated some negative
reactions. For example, North Korea
abruptly postponed the South-North ministerial meeting slated for March 13, and also
has broken its promise to send a unified
South-North team to the world table tennis
championship games. The South Korean
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government is very concerned about these
adverse developments and hopes to prevent any further reversals in the engagement process that we have worked so
hard to foster.
In early May, a delegation from the
European Union (E.U.) led by Swedish
Prime Minister Goran Persson paid a visit
to North Korea which went very well. In the
meeting with the E.U. delegation,
Chairman Kim Jong Il made several important commitments which deserve special
attention. Among other things, he stressed
the importance of the June 15 Joint
Communiqué issued at the time of the
South-North summit last year and reaffirmed his willingness to implement it. He
also expressed his intention to continue the
moratorium on missile tests until 2003,
which implies a readiness to continue the
dialogue with the U.S. Furthermore,
Chairman Kim indicated his desire to visit
Seoul for a second South-North summit.
These are indeed positive developments. It
is imperative that South Korea and the
United States use this opportunity wisely to
establish a peace regime by bringing North
Korea out of its isolation and into the community of nations.
We also encourage our allies and friends to
actively engage North Korea. Since the
inauguration of the Kim Dae-jung government, North Korea has established diplomatic relations with fourteen of the fifteen E.U. countries (only Ireland has
refrained), as well as South Africa,
Brunei, Australia, the Philippines,
Canada and New Zealand. Noteworthy
in this regard is North Korea’s agreement to permit ambassadors to South
Korea from the Netherlands, Belgium
and Greece to serve simultaneously as
ambassadors to North Korea, which is
unprecedented.
Conclusion
Finally, I would like to make several policy
suggestions as follows:
• Timing is critical. We must take advantage of the favorable atmosphere created by President Kim’s genuine plea for
peace and vision in building a peace
regime on the Korean Peninsula. Such
a golden opportunity may not come
again soon.
• Recognizing North Korea’s peculiar
decision-making process, we must
make every effort to deal directly with
Chairman Kim Jong Il or with officials
close to him to expedite the engagement process.
• As I explained earlier, modifying the
1994 Agreed Framework is bound to create problems. We must be extremely careful in handling this Pandora’s box. If
changes are necessary, all the parties
involved in the peace process must consult and concur with each other, even in
proposing obvious improvements.
• Finally, all the parties involved in the
peace process on the Korean peninsula
agree on three fundamental principles: 1)
no nuclear weapons or weapons of mass
destruction; 2) no immediate collapse of
North Korea; and 3) no escalation of military tension or war. We should try to preserve this invaluable solidarity.
Let me conclude by quoting Arthur
Schlesinger, Jr.’s autobiography that
describes the 40-year Soviet-American
rivalry: “Each undertook, for what it saw as
defensive actions, what the other honestly
saw as unacceptably threatening and
requiring countermeasures. Each succumbed to the propensity to perceive local
conflicts in global terms, political conflicts in
moral terms and relative differences in
absolute terms.” I must say that North and
South Korea during those years were no
different, except perhaps for the fact that
they were much more extreme, both in mutual enmity and mistrust. Those days of mistaken escalation of mutual hostility are —
must be — a thing of the past even on the
Korean peninsula. Schlesinger’s admonition
that “people in the past did not really know
why they were doing what they did” leads to
the conclusion that we do not really know
why we are doing what we do today. In the
final analysis, then, in the grand scheme of
things, hindsight is always closer to perfection and truth than foresight.
Sung-chul Yang is a former academic who
specialized in North Korean affairs and
North-South relations. From 1996 to the
time he assumed his current position as
ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the
United States last August, Yang served as a
member of the Korean National Assembly.
During that period, he was president of the
Unification and Policy Forum and vice
chairman of the Unification and Foreign
Affairs Committee.
—continued f rom page 12
The Bush administration seems to believe
that the U.S. military should remain in the
ROK under the auspices of the October 1,
1953 U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty as
well as the July 7, 1953 UN Security Council
Resolution.
Underlying all these policy disputes is the
big question of who are the direct parties to
the Armistice Agreement, and its corollary
question of how the agreement should be
replaced. The MAC has been completely
defunct since North Korea rejected a unilateral appointment of a ROK general officer
as the UNC senior representative in 1991.
This appointment was in line with U.S. plans
to “Koreanize” the P’anmunjom talks by
changing its role from an active to a supporting one, in accordance with the agreement reached between the U.S. and the
ROK in 1991. Apparently, this policy objective has changed in the intervening years.
North Korea’s contention that the ROK is
not a party to the Armistice Agreement is
polemical and without serious foundation.
The ROK was one of the belligerents represented by the UNC when the Armistice
Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953.
ROK participation in the Geneva conference
on the recommendation of the UN General
Assembly, in accordance with Paragraph 60
of the Armistice Agreement, and the 1992
North-South Joint Accord between the
DPRK and the ROK attest to this fact.
During the armistice negotiations and since
the signing of the agreement, the UNC, at
the specific request of North Korean representatives, provided assurances that the
ROK would abide by the Armistice
Agreement. Moreover, the entire DMZ is
now manned by ROK military forces. So it
should be self-evident that both Koreas
must be a party to any new agreement. It is
simply inconceivable that any lasting peace
on the Korean peninsula can be made without the participation of the parties most
directly involved — the two Koreas — especially since both parties agreed in the 1992
accord that they would “endeavor together
to transform the present state of armistice
into a solid state of peace between the
North and South and that they would abide
by the Armistice Agreement until such a
state of peace is realized.”
During its negotiations with the U.S. on the
missile issue, North Korea apparently
rejected U.S. calls for on-site inspections,
and this rejection resulted in the failure to
reach a missile agreement with the United
States. North Korea now is saying through
news media that the Bush administration
has set “unreasonable preconditions such
as complete verification” for the re-starting
of negotiations that can never be accepted
because they are “designed to totally disarm North Korea.”
Negotiations with North Korea are always
difficult and frustrating. Nevertheless, negotiations should continue from a position of
strength in order to maintain stability and
peace on the Korean peninsula. One can
hardly expect North Korea to open up the
DMZ for any peaceful purposes or to settle
the long-term territorial dispute in the West
Sea unless tensions are considerably
reduced through high-level political dialogue between the two Koreas. The agreement to open up a segment of the DMZ to
re-connect the railroad and highway
between the North and the South is an
excellent example of the results that may be
gained through such a dialogue.
The two Koreas, the United States, and
China were the principal belligerents in
the Korean War. They have played a
predominant role in maintaining the
Armistice Agreement. But the two
Koreas, the direct and immediate parties to the “Korean Question,” should
work toward reconciliation and the
reduction of tensions. This should be
done with the full support of the United
States and China, the other two parties
to the Armistice Agreement, by implementing the 1992 North-South Joint
Accord, which includes a North-South
non-aggression agreement.
Endnotes
1) Proceedings of the 282nd MAC
Meeting, December 10, 1968, p. 11.
2) P'yongyang KCNA in English 1626
GMT, October 5, 1966, p. 7.
3) Proceedings of the 419th MAC
Meeting, June 27, 1983, pp. 5-6.
James M. H. Lee held the position of
special advisor to the Commanderin-Chief and the UN Command
Military Armistice Commission on
Armistice Affairs from 1983 until
1994. This position was last in a
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S UMMER 2001
series of increasingly responsible
positions in the UN Command,
which he joined in 1966 after more
than a decade of military and intelligence work for the U.S government.
Born in Kaesong, North Korea, he
served as a translator/interrogator
for the First U.S. Marine Division
during the Korean War.
Reflections of an American
English Teacher in Korea
Cramming seems to produce what my fellow ETAs call ‘robot’ students. These are
students who are able to absorb an impressive array of facts, but do not seem to be
able to relate those facts to other areas of
their lives. Robot students are able to
ingest a great deal of information, but they
do not seem to know how to digest it in a
way that will nourish and sustain their
development over the long term.2
At a recent gathering of English teachers in
Mokpo, one teacher provided a perspective
on the robot student phenomenon in the
context of English education:
Koreans spend an enormous amount of
time and money learning English, often
attending private tutoring academies for
up to ten years before university. But
even after all those years of studying,
most are still incapable of speaking a
single sentence in English. When they
encounter a foreigner who is a native
English speaker, they have nothing to
say. I think this is because students in
Korea are taught to know a lot about the
English language, without being taught
English, itself.
In other words, students we encounter in
Korea learn many facts about the English
language, but are not equipped with the
tools needed to put the language to use
outside of the classroom.
I have encountered this situation on many
occasions. As an English conversation
teacher, I encourage students to use
English in everyday situations, such as
greeting friends and ordering food.
Although my students have shown great
improvement over the course of the year,
even the simplest conversation points often
seem over their heads. The majority of my
students can write impressive compositions
in English, but many still have trouble
remembering the appropriate English
phrase to use to ask to be excused to go to
the restroom. “Teacher, nature calls!” they
yell with hands desperately waving in the
air. Although sensitive to their predicament (and with appreciation for the
fact that it is hard to learn anything
when ‘nature is calling’), I nonetheless
refuse to give up the pedagogical
leverage I have at that moment.
“If you can say, ‘Teacher, may I please go to
the bathroom?’ you may go,” I tell them. At
this point, they hurriedly mumble the
phrase and rush to the door. Despite the
repetition of this scenario many times, I still
hear “Nature calls!” in many of my classes.
I believe at least part of the problem stems
from the emphasis the Korean education
system places on students programming
themselves for exams, rather than for ‘real
world’ situations. Another possible cause
may be that English, with all the exceptions
to the rule and multiple spellings of the
same sounds, is probably very difficult to
cram, recall and recite from memory.
The extreme focus on exams influences
more than the style of learning, it restricts
what Korean students learn and what they
experience outside school as well. Korean
students allocate their time carefully.
Except for the few hours a day needed for
eating and sleeping, most Korean high
school students spend all their time doing
academic study. Unfortunately, most of my
students feel compelled to limit the range of
interests in their lives in order to devote as
much time as possible to exam preparation.
Rather than leaving school in the afternoon
to pursue sports, music or other non-academic interests, they remain at school until
five in the evening to attend supplementary
classes in a variety of subjects. After that,
most take off one hour to eat dinner and
then return to school for a ‘free study’ period until nine or ten o’clock.
Those who do not return to school for the
evening ‘free study’ often attend private
tutoring academies, or hagwon, which are
little more than cram schools for universityentrance exams. Hagwon classes sometimes finish as late as 2 a.m. and begin as
early as 5 a.m. In the most extreme cases,
students do not return to their homes at all.
Most hagwon provide sleeping bags to
those who attend the latest and earliest
classes so that they can get some rest
between sessions. Students sleep at the
hagwon to eliminate commuting time and
leave more hours for study.
In such an environment teachers and
students tend to view time spent on nonacademic activities as being ‘wasted.’
One student, Ji-hye, told me that even if
the government were to reduce the hours
that students are required to spend at
school, a move Japan’s Ministry of
Education made recently, most students
would choose to spend any extra ‘free
time’ in the afternoon and evenings
attending hagwon classes. “Don’t you
think many students would prefer to play
sports or learn a musical instrument
instead?” I asked Ji-hye. She looked at
me with a furrowed brow and replied,
“Playing sports and musical instruments
is something Koreans can enjoy when
we’re young, but once we reach high
school, we must study all the time. Most
students fear that if they do not attend a
hagwon and study until late at night, they
will fall behind the others who are studying for longer hours.”3
Even though I am sympathetic to the pressures that Korean students face, I am concerned about what they are not learning by
keeping their noses in their books for the
entirety of their high school experience. My
own experiences dealing with heavy workloads in high school taught me that occasionally taking time off from the task at
hand actually increases productivity in the
long run. I also learned many lessons on
the soccer field or on the river with my crew
team that have been just as valuable as
anything learned from a textbook. From
sports I learned teamwork and leadership
skills. Sports also boosted my confidence
by teaching me how to challenge myself,
how to push myself harder than I
thought possible, how to deal with
defeat gracefully, and how to recover
from defeat to go on to win another
day. My extracurricular activities also
taught me how to appreciate beauty in
art and music. I can’t help but wonder
whether the lives of my students are
being diminished by their near fanatical response to the narrow focus of the
Korean education system. 4
In conclusion, it seems to me that Korean
educators are doing many things right. The
Korean education system provides a
strong, stable foundation of support and
guidance to the individual student. Korean
students know someone outside their family cares about them and their success. The
dedication of Korean teachers and their
willingness (and that of their families) to
sacrifice for the sake of equality of educational opportunity across Korea provides a
sound example for students of how one fulfills civic responsibility.
themselves throughout their lives, they
would be much better equipped to pass the
exams the future is bound to present.
Endnotes
1) I have been living with a Korean family
in Mokpo.
2) I must admit that the image of the ‘robot’
student is something I brought with me to
Korea. The stereotype held by most
Westerners is that this type of educational
system produces people who are masters
of facts, but somehow lacking in ‘creativity’. Because of my awareness of the lack
My concerns regarding the narrow, examfocused educational system, cram-style
learning and lack of extracurricular opportunities for my students is that in the end the
system may fail them — all of them. The
system may fail even those who are not
overwhelmed by the intense pressure to
succeed on the exam and who go on to win
one of the few places at elite universities. It
may do so because it may not adequately
prepare them to compete in the world
beyond my classroom or, for the most fortunate ones, the classrooms of Seoul
National University.
of emphasis on creative thinking in the
Japanese education system, I assumed
that my students in Korea would also have
trouble with assignments that require original thought. I found this not to be the
case. In the first ‘creative’ writing project
assigned to my class I handed out collages of cut-out pictures from magazines
with unusual combinations of people and
objects and asked the students to write
their own stories to explain who the people
were, what they were doing and why. The
results were spectacular: the students had
me in fits of laughter with tales of shoeeating aliens, medieval murder plots and
It seems to me that the real challenge for
educators everywhere in the world today
lies in preparing the current generation of
students to lead and manage the world of
2020 and beyond. It is impossible for anyone to predict today what that world will be
like. The only certainty is that it will be vastly different from the one that existed when
the textbooks my students cram from were
written. If all my students only learn what
classroom teachers and hagwon sessions
cram into their heads, will they be able to
succeed in the future? Will Korea be able to
compete effectively in a rapidly globalizing
world? How will they keep up with a rapidly
changing base of critical knowledge?
tantalizing love triangles. My limited experience suggests Korean students can be
creative when provided an outlet and the
opportunity to express it.
3) Koreans have also become disillusioned with this system. Increasing numbers of Korean families are choosing to
emigrate to foreign countries, such as
Canada, the U.S., Australia and New
Zealand, in search of better educational
opportunities for their children. A recent
article in The Korea Times stated that, last
year alone, 15,307 Koreans moved
abroad, an increase of 20.9 percent
from 1999. Bang Dong-hyun, a
Korean man who hopes to emigrate to
New Zealand with his family, was
Probably, the only thing Korean educators
can teach students today that is certain not
to lose value in the future is to teach their
students how to educate (and then re-educate) themselves. This means learning not
for the purpose of achieving short-term
goals, but learning for the sake of expanding individual capabilities and horizons. It
means instilling in students the awareness
that their real education is never complete.
If my students could dedicate only a fraction of the energy spent in preparation for
the university exam on broadening their
horizons and learning how to educate
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S UMMER 2001
quoted as saying: “I made up my mind
to leave the country because I can’t
let my kids suffer in the dreadful education system. The thing children
learn in school is the law of the jungle. I shuddered when I realized that
my kids have no other option but to
beat their friends to survive the cutthroat competition.”
(“Emigrations for Better Life on Rise,”
Sohn Suk-joo, The Korea Times, March
30, 2001, p. 7).
4) Of course, American students are similarly guilty of ‘working the system’ to get
into a good university. The major difference is that the American system emphasizes the importance of success in
extracurricular activities as well as academics. Straight A’s in high school and
perfect SAT scores may not produce
ways to balance these various interests.
The gradual decline in the atmosphere of
military confrontation on the world
stage was another factor that affected
Northeast Asia and created a new climate in the sub-region.
admission to Harvard and Stanford.
Students with less-than-perfect scores but
who have achieved something significant
in non-academic spheres, such as music,
sports or art may have a better chance.
Because of this, many American students,
eager to be admitted to top schools run
themselves ragged in pursuit of the perfect
combination
of
‘well-roundedness.’
Instead of spending their time in a hagwon, the ‘free time’ of American students is
consumed by varsity sports, school club
activities, student government, volunteer
work and perhaps even Sunday school
teaching on the weekends. Many students
are involved in all of these activities not to
expand their knowledge of themselves
A history-making event was the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
Soviet Union and the Republic of Korea.
Recently, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of this historic development. It was a
difficult step for both countries because it
required them to discard mutual distrust
and bias as well as to overcome the influence of internal and external conservative
forces. Already in the fall of 1988 the
politburo discussed this issue and
reached the conclusion that the relations
with South Korea had improved. This led
to the promotion of trade, initially through
third countries, and later directly
between the two countries.
Nations. This process led to the first overtures to North Korea by the United States
and Japan, and thereby, the preconditions
were met for a reciprocal recognition of the
two Korean states by the four great powers.
Thus, the groundwork was laid for a relaxation of military confrontation between the
USSR and the United States as well as the
eventual elimination of nuclear weapons on
the Korean peninsula.
The most important achievement seems to
be the impetus given to the initiation of a
dialogue between North and South Korea
that was the beginning of a process, which
ultimately should result in the reunification
of Korea and the removal of the primary
source of tension in Northeast Asia. This
process culminated in an historic event —
the meeting between President Kim Daejung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il
— the anniversary of which is being marked
by this forum.
and their abilities in non-academic pursuits
or contribute to their communities, but only
to get into college.
Katrin A. Fraser received an international baccalaureate diploma from Wesley
College in Melbourne, Australia in
November 1995 and an AB (magna
cum laude) from the University of
Pennsylvania in June 2000. A dual major
in Japanese and international relations,
Fraser spent the 1998-99 academic
year at the Stanford Japan Center
(Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies) in
Kyoto, Japan while completing her
undergraduate program at the
University of Pennsylvania.
Toward a New Strategic
Partnership
thinking that emerged in the late 1980s, the
policy of the Soviet Union toward the Asia
Pacific region — and, in particular,
Northeast Asia — was revised. The new
policy abandoned ideological dogmas and
prejudices in favor of an approach based
on Russia’s genuine national interests in
the region. It also took due account of the
interests of other states and looked for
The Soviet Chamber of Commerce even
opened an office in Seoul. In spite of pressure from North Korea, the Soviet Union
also participated fully in the Seoul Olympic
Games in 1988. Eventually, humanitarian
contacts were initiated. In 1989, for example, a large group of Soviet Koreans, involving more than 200 persons, visited their
birthplaces in South Korea and met their
relatives. Finally, in the spring of 1990 there
was a historic meeting in San Francisco
between the leaders of the two countries
who announced the re-establishment of
diplomatic relations, and a document
affirming this understanding was signed at
the end of September 1990. Later that
same year, in December, the president of
the Republic of Korea visited Moscow and
several months later, in April 1991, a second meeting between M.S. Gorbachev and
Roh Tae Woo took place on this beautiful
island of Cheju. This series of events were
the foundation for the development of relations between the two countries.
The establishment of diplomatic relations
between Russia and the Republic of Korea
was a turning point, not only in the development of relations between the two countries, but also in the entire situation on the
Korean peninsula and within the subregion. The next steps were the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
Republic of Korea and the Peoples
Republic of China, and finally, the admission of the two Korean states to the United
My colleagues and I in the Gorbachev
Foundation view Russia’s modern strategic
line in Northeast Asia as the continuation of
the policy that began to emerge during the
late 1980s and early 1990s, as was outlined above. Russia is interested in having
lasting, peaceful and neighborly relations
with all the states in the sub-region. Russia
also is interested in having close political
and mutually beneficial economic, scientific, technological and humanitarian cooperation with the countries in the sub-region;
and, in the long run, in developing strategic
partnerships as well. Russia recognizes the
U.S. presence in this area of the world as a
historically shaped reality and also is aware
of the responsibility of the four great powers, including Russia, for the promotion of
political stability and the maintenance of a
system of bilateral and multilateral relations
among all the countries of Northeast Asia.
Of particular significance is the need to
overcome the effects and prejudices of the
Cold War and to seek solutions to all outstanding problems through negotiations
without any political pressure and with due
regard for the national interests of the
states involved. Of course, the elimination
of the Cold War structure in this area of the
world cannot be achieved overnight. The
important thing is not to instigate tension
over the remaining problems, but rather to
proceed step-by-step in laying the groundwork for their eventual resolution.
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S UMMER 2001
This applies in particular to the problem of
ending the division of the Korean peninsula
and reunifying the Korean people.
Experience shows that in the existing condition of confrontation–in spite of the fact
that both sides claim they are committed to
the principle of reunification–not one step
along this line was taken in practice during
the Cold War period. Just the opposite, tension in the relations between the North and
the South continued to mount and the differences increased. But as soon as the situation within the region started to change
for the better, concrete steps by the two
Korean states to accommodate each other
became possible.
Russia’s policy on this matter is supported
by the overwhelming majority of its population and is absolutely open, clear and definite. We are in favor of ending the division
of the Korean peninsula and the Korean
people. Instead, without any reservations,
we deem it necessary to reunite the North
and the South into a single state.
In adopting this position, Russia has been
motivated by respect for the national aspirations of the Korean people as well as a
recognition of our share of the responsibility for the division of the Korean peninsula in
the aftermath of the Second World War and
its deepening as a result of the Korean war.
This position also ensues from our geopolitical and geo-economic interests. No
less, if not more, than other states, Russia
is interested in seeing Korea, our neighbor
in the East, reunited as a single, democratic and strong state playing a prominent
independent role on the international scene
and promoting stability and prosperity in
Northeast Asia.
We are aware that this goal can only be
achieved through peaceful, democratic
means. It hinges on the continuation of the
efforts to gradually draw the North and the
South together through a political dialogue,
economic and cultural exchanges and the
fostering of human contacts. The disparity
between the North and the South is so
great that it will take long and meticulous
work to overcome its impact.
Everyone recognizes that Russia has been
supporting the efforts undertaken by the
two Korean states in this direction. The
Russian people have a high regard for the
active peace-making and unification activities undertaken by President Kim Dae-jung
on the Korean peninsula, which have won
him recognition in the world and a Nobel
Peace Prize. His noble gesture to share
the prize with the North Korean leader also
is admired.
In setting policy directions for his administration, President Putin has demonstrated
that Russia is aware of its role in creating
the best possible international conditions
for a dialogue between the two Korean
states that has the potential to draw them
closer together. Achieving this objective is
explicitly set as a priority of Russia’s policy
in the East. It is being pursued in
Russia’s relations with other great powers in the region and, to be sure, towards
both Korean states. It is this objective
that underpins the present Russian
administration’s determination to promote balanced relations with the
Republic of Korea and the Democratic
Peoples Republic of Korea as its basic
policy toward the Korean peninsula.
I am convinced that the implementation of
projects of trilateral economic cooperation
involving the Russian Federation, the
Republic of Korea and the Democratic
Peoples Republic of Korea — the building
of railways, the modernization of North
Korean industry and other such projects —
are going to be invaluable in promoting a
drawing together between the two Korean
states. I believe that a balanced approach
should be applied as well to the other issues
under dispute within the sub-region that cannot be resolved immediately but must await
the right time and conditions. This approach
takes the prevailing realities into account,
allows due scope for the interests of all sides
and recognizes the internal and external
threats connected with abrupt shifts. The
important thing is not to aggravate the situation or to restrict the development of relations
between the sides in other areas, as this can
only place obstacles on the way toward an
agreement between the two sides.
The development of multilateral political
and economic cooperation is becoming an
increasingly topical issue for Northeast Asia
and the entire Asia Pacific region.
Conditions, forms and the achieved level of
this cooperation are different from Europe.
Its all-round development as an area of
democratic institutions promoting equal
economic cooperation is in keeping with
Russia’s interests. We think it is essential to
develop informal public links and forums,
and in this connection we wholeheartedly
support the idea of turning Cheju into a center of international communication between
the countries of Northeast Asia and the
Asian Pacific region as an analog of the
World Economic Forum in Davos.
The need for an intensification of the economic relations between the countries of
Northeast Asia is ever more insistent as the
factors of economic growth are extremely
unequally represented in different countries. Some of them possess a vast labor
force, others have natural resources, yet
others have an accumulated production
potential, and finally, there are those
countries that have the required financial
capabilities. There are significant differences between the countries in scientific
and technical potential, especially in the
high-tech area. At the same time, the
countries of the region (except for
Mongolia) have convenient and developed marine communications.
For Russia, the development of economic
relations with the countries of Northeast
Asia is of crucial importance. Without such
relations it will be impossible to strengthen
and modernize the economy of the Far
East and Siberia, and consequently of the
whole of Russia. During the Soviet period,
the economic relations in the East, as in
other areas, were under the overwhelming influence of ideological and political
ties. Preference was given to Mongolia,
Vietnam and North Korea. During the
Perestroika years a broader approach
towards the external economic relations
of the country was adopted, including the
policy in the East. However, the severe
economic crisis Russia faced in the
1990s, the underestimation of the eastern direction of economic integration by
the Russian leadership, and the suspicious attitude towards Russia on the part
of foreign investors have so far prevented the achievement of a radical turn
around. Today, in my view, it is time to
consider this problem from a global perspective and to take decisive steps in the
direction of enhanced economic relations
with the countries of Northeast Asia.
What can Russia bring to the table in the
efforts to integrate the economies of the
countries of Northeast Asia and the Asia
Pacific region as a whole? What can it offer
to its neighbors and partners? What cards
can it play?
First, there is the unique geopolitical and
geo-economic situation of Russia as a
Eurasian country. Nature and history
themselves
have
predetermined
Russia’s fate to be an integral link
between the West and the East in geopolitical, economic and cultural terms.
If the purely economic side of the problem
is considered, we can speak of Russia’s
role as the transportation bridge between
East and West. This issue should be broadly and thoroughly considered, including the
potential development of the railway system, pipelines, Northern sea route, air corridors, communications lines, including
fiber-optic ones, and the creation of a corresponding infrastructure. The key principle
guiding this developmental approach is
economic efficiency, which would be beneficial for Russia as well as for its partners.
“The Russian bridge,” according to the
experts, will shorten the time necessary to
go from the southern half of the Korean
peninsula to Europe, thereby reducing
transport costs by about one third compared to shipping by sea routes.
The issue of transcontinental railway communication between the southern half of
the Korean peninsula and Europe is beginning to be resolved, but it hinges critically
on the restoration of the railway connection
between South and North Korea. Two
options for making a connection to the
Russian trans-Siberia trunk railway are
being considered: a western link in the
Baikal region (through China) and an eastern link (through the Russian Primorsky
region). Each option has its pluses and
minuses. In our view, these variants should
not be mutually exclusive but be developed
simultaneously. The trans-Eurasian transportation highway project is of real interest
not only for Russia, North and South Korea
but also for the other countries of the Asia
Pacific region since it will transform the
communications system of the region.
Second, Russia is ready to offer the Asia
Pacific region the natural resources of its
Far East and Siberia including fuel, energy
and raw materials, timber, fish and sea products, and fresh water reserves. These riches
are still underused by Russia. The main reason is the lack of capital investment and an
available labor force.
This affords a broad array of opportunities
for cooperation between Russia and the
60
S UMMER 2001
neighboring countries for the application of
capital, management and marketing knowledge and skills, technical capabilities and
manpower. There are already positive
examples of cooperation such as the participation of foreign companies in the development of oil and gas fields on the shelf of
Sakhalin and the grand Irkutsk gas project
in which both the Republic of Korea and the
People’s Republic of China participate. In
the Far East of Russia, by the middle of the
1990s, there were 2,208 enterprises involving the participation of foreign capital.
Third, Russia can have a positive impact on
the economic development of Northeast
Asia due to its scientific and technical
potential.
As the result of the break-up of the Soviet
Union, the subsequent deep economic crisis, the scientific and technical potential of
Russia has suffered considerably but has
not been undermined. Today it is still a
mighty force in the field of high technologies, including such areas as rocket and
aircraft construction, aerospace, nuclear
installations, fast reactors, utilization of
nuclear waste, the development of biotechnologies and other areas.
Moreover, Russia has great capacities in
the area of the basic sciences that are relevant both to applied research and technological investigations. These capacities are
mainly concentrated in the Russian
Academy of Sciences, and in higher educational establishments — and not just in
Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Major centers of fundamental and applied research of
international standing have been established as well in the Siberian and Far East
Departments of the Russian Academy of
Sciences.
In recent years, considerable efforts have
been made to foster scientific and technical
partnerships between Russia and the countries of the Asia Pacific region. Already in
1992, a treaty on scientific cooperation and
exchange of scholars was signed by the
Russian Academy of Sciences and the
Korean Foundation for Science and
Technology. About thirty collaborative projects have been completed or are underway
in the areas of physics, chemistry, biology,
materials sciences and sea geophysics. In
1999, a memorandum of understanding
was signed between the Korean Academy
of Science and Technology and the
Russian Academy of Sciences. Later, the
Korean Academy of Science and Technology
reached a similar agreement with the Siberian
and the Far East Departments of the Russian
Academy of Sciences.
Russia’s interest in scientific and technical cooperation with the countries of the region is driven
by the necessity of promoting the technological
modernization of its economy. In our country, the
experiences of Japan, China and South Korea in
attaining the goal of modernization by using foreign capital to promote economic growth and
technological renovation is highly appreciated.
To apply this experience to our country, a free
economic zone has been established in the port
city of Nakhodka, and there are plans to create
a Russian-Korean industrial complex in this
zone. In short, Russia is supporting the overall
development of economic cooperation in the
region on both bilateral and multilateral grounds.
Finally, I would like to stress the crucial importance of non-formal public ties and forums for
the development of strategic partnerships in the
Asia Pacific region. In this connection, we strongly support the idea of developing this wonderful
corner of Korea into a recognized center for international communication between the countries of
the Asia Pacific region and Northeast Asia in particular — along the lines of the World Economic
Forum in Davos.
VADIM A. MEDVEDEV is a professor of
Soviet economics and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He
is a long-term advisor to Mikhail S.
Gorbachev and is associated with the
Gorbachev Foundation. From September
1988 through July 1990, Medvedev served in
the politburo (i.e., the four-member executive
committee of the CPSU Central Committee
Project Bridge Connects
with Korea
similarities. For instance, teenagers there
do just about the same things we do. I
learned that they do not just study from
sun-up to sundown seven days a week.
They also like to shop just as we do. My
home-stay partner told me herself that
teenagers in both countries enjoy the
same hobbies. We heard rap music and
realized that pop music from the U.S. was
heard worldwide.
In the end I learned that most of the things
that I had thought about Korea were
wrong. I took with me preconceived
notions and a pair of closed eyes that I
thought were open. Korea taught me to
appreciate everyone and everything. I
also learned that it is not always good to
base what you know solely on what people tell you. You have to look into things
for yourself.
—Danisha Harris, Bellflower HS (LA)
he Jamaican culture that my parents
have passed on to me did not prepare
me for the cultural experience that I
encountered in Korea. One point that
made this clear to me was Korea’s lack of
diversity throughout the nation. In
Jamaica, due to the history of slavery and
immigration, there are many nationalities,
which add to the overall cultural make-up
of the island. Contrastingly, Korea is a
homogenous society. However, Koreans’
ability to stay together for so many years
and have this obvious unity and collective
spirit is something I find amazing.
T
elected by the Communist Party Congress) as
party secretary heading the commission on
idealogy. Prior to this post, he was the party's
senior advisor on Eastern Europe. Along
with Boris Kurashvili and Gavriil Popov,
Medvedev conceptualized and wrote about
comprehensive reforms before they were
politically acceptable in the former USSR.
This article is an edited excerpt from a paper
presented at The Jeju Peace Forum: Building
Common Peace and Prosperity in Northeast
Asia, which was held at the Jeju Shilla
Hotel, from June 15-17, 2001 to commemorate the first anniversary of the South-North
Korean Summit.
The main reason that I wanted to come on
this trip was to see how Korea accomplished the feat of modernization and
development without being tainted too
much by western ideology. The answer
that I found was the overwhelming sense
of Korean pride in their culture — a pride
that has protected them through many
invasions and challenging times. Not to
say that African nations did not have the
same resolve to remain independent of
western influence. However, the outcome
of that resolve in modern Korea and Africa
differs vastly. That is why I attribute
Korea’s position today to its unity. I can
only hope that Korea will one day become
a more diverse nation than it is right now.
With a strong foundation of Korean cul-
ture and tradition they can afford to
expand their racial dynamics, while
always remembering where Korea
came from.
—Laurence Smith, Frederick Douglas
Academy (NY)
s teaching professionals and perpetual students, travel provides us with a
unique lens through which to present our
curriculums. Both of us — Michelle Sale,
an English and Social Studies teacher,
and Teri Gindi, a Creative Writing and
Acting teacher — have gained a wealth
of new knowledge and insight about different people, cultures and places during Project Bridge 2000-01. Neither of
us knew very much about Korea, its
people or its history prior to the program. Our current knowledge goes
beyond Korea to Northeast Asia, globalization, cultural diversity and group
dynamics.
A
Our eleven days in Korea were a whirlwind, jam-packed with visits to economic,
historical, political and social sites. In a
short period of time, we were introduced
to the technological advances and economic strength of South Korea through a
visit to the Stock Exchange and businesses like Samsung, Hyundai and POSCO
Steel. We were surprised to learn that the
city of Seoul was not much different from
our very own island of Manhattan, with
crowded streets and similar “large city”
problems. In Kyongju, we discovered the
beauty and serenity of traditional-style
Buddhist temples and burial sites. Our
knowledge of other cultures and history
allowed us to make strong connections
between traditional Korean culture and
other peoples around the globe. We were
fascinated to discover that revered
Korean kings were buried in similar fashion to the pharaohs in Egypt — except
ancient Korean “pyramids” were mounds
of earth, striving to bring the departed person’s soul closer to heaven. And with the
disappearance of kings in Korean history
came political counterparts like presidents
and the National Assembly—things we
can find here in the United States. And
speaking of similarities, much of the
music and modern entertainment of
Korea carries a familiar flavor as well.
Having grown up in America, we realize
that there is much to be learned from
eastern cultures like Korea. The ability to
work and think as a group, instead of as
61
S UMMER 2001
an individual, is the foundation for much
of traditional Asian cultures. Most
Americans have trouble with the idea of
being part of a group. We strive to
become individuals quickly and fight hard
to maintain our personal desires and
needs. Often, this leads us to become
self-centered. When working as part of a
team, Americans are still concerned with
their efforts in comparison to other members working towards the same goal. As
participants in this ten-month program, we
learned quickly that the needs of the
group had to take precedence over personal agendas. Through different workshops and programs, we developed the
skills needed to recognize and develop
cultural diversity. Our physically diverse
group of Latino Americans, Asian
Americans, Caribbean Americans and
European Americans managed to develop emotional and intellectual bonds over
the course of a few months.
We are leaving this program with a
stronger sense of who we are as individuals, as Americans, as teachers, as students and as group members. The journey to Korea was much more than just a
14-hour flight — for us, it was the continuation of our personal desires to fully
understand the world around us. To continue our travels and education, we will
continue to work together in the future.
Michelle has recently accepted a position
at the school where Teri teaches. She will
be teaching ninth-grade Humanities and
Teri will be assisting her as an arts specialist. Coincidentally, the coursework we
will be presenting includes a unit on Asia.
We plan to use our rich memories of
Korea and Project Bridge in our curriculum to promote cultural awareness and
diversity among American youth.
—By Michelle Sale and Teri Gindi,
Professional Performing Arts School (NY)
MEMBERS IN FOCUS
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Yoon Soo Kim was appointed executive vice president and managing
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Exchange Bank (KEB) in September 2000. His regional management
responsibilities include both the North and Latin American operations of
KEB. He is also a member of KEB’s executive committee. Before assuming his current position, he served as the managing director in charge of
the overall treasury functions of KEB. He joined Korea Exchange Bank in
1971 and held a number of positions mainly in international banking areas.
He served as managing director of KEB International Ltd. in London and
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Fidelity Investments is one of the largest providers of financial services
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in this issue...
Getting Started Again with North Korea:
The Next Phase of Engagement
with North Korea
Reflections of an American English
Teacher in Korea
Russia and Northeast Asia: Toward
a New Strategic Partnership
Project Bridge Connects with Korea
Photo by Jung Ho Kwak

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