Newsletter

With the arrival of a new year, we always make resolutions for the year ahead and vow to see them through. Of course, we are well aware that things don't always go as planned. Yet, such resolutions should at least be able to guide us in the right direction. Because what matters is the direction and intention we have in mind for those resolutions, not whether we're able to fulfill them or not. And having already served as president of the Northeast Asian History Foundation for two months, now seems to be a good time to remind myself of the resolution I made when I first took office.

Over the past ten years since the Foundation's establishment, much has been achieved that meet its mission and worth being proud of, all thanks to the efforts and dedication exerted by its staff. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude once more.

However, despite how much the Foundation or its projects has grown or evolved, much is still being asked of the Foundation from the inside and out. Channeling the ever-present hegemonistic order in Northeast Asia and the historical disputes it entails toward a futuristic path of reconciliation to establish peace in the region is what the Foundation aims for and what Koreans hope for.

What I hope for is that each and every member of the Foundation spends this upcoming year reminding themselves of the resolutions made when the Foundation was established. Although we may not have been able to see them through, we should be able to reaffirm our identity so as not to lose sight of what those resolutions are aiming for.

To do so, I suggested a couple of things for us to attempt as I became president. The suggestions had to do with ways to research issues relevant to the Foundation's mission, propose proper alternatives, and provide information and education about such activities at home and abroad. I asked for the Foundation to be equipped with a more balanced perception of history, be more thoroughly acquainted with international orders and foreign policies that inspire alternatives, and make such efforts known to the public.

Since the Foundation's identity takes root from research, various administrative tasks should be handled in a way that allows research to be conducted smoothly and effectively. I mentioned that I would make an effort so that administrative tasks may be fairly evaluated and autonomously performed, and I believe such an approach will also contribute to reaffirming the Foundation's identity.

By operating under the aforementioned principles, we should foremost be able to carefully examine and objectively gauge the progress we made over the past ten years, and thereby neutrally determine what is missing or lacking from our projects. We should also be able to remain focused on the purpose for the Foundation's establishment and carry out projects that help fulfill that purpose. And for this, I will strengthen the Foundation's capability to roughly design an overall plan for the Foundation's projects. This is necessary in order to allow the Foundation to pursue and bear fruit from projects that span longer than one year. That, of course, may demand members of the Foundation to invest even greater efforts from time to time. They may even be asked to get involved in an area of research or role that they've never set foot in before since individual assignments may be reassigned for the sake of what the Foundation is aiming for.

What we now need to focus on is not the velocity of development, but its trajectory. Looking back at the starting point and restoring the Foundation's identity all depend on your efforts and capability. As we welcome the year of the dog, the Chinese idiom "crow like a rooster, snatch like a dog" (鷄鳴狗盜) comes to mind. The story behind the idiom involves Lord Mengchang (孟嘗君) of the Warring States period. Lord Mengchang hosted many guests for he valued talents and was generous to those who possessed any kind of talent regardless of their origin or social status. Among his guests was someone good at imitating the crow of a rooster and another good at stealing things while wearing dog hide. And these very guests saved Lord Mengchang when his life was in danger from falling under the suspicion of the Qin king. To Lord Mengchang, no talent turned out to be unnecessary, no matter how trivial it may seem. The same goes for the Foundation. It has been able to carry on because of the talents and capabilities of its staff, proving that it is in need of each and every one of its members.

I hope the coming new year will be a time for you embrace the Foundation's achievements as valued assets acquired through your own efforts and share with everyone the joy brought by those achievements.

May you all be blessed with the best of wishes in the new year.

On the daybreak of the Year of the Dog

Kim Dohyung

President, Northeast Asian History Foundation