뉴스레터

The year 2010 was certainly very eventful. It looks as though that our everyday lives in 2011 will also be dominated by concerns and anxiety over North Korea's provocations.

The regional climate is also volatile. In connection with inter-Korean tension hostilities, there has emerged a structure of confrontation in 2010, with the United States and Japan on one side and China and Russia on the other. In the meantime, Japan and China have continued their territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands and Russia and Japan, over the South Kuril Islands.

The situation in and around the Korean Peninsula has been reminiscent of the territorial cold war and heightened levels of nationalism of the late 19th century. This hostile climate of confrontation is expected to continue in 2011.

It is especially at difficult times like these that the Northeast Asian History Foundation (hereafter, "Foundation") must remain alert and find solutions to overcome the crises at hand. The Foundation aims to find prudent solutions for overcoming historical and territorial disputes between Korean and its neighbors and contribute to bringing about reconciliation and mutual growth in Northeast Asia. Joint research and mutual dialogue with Korea's neighbors are vital to this end. The Foundation's aspirations and activities are imbued with greater significance and virtue when inter-Korean relations and the regional climate are volatile.

Regional instability calls for even greater commitment to peace and mutual growth

Much of the current antagonism and conflict in Northeast Asia has its roots in the prejudices and mistrust accumulated over the region's history. Thus, the wisdom and lessons needed to build trust and realize reconciliation also lie in history. Some may say it is foolish to idly discuss history in such desperate times when there is potential for war and when our territorial sovereignty may be at stake. Nevertheless, in the long-term flow of international relations, the Foundation's goals and activities are indeed the shortcut to mutual growth and the peaceful resolution of regional issues.

The Foundation got a lot done in 2010. It goes without saying that we have achieved a lot in our general areas of focus—the compilation, organization, and research of sources concerning Korea-Japan relations, Korea-China relations, and Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo. We were able to publish some 60 titles and hold around 80 academic conferences in Korea and abroad. If we continue to make this kind of progress, the Foundation will undoubtedly become a bona fide research hub of Northeast Asian regional studies.

Other notable accomplishments include the various projects we undertook marking the centennial of Japan's forced annexation of Korea. On the academic front, we hosted an international conference that shed light on how the "Korean Annexation Treaty" was illegal, forced, and null and void. Some 30 scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, the United States, and Germany took part in the conference. We also published a sourcebook on the "Korean Annexation Treaty" and organized a traveling exhibit.

The Foundation also contributed to disseminating an accurate understanding of the significance and nature of Japan's forced annexation of Korea to the Korean and Japanese media as well as opinion leaders in the region. The Foundation sponsored and/or served advisory roles in the planning and production of Korean and Japanese TV programs and newspaper features related to Japan's forced annexation of Korea. We also hosted a symposium that brought together leading Korean and Japanese politicians, journalists, and scholars to undertake a review of the past 100 years of Korea-Japan relations and discuss what may be in store for the next 100 years. These efforts are considered to have had a direct and indirect effect on the August 10, 2010 statement issued by Prime Minister Kan Naoto of Japan in which he acknowledged the coercive nature of Japan's colonial rule over Korea.

The Foundation also selected Korean and Japanese college students for a joint tour of historical sites in Korea and Japan as well as discussions and dialogue on Korea and Japan's shared history. The group visited sites associated with the poet Yun Dong-ju; Joseon Tongsinsa; Resident-General of Korea Ito Hirobumi, Shimonoseki-Busan ferry, colonialism in Busan; POSCO; Silla historical relics in Gyeongju; Jeamri Church, where a massacre occurred during the March 1st Independence Movement; colonialism in Seoul, independence activist Kim Gu, and independence activist Ahn Jung-geun. There were presentations by leading researchers, and the students engaged in in-depth discussions. We were shocked to learn than Korean students lagged behind their Japanese counterparts in terms of knowledge and understanding of history. It was a valuable reality check.

Commitment to our core values and goals

The above is but a fraction of the special projects the Foundation undertook in commemoration of the centennial of Japan's forced annexation of Korea. The Foundation was founded not only to carry out research activities but also to develop and propose policies. Accordingly, we plan to proactively develop and execute events suited for major historical episodes. In any case, the Foundation undertook many innovative projects in 2010 and put ourselves on the map both domestically and internationally.

As aforementioned, 2011 is expected to be as eventful as 2010. And it is highly likely that some of the key events projected for this year will pertain to the coverage of Dokdo in Japanese history textbooks and other issues with which the Foundation is involved. To ready ourselves, we will recompose ourselves and reaffirm our commitment to our core values and goals. In so doing, the Foundation will emerge as a leading organization for research, policy development, and practices aimed at Northeast Asia's historical reconciliation and mutual growth.

We ask for your continued feedback, advice, and support.
Thank you.