Newsletter

The year 2012 saw many changes in the political landscape of Northeast Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan. A new government was launched in major countries around the world, including Korea, China, Japan, and Russia. And the NAHF also had three milestones as it celebrated its 6th anniversary: the publication of the NAFH white paper Beyond Conflict Toward Reconciliation - Six Years of the NAHF's Activities and the Road Ahead; the opening of Dokdo Museum Seoul, the first Dokdo-related museum in Seoul and the Metropolitan area, on September 14; and the inauguration of Kim Hak-joon as the third president of the Northeast Asian History Foundation. In this Special Report section, we will look back on the NAHF's major projects carried out during 2012 and go over its major projects planned for 2013. -Editor's Note

Actions Against Japan's Provocative Claims to Dokdo

Throughout the year 2012, Japan never stopped challenging Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo. In response, we at the NAHF monitored Japan's continued provocations, and pursued a variety of policies that would address them.

First of all, to cope with Japan's controversial high school textbooks and the conservative politicians of Japan laying provocative claims to Dokdo, we monitored the related local events in Japan (e.g. Jukdo Day of Shimane Prefecture, Tokyo Rally), and called the attention of the press and the public by hosting a press conference and an urgent academic conference that dealt with Japan's high school textbook authorization results announced in March and Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook released in April. We also strengthened our efforts to promote Dokdo overseas cope with the Japanese government's promotional campaigns. For example, we published and distributed the revised English and Japanese editions of The Truths About Dokdo. We also published and distributed the English and Japanese editions of The Ten Truths About Dokdo That Japan Doesn't Know About, and pushed to translate it into ten other languages. We also conducted a variety of activities to help Dokdo receive more press and media coverage from around the country and the world, including the collaboration with the Korean Times that resulted in publishing a total of 15 columns on Dokdo contributed by the great French scholar Guy Sorman, among other renowned columnists at home and abroad.

In addition, we opened Dokdo Museum Seoul, the first of its kind in Seoul and the Metropolitan, to demonstrate our commitment to defending our sovereignty over Dokdo and provide 'a place for dynamic education on Dokdo. Since its opening, Dokdo Museum Seoul has been drawing keen attention from adult citizens as well as from students.

This year, as did last year, we will do everything within our power to strengthen our territorial sovereignty over our precious land Dokdo. To this end, we will step up our efforts on running Dokdo Museum Seoul, which opened in 2012, and organize a variety of activities to promote Dokdo to the general public, including the exhibition of photographs featuring the four seasons of Dokdo, Dokdo promotion ideas contest, the corps of Dokdo college-student reporters, Dokdo field trip and education for teachers across the nation, and building Dokdo photographs gallery. In addition to these promotional campaigns targeted to the general public, we are planning to carry out research projects through research experts. Specifically, they include research on medieval and modern records relating to Dokdo, research on pre-modern borders and perception, survey and research on modern and comtemporary historical issues, survey and research on marked names and collection of related old maps, and research on the international laws and treaties concerning the Dokdo issue.

The international project for the correction of erroneous marks is dedicated to expanding exchange with researchers, teachers, and map makers abroad in connection with maps and marks, negotiating to spread the correct marks, mobilizing and fostering online Dokdo defenders who will work on correcting erroneous marks online, conducting survey and research on marked names, collecting old maps, and publishing atlases. The objectives of this project are to correct as many erroneous marks as possible, and raise awareness of the correct understanding of Dokdo and East Sea in the international community.

Actions Against Japan's Conflicting Perception of History

We conducted a variety of activities to cope with Japan's distorted perception of history and spread the correct history. First of all, to deal with the debasement in Japan's perception of history, as exemplified in the reckless remarks on 'comfort women' made by major figures in Japanese politics and their expressed intention of changing the 'Kono statement,' we hosted a forum for experts in related fields, and then the 'East Asian Youths Forum' on sexual slavery by the Japanese military in Cambodia in October. And as part of research and survey on sexual slavery by the Japanese military, we carried on academic activities, hosting a colloquium for Korean and Japanese experts on sexual slavery by the Japanese military, compiling a resource book on the forced mobilization of 'comfort women,' and studying the cases of countries that had fallen victim to sexual slavery by the Japanese military (e.g. Indonesia, Thailand).

And to cope with the issues of Korea and Japan related to compensation for damage caused by colonialism, we hosted an international conference to review the 1965 Korea-Japan Treaty on the occasion of its upcoming 50th anniversary as a follow-up to the Japan's forced annexation of Korea centennial project. This year, in the area of Korea-Japan history, we will continue to monitor the current status of the historical issues of both nations, conduct in-depth research to develop counter logic, and carry out projects designed to spread it and build network across the nation and the world. In particular, with the Japanese high school textbook authorization results expected to be released in March-April, we will analyze the contents of the textbooks in detail, strengthen the network with textbook experts from Korea and Japan through the academic conferences and workshops that we will host, while promoting dialogue and cooperation to improve the textbooks. And for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the 1965 Korea-Japan Treaty in 2015, we started long-term research in 2011 that would continue for five years until 2015, and we are planning to host an international conference this year based on the accumulated research results. In this connection, with the Supreme Court of Korea's decision made in May 2012 on the forced draft, there will be increasing interest across the nation and the world in this issue. Accordingly, we will organize various forms of activities to satisfy this interest.

In addition, as Defense White Paper, a publication of the Japanese government (Ministry of Defense), is expected to include an annual remark on Dokdo, we will actively seek ways to cope with it. And, as for 'coping with the historical issues of Korea and Japan," we will be focused on monitoring their trends, including monitoring the academia, and analyzing and coping with the issues through the expert workshops that we hill host on the related issues. Furthermore, we will conduct research on Koreans who reside in Sakhalin or are victims of the atomic bombs in an effort to 'lay a solid foundation for research on the historical issues of Korea and Japan.'

Actions Against China's Distortion of History

Last year, in addition to coping with Japan's distorted perception of history, we conducted in-depth research on the distortion of history in some parts of China, which produced various results. For example, in June 2012, in order to develop and disseminate logic to counter the extension of the Great Wall of China, we hosted an expert forum on the Great Wall of China survey results, and did press interviews and contributed articles on related matters. We also hosted a discussion meeting of invited experts in historical issues between China and Korea, and published and distributed the revised edition of Know the Historical Issues of Korea and China Correctly and the English edition of A New History of Balhae in order to advertise our research results widely at home and abroad.

In 2013, we will conduct wide and in-dept research on the history of Korea-China relations as well as Korean history in an effort to expand areas where we can find common ground from the perspective of East Asia as a whole. More specifically, we will proceed with the survey of the actual conditions of Korean historical sites story within China, and conduct research to build a database of the sites and relics of Koguryo and other related materials. Additionally, we will conduct various forms of research, proceeding with organizing materials on the Koguryo relics and sites located in China, conducting research on restoration of Koguryo ancient tomb murals and their copies, and compiling the Map of Northeast Asian History to set a new standard for historical maps.

Efforts to Promote Amity for Peace and Prosperity in Northeast Asia

In 2012, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the ROK and China, the NAHF hosted academic events with a variety of organizations at home and abroad.

The year 2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the Cairo Declaration (1943) which holds historically important significance in the status of the Republic of Korea as a nation after World War II and in the establishment of the Northeast Asian order. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Cairo Declaration, the NAHF will host international conferences and conduct related research to examine the historical significance of the Cairo Declaration as the basis of seeking peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia. And we will proceed with in-depth research, including research on cooperation among the three Northeast Asian nations of Korea, China, and Japan, research on East Asia's regional perception and regional order, and research on peace and cooperation in East Asia.

Strengthening East Asian History Education and the Promotion of the Correct History

In 2012, the NAHF organized programs to lay a foundation for East Asian history education, including the 'East Asian History' teachers training program (winter/summer, Seoul and local districts), the 'East Asian History' teachers cyber training program (Feb. to Nov. for 1,500 teachers in 10 classes in total), and the 'East Asian History' teachers field trip (Feb. 13-17, Shanghai, Nanjing, China). We also designed and pursued programs in various forms designed to raise public awareness of Dokdo, 'comfort women,' among other issues of Northeast Asian history. We hosted History Concert four times in total as a history program for youths and college students. We also organized the Youths History Experience Speech Contest, 'History Class on the Move,' a lecture tour in middle and high schools across the country, 'History Academy' for citizens, and the 'East Asian History' training program for government officials, all with great results. In addition, as part of Dokdo education for youths, we organized the 'Story Exhibition of Our Land Dokdo, the Island That Brings in the Morning' across the nation, and published and distributed the revised edition of supplementary textbooks on Dokdo for middle/high school and for elementary school. And we produced and broadcast the Dokdo documentary titled 'Dokdo, the Island That Brings in the Morning,' and distributed copies of the broadcast documentary to 12,000 organizations, including the relevant governmental departments of Korea, elementary, middle, and high schools across the nation, and Korean education centers abroad.

In 2013, as did last year, we will continue to carry out various projects to improve professionalism in history education, help the general public as well as youths broaden their understanding of history and have a correct perception of historical issues.

We are also committed to broadening the base of sharing the correct perception of history through the creation of favorable public opinion in the global civil society and the expansion of common ground for the resolution of historical conflicts in Northeast Asia, and through exchange and cooperation with NGOs at home and abroad. As for projects to strengthen history education, we will design programs that will give a correct understanding of our history, including the issues of conflict in Northeast Asian history, and improve the quality of education by working with the experts of history education from relevant organizations around the world to invigorate field education. To this end, we will organize group training program for school teachers, local field trip, cyber training program, online Dokdo teacher training program, support for Dokdo Academy, youth historical experience speech contest, teaching exchange program abroad for history teachers, and historical experience field trip for invited Chinese youths. And to strengthen exchange and cooperation with NGOs around the world, we will forge partnership with, and provide support for, major NGOs by key location, and promote exchange and cooperation with overseas NGOs for future-oriented historical reconciliation.

So far, I have summarized the various activities that the NAFH had conducted over the course of the year 2012, and examined its major projects scheduled for 2013. We have also conducted many other activities and strived to live up to the people's expectations. Without being complacent about what we have achieved through these activities, we will continue to strive for historical reconciliation, peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia through more in-depth research and policy development in 2013.