Newsletter

I wish you all the health and happiness of loving NAHF in the New Year of 2021.

Northeast Asia has been unstable and rapidly changing, and there are structural conflict factors. Recently, the conflict between Korea, China and Japan accumulated on the US-China conflict has deepened, and inter-Korean exchanges have been blocked. The gap in historical awareness between Korea, China and Japan is widening. Each has a tendency to strengthen its own historical awareness and not respect the history and culture of other countries. NAHF will listen to various opinions and respond firmly to the distortion of history that violates the history and territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Korea. And we will do our duty to spread the right historical awareness of peace.

This year is a meaningful year for NAHF, which was launched in 2006, to celebrate its 15th anniversary. In the meantime, we have accumulated many research results on Northeast Asian history and Dokdo and East Sea notation even in difficult circumstances. In relation to Dokdo, we conducted teacher training, developed textbooks for elementary, middle, and high school students, and operated educational programs for citizens.

In addition, we also conducted teacher training on the theme of East Asian history in order to develop a common historical awareness aimed at peace and common prosperity in Northeast Asia. NAHF has steadily built intellectual and human networks at international levels to establish the right historical awareness. We have organized numerous academic conferences and exchange events with domestic and foreign scholars and activists to expand mutual understanding. All of these activities are to protect our historical sovereignty and territorial sovereignty. All of these activities are to protect our historical sovereignty and territorial sovereignty. Ultimately, these were to suggest ways to enable mutual understanding, common prosperity, and peace in Northeast Asia.

Based on its achievements, NAHF has become a think tank for historical reconciliation, amity and cooperation. I think all of this is a result of the willingness and efforts of the former presidents and employees, the suggestions and cooperation of academia and civil society, and the interest and support of the people. NAHF will contribute to establishing peace in Northeast Asia in 2021; to achieve these goals, NAHF will do the following tasks:

First, NAHF will raise the level of research. We will maintain our academic attitude and develop it into internationally recognized logic and discourse. We hope that the Northeast Asian historical conflict will be sublimated into a common historical awareness through academic discussions, and we will make high-quality research results.

Second, NAHF will make efforts to develop policies. We will make policy alternatives based on high-level research and work with domestic and foreign institutions to obtain international consent. We will also promote academic and policy consultations so that Northeast Asian countries can respect the history and culture of other countries.

Third, based on accumulated research, we will expand educational programs on our history and territory. And we will publish educational books related to history and develop online promotional contents so that the people can easily understand the history issues of Northeast Asia and effectively communicate our position to the world.

In particular, the project to focus on this year is to expand and relocate the Dokdo Museum Seoul. The facility is old and it is inconvenient to access. And there is a limit to the number of people who can watch in the same time, so we want to relocate to a better place. We will provide a safe and pleasant environment and make it an effective place for Dokdo education where visitors can participate. Furthermore, we will prepare to inform the reality of Dokdo exactly for foreigners visiting Korea. I would like to ask the people to be interested and support the Dokdo Museum Seoul so that it can expand and relocate successfully.

We will establish a strict administrative system to carry out these projects and operate NAHF reasonably, fairly and stably. And also actively work on cooperation and communication within NAHF, and dialogue with civic groups and the people.

It is a severe time to gather wisdom for peace and common prosperity in Northeast Asia. I ask for your generous encouragement, affection, and interest. Happy New Year.