뉴스레터

7pm on Monday the 31st of last October, in the KT&G SangsangMadang (Place for Imagination) in front of Hongik University, the Inaugural History Concert was held by Northeast Asian History Foundation in cooperation with VANK.

As lectures and forums relating to history usually feel boring, it is hard for you to approach them without hesitation. This history concert, which would change the distorted notion that history is a boring subject, was designed for people in the young generation who may not be interested in the subject or do not know it well even though they may have interest. It was an open forum for discussing history where you could release without restriction your thoughts and queries that you might have held about history.

Working in the Foundation, I always wanted to see good interesting history programs for future generations because history is about learning lessons from the past and building the future based on the lessons. So I was looking forward to this event as if I was desperately waiting for rain during the time of a severe drought. I was anxious to find out the format of the history concert and people's response to it. On the day of the event, I could read from the faces of the audience that they too were as much curious and expectant as I was.

With my heart going pit-a-pat, the inaugural history concert finally began. It started with an animated video entitled 'Dokdo, a misfortunate island' that had been produced by VANK. The illustrated video was a story about Dokdo that explains the course of Japan's illegal annexation of Dokdo in an easily understandable way. While the video was being played, the whole audience fixed their eyes on the screen and it appeared that their hearts were being touched by something.

Stories about history enjoyed by young people

The theme of the inaugural concert was 'Dokdo'. Many people love Dokdo in their heart, but often they cannot explain well why Dokdo is our land. The concert was important because it could complete people's love for Dokdo by giving the 2% shortage that they needed.

Emceed by President PARK Gi-Tae of VANK who had been involved in preparation of this event, it was a very interesting concert that included, in particular, 'Stories of young people who have told foreigners about Dokdo' where the audience could hear vivid experiences of those who cried sometimes and laughed other times telling the truth about Dokdo in foreign countries.

PARK Bong-hyeon (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies) searched for information describing Dokdo in the university library while he was studying overseas. If he found any error in the information, he would demand that the world map production company should correct the error. LEE Jin-young (Chonbuk National University) told a story about own experience while staying in the US for long as an exchange student. When there was an incorrect article on Dokdo in a local newspaper, LEE Jin-young installed a booth on the campus to provide right information about Dokdo. They loved Dokdo not just with thought, but with act. Feeling great sympathy for their passion, the audience gave loud applause.

Northeast Asian History Foundation's president CHUNG Jae-jeong said that people in older generations had only suffered from the wars staged by surrounding powerful nations as the situation is described in our old saying, "The back of a prawn is burst open by a fight of whales". However, he continued, the young generation had now the ability of a dolphin that could swim around the sea between whales. The president encouraged young people to have the passion to become the main characters working for the peace of Northeast Asia.

Finally, the highlight of the event arrived! It was time for all the experts, students and the audience to talk about Dokdo. Professor Hosaka Yuji from Sejong University, JANG Dong-hee, Ambassador for international naming and Research fellow NAM Sang-gu from Northeast Asian History Foundation were there to tell the audience desiable solutions for the history, information and education about Dokdo and they also answered questions from students. Speakers included young people who walked around to meet with foreigners and provided information about Dokdo and the East Sea, experts on Dokdo and diplomats who have done diplomatic activities on the globe. As conversations with these people were serious sometimes and interesting other times, people there did not even realize that time was passing.

Keeping Dokdo with precise logic while enjoying the practice

When asked a question about 'the right method of public information about Dokdo', Professor Hosaka Yuji from Sejong University stressed that it was important to know Japan's logic precisely and refute them with logic not with emotional passion. Foundation's research fellow NAM Sang-gu said that "there are various public information methods rather than there are right methods of public information for Dokdo" and he further explained that the government has to work in its sphere while civic organizations and general public have to do their roles in their positions.

For over 2 hours, questions on Dokdo poured out continuously and the microphone was passed around from the stage to the audience and then went online to receive questions through Twitters. The heated atmosphere continued.

Among the many questions asked, one question by a history student from Dongguk University left an impression in particular. "The Korean academic circles of history are getting old without seeing an important point. There are big shortages of opportunities and contents to encourage young people to become interested in history and learn it. I am wondering if there is any preparation for it," said he. It was a sharp criticism on the current academic world of history and a suggestion to the Foundation at the same time.

After the question and answer time, people wrote what they wanted to say about history and their wishes on colored paper which was later folded into a paper plane and thrown into the air. This was the last part of the event.

The inaugural history concert was an open forum of discussions where there were pleasure from learning Dokdo with fun and at the same time seriousness from cool-heartedly reviewing the methods and attitudes to love Dokdo. The concert presented the uncomfortable and boring subject of 'history' in a soft form, which was also a direction for the young generation about how to introduce and approach the subject.

I am looking forward to the second history concert, hoping that the event will be talked about among young people and will settle as an influential event to them.