뉴스레터

On July 12 and 13, 2012, an international conference, co-hosted by the NAHF and the Center for Korean Studies at Inha University under the theme "Beyond the Memories of War in East Asia as a Trauma: Communication and Cooperation through Wars in East Asia," was held at the International Conference Room in the Jungseok Memorial Library of Inha University. For the grand purpose of 'creating a peace belt in Northeast Asia,' the NAHF has been hosting international conferences over the last five years to form a common historical perception, with focus on the theme 'wars and exchanges in East Asia,' thereby promoting mutual understanding among East Asian countries as well as seeking ways to create a peace community in the future.

Promoting Mutual Understanding among East Asian Countries and Seeking Ways to Create a Peace Community in the Future

Since the first international conference of its kind held in Busan in 2008 under the theme 'Laying the Cornerstones of Peace Upon the War Remains,' the NAHF has successfully hosted the annual international conferences: in Kagoshima, Japan in 2009 on 'Japanese Memories of War in Modern East Asia'; in Beijing, China in 2010 on 'Memories of Modern and Contemporary Wars and the Peaceful Future of Northeast Asia'; and in Taipei, Taiwan in 2011 on 'Naval Warfare and East Asia.'
In 2012, for its fifth annual international conference for the 'Northeast Asian Peace Belt,' under the theme "Beyond the Memories of War in East Asia as a Trauma: Communication and Cooperation through Wars in East Asia," the NAHF attempted to identify the evidence of communication and cooperation during the tragic war, going beyond reminding ourselves of the different traumas imprinted in the Eastern Asian countries. Appropriately, the conference was held in Incheon, where fierce battles had been fought among Korea, China, Japan, and Russia during the transitional period to modern times, to focus on exploring how to heal and overcome the memories of wars in the past as a way to seek peace and coexistence in East Asia.
Concluding the 'Northeast Asian Peace Belt' project over the past five years, this year's international conference spanned two days and consisted of a total of four sections, featuring presentations by eleven experts in the related fields from Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan, and general discussion. The purpose of this year's conference was to reconstruct the differing memories of wars experienced by the East Asian world from modern to contemporary times, from which to derive the possibility of peace and coexistence.

In Section I, on the 12 (Thu), the flow of the memories of modern wars experienced by the three East Asian countries, specifically the Imjin War and the Myeongja War, was examined in the presentations titled 'Memories of the Imjin War - Korean and Japanese historical accounts of the war, reprinted in early 19th-century Japan' and 'The Flow of Memories of the Ming Dynasty: From "再造藩邦" to "非禮不動."'
In Section II on the same day, new insights into the fierce wars fought during the transitional period to modern times in Incheon, where Japan's imperialist invasion of Joseon also began. were presented in 'Western Fleets' Occupation of the Gang hwa-do island, and the Politics of Memory', 'Memories of the Japanese Occupation of Korea, beginning with the Unyo (雲揚) Incident,' which I gave, and 'Memories of the Russo-Japanese War, and Foreign armies stationed in Korea.'

In Section III on the 13th (Fri), the origin of the Sino-Japanese War and the traumas of the war in Taiwan were presented in 'Researches and Ideas on the Lugouqiao Incident,' 'Taiwanese People's Memories of the War and Colonial Times', and 'Colony Women's Experience and Memories of the 'Empire.'
In Section IV, how the memories of war are projected onto the affected nations and individuals was analyzed in presentations titled 'Memories of the'Korean'Kamikaze Commandos during the last days of the Japanese Occupation Period,' 'A Question on the Cold War in East Asia and Memories', and 'The Vietnamese War, and Political Changes in East Asia.'

'The Five-Year Project for the Northeast Asian Peace Belt' Concluded

This year's international conference held in Incheon concluded the NAHF's long-term project for the 'Northeast Asian Peace Belt' carried out over the last five years. Under the theme 'Overcoming the Trauma of Wars in East Asia and the Memories Thereof,' the NAHF has been promoting mutual understanding among the East Asian countries and laying a groundwork for the East Asian Peace Community, contributing to enhancing mutual trust and increasing exchanges by allowing the East Asian countries to share their historical perceptions.
However, as it was pointed out and confirmed during this year's conference, while the East Asian countries in the 21st century are called on to work together toward building peace and prosperity through mutual understanding, exchange, and cooperation, historical conflicts arising from the memories and traumas of wars still remaining in the history of those nations are interfering with peace and coexistence in the future of East Asia. Accordingly, the scholars from the East Asian countries who participated in this year's international conference reached the consensus that more efforts would need to be made to overcome such historical conflicts and achieve historical reconciliation.

A New Long-Term Plan Brewing for the 'Historical Infrastructure for Peace in Northeast Asia'

Based on the shared historical perception and the restored trust among the East Asian countries through the 'Northeast Asian Peace Belt' project over the last five years, the NAHF is contemplating and preparing a new long-term project called 'Historical Infrastructure for Peace in Northeast Asia.' This project aims to serve as a stepping stone for peace and prosperity in the 21st-century East Asia through mutual understanding, exchange, and cooperation among the East Asian countries, going beyond historical conflicts arising from the memories and traumas of wars remaining in the history of the East Asian countries.
The 2012 International Conference for the Northeast Asian Peace Belt held under the theme "Beyond the Memories of War in East Asia as a Trauma: Communication and Cooperation through Wars in East Asia" was an invaluable opportunity to share and look back on the ideas that the scholars from countries around East Asia have discussed together over the last five years to overcome the traumas of wars in East Asia. I hope that the NAHF's future project for the history infrastructure aimed at historical reconciliation and peace in East Asia will be successful and contribute to promoting cooperation and exchange in the region.