뉴스레터

Today, I, Kim Hak-joon, take office as the 3rd President of the Northeast Asian History Foundation. As I do so, I am humbled by the great responsibility placed upon my shoulder, so great that I feel unworthy to take it. Although it is certainly an honor to serve the Foundation, it is not without fear that I bring myself to take on the roles of the president. But I stand here with confidence in the South Korean people for their support and the staff and employees of the Foundation for their capability and commitment.

ecently, as in the past, the world is being driven into a state of tension and confrontation. Economic crises, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and mass killings are occurring all over the globe, painting a gloomy picture for the future of mankind.

Latest Developments in Northeast Asia Surrounding the Korean Peninsula

In particular, Northeast Asia surrounding the Korean Peninsula is in a state of increasing turmoil. For instance, territorial disputes between China and Japan are escalating into armed protests. And Japan's political and social circles are not only denying the Japanese empire's crimes against humanity committed during colonial rule over Korea, but inflaming far-right sentiment by reviving the imperialistic impulse to invade the inherent Korean territory of Dokdo again. Some Japanese demagogues even insist on amending the Peace Constitution to start what they call the National Defense Forces. Japan is solely responsible for this anachronistic nonsense that prompted Korea to take action against it, China, on its part, has persisted the so-called 'Northeast Project' in many different forms over the last 10 years. Simply put, its ultimate goal is to establish Korean history, not only ancient but even medieval history, as an extension of Chinese history.

At the same time, there are alarming aspects of Sino-North Korean relations as China is alluding to its intention of restricting North Korea within the sphere of its influence, although it ostensibly supports North Korea, while attempting to establish presence in the East Sea and actively developing the three Northeast Provinces. North Korea, on its part, is resorting to occasional armed provocation without renouncing nuclear weapons. Russia, with President Putin sworn into office, is stepping up its efforts to establish presence in Northeast Asia, and moving toward strengthening partnership with China. In response, the United States is apparently holding China and Sino-Russian partnership in check while reinforcing its relationship with Japan. The undesirable outcome of these developments is the ongoing formation of the so-called 'New Cold War' regime in Northeast Asia.

In this critical situation, the first and foremost mission of the Foundation is to protect the history and land of our people. Think about the immense sacrifice our patriotic ancestors have made to protect our history and land from Gojoseon to the Republic of Korea. Our history and land are the heritage defended by our ancestors against incessant foreign invasion. If we allowed it even the slightest damage in our generation, we would be ashamed to face our ancestors.

The NAHF's Missions: Furthering Research and Increasing PR and Education Activities

It is our Foundation's missions to commit itself to furthering research and increasing PR and education activities to ensure that the history and land of our people, which our ancestors in earlier generations have painstakingly protected, will remain intact. In this regard, I would like to call our Foundation the proud defender of the state, serving with brains, pen, and mouth, at the forefront of protecting the history and land of our people.

In this connection, let me remind you that August 15, 2015 will mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War following the surrender of Japan. In hindsight, we can see that while the Allies played a major role in defeating the fascist and militarist forces, they were not perfect, and even erred, in handling post-war affairs. And their errors in post-war settlement gave rise to the division of the Korean peninsula and the ongoing disputes and controversies in Northeast Asia today. Our preparation for the conference on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II should start by correcting, on the academic basis, the errors made in the post-war settlement.

The starting point of that task should be November 27 next year on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Cairo Declaration issued by the heads of the three allied nations. The Cairo Declaration included the resolution that Japan would be expelled from all territories which she had taken by violence and greed, whereby not only the entire Korean peninsula but Dokdo as part of it were restored to our people. The Cairo Declaration was also included in the Potsdam Declaration issued by the victorious Allies on July 28, 1945, which Japan accepted as they surrendered. Therefore, Japan's attempt to take Dokdo again would be nothing but an attempt to nullify the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration, and its declaration of surrender.

Calling for the Pursuit of Reconciliation and Peace in the Midst of Conflict and Confrontation

Our Foundation is assigned another important mission; it is to seek, open, and establish the path of reconciliation and peace in the midst of conflict and confrontation. This is the very mission stated before anything else in our Foundation's Articles of Incorporation. In this respect, we are apostles of peace charged with the mission of establishing peace in Northeast Asia. Let us always keep this mission in mind.

Our Foundation has a short history of only six years. I am grateful to the government and the National Assembly of Korea for their administrative and financial support lent to our Foundation in the course of its short history. I am also grateful to the people of Korea for their criticism as well as support. At the same time, I praise the first president Kim Yong-deok and the second president Chung Jae-jeong for laying the solid cornerstone for our Foundation, and the former and present Secretary Generals and all the staff for their hard work and accomplishments in research and administration.

At the same time, let me propose to all of us to renew our commitment and a sense of pride and responsibility for what we do. It is the duty of all of us to protect our history, land, and peace. I count on all of us to reflect on ourselves to correct what is necessary and gather collective wisdom by working with many researchers and civil activists. Thank you.