뉴스레터

On arriving in Sydney after a 10-hour flight, I noticed the clear sky, although my body, it seemed, was yet to register the change in season from winter in Korea to summer in Australia where the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius. When people who saw how I was dressed asked me "Aren't you hot?" I simply answered "No, not yet." I guess that was because it was still early in the morning when I arrived. This business trip to Australia had a tight schedule of fifty hours from arrival to departure.

Active Support for Former 'Comfort Women'

Australia is a country about 35 times larger than the Korean Peninsula in land mass and it sent the second largest number of troops, next to the U.S., to the Korean War. Australia is well known for its supporting partnership with Korea, sharing the fundamental values of democracy, market economy, and free trade and the strategic understanding of global issues. In particular, Australia is a country where Ms. Jan Ruff O'Herne, a Dutch-Australian former 'comfort woman,' lives and the Korean Society and Korean students are active in supporting former 'comfort women.' Not surprisingly, many of the people I met there still remembered the resolution on 'comfort women' adopted by the Australian Parliament in September 2007 and the activities to support the victims, even though eight years had already passed since.

In the six decade or so since the establishment of the Korean consulate general in Sydney in 1953 and then of diplomatic relations between Korea and Australia in 1961, Korea has become the third largest exporter (next to China and Japan) to Australia and the fourth largest trading partner of Australia, and Australia Korea's seventh largest trading partner and largest investor in resource and energy. Since the Korea-Australia FTA was signed, there has been a further increase in exchange between the two countries. Many major universities and primary, middle, and high schools across Australia are teaching Korean, and K-Pop is also enjoying a steady popularity with publicity from the major Australian media.

On the day I arrived in Australia, I had a meeting with the organizers of the upcoming event, the representatives of the Korean Society of Sydney, Australia (President Song Seok-joon) and the Korean Dokdo Association Incorporated (President Koh Dong-sik). The meeting opened with a conversation about the recent Asian Cup hosted in Australia, followed by an introduction to the Korean Society and other organizations and their various activities, which helped me understand and feel close to Australia.

The Korean Society of Sydney is working on a project to build the Korean Culture and Arts Center and the Korean Garden, and erect there the State of a Girl of Peace symbolizing the 'comfort woman.' Explaining that this project, with its first attempt last year having failed due to opposition from Japanese-Australian residents, had been resumed recently with more careful and thorough preparation, they asked for the NAHF's attention and help. In response, we stressed the importance of making sure that the local residents of Australia would not mistake the 'comfort women' issue for strife between Korea and Japan. We also asked that they should come up with specific ideas to engage Australian citizens while highlighting that the 'comfort women' issue represented a case of essentially serious violation of women's human rights during wartime that should be addressed as a universal human rights issue.

The Inspiring Efforts of Overseas Koreans to Spread Correct Knowledge of Korean History

The Korean Society of Sydney is engaged in various activities to introduce Korean history and culture to Australia. They said with excitement and pride that this year the Korean traditional game of Chariot Battle would be introduced during the street festival of Sydney for the lunar New Year holidays. They added that the Sydney Symposium on the History between Korea and Japan was also scheduled to be held on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

The Sydney Symposium on the History between Korea and Japan was held at the Korean Society Hall on February 13, 2015. Despite the rain, as many as 150 people came and stayed into the late hours, including ROK consul general at Sidney Lee Hwi-jin and the representatives of the organizers of the event and other institutions. In the symposium that opened at 5 p.m. and closed past 10 p.m., Ambassador for Geographic Naming, Yoo Euy Sang received many questions from the audience after giving a lecture and presentation on issues of the history between Korea and Japan and why the East Sea was the proper name to use when referring to the sea between Korea and Japan. The audience also showed keen interest in my presentation on the 'comfort women' issue, and didn't hesitate to express support for the NAHF's activities.

I feel moved when I meet those Koreans abroad who give their attention to such issues as 'comfort women,' Dokdo, and the naming of the East Sea, and make efforts to spread the correct knowledge of Korean history in foreign countries where they live. I thought that the NAHF should also do its part so that these people writing a new chapter in the history of Korean immigrants would continue to feel proud as they settle in the foreign countries. I also felt very proud that the NAHF supported and participated in this event.