뉴스레터

The Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) has reached its tenth anniversary as of the year 2016. To commemorate the occasion, the NAHF newsletter is featuring a series of interviews to review the progress NAHF activities have made over the past decade and to receive candid advice for the Foundation to move forward. In this month's issue, Lee Hoon, the former director of NAHF's Dokdo Research Institute, recommends the direction the Foundation should head toward in 2017 based on her understanding of the current trends on issues involving northeast Asian history and territory.

Lee Hoon (Research Professor, Hallym University Institute for International Affairs & Former Director, NAHF Dokdo Research Institute)

Research professor Lee Hoon graduated Ehwa Womans University before going to graduate school at the University of Tsukuba to study historical anthropology and engage in regional studies. She was a research fellow at the National Institute of Korean History until she became a senior research fellow at the Northeast Asian History Foundation in 2007 and has thereafter served as the director of the Foundation's Dokdo Research Institute and the president of the Korea-Japan Historical Society. Her major publications include "Daemado, Yeoksareul ttara geodda" [Tracing the History of Daemado] and "Woegyo munseoro bon Joseongwa Ilboneui euisasotong" [Joseon-Japan Correspondence through Diplomatic Documents].

Q. We would like to start by asking what you've been doing since retiring from the Foundation. Are there any research topics you're particularly interested in at the moment?

Lee Hoon  I've been keeping up with my research and teaching since I retired. The topic I've been interested in these days is the history of Joseon's policies toward Japan, especially regarding the Joseon envoys (Tongsinsa) dispatched to Japan after the 1592-1598 Imjin War. So far, the research I've been doing on Korea-Japan relations during the Joseon dynasty has primarily focused on developments that occurred during a time when a safety range was assured between the two countries.

However, working for an organization like the Northeast Asian History Foundation that deals with diplomatic issues stemming from past history seems to have naturally broadened my view toward historical sources. The circumstances Joseon was in after the Imjin War as it engaged in negotiations to restore diplomatic relations are rather similar to the diplomatic environment Korea, Japan, and the United States find themselves in nowadays. I guess I'm trying to say that my eyes have become more open to reality from my experience at the Foundation. And now I'm trying to channel what I've honed into better understanding the friendly relations between Joseon and Japan.

Research currently being done on Joseon-Japan relations tend to only consider Joseon as their subject of study rather than individual people. Yet, the kings of Joseon must have gone through concerns of their own as decision-makers of their administration, so my plan from now on is bring individual personalities into focus through my research on Joseon-Japan relations.

Q. The Northeast Asian History Foundation is charged with conducting academic research, suggesting policy alternatives, and educating and promoting issues about northeast Asian history and Dokdo so as to prevent such issues from developing into diplomatic conflicts. However, balancing the three different responsibilities has not been an easy feat. Some argue that the Foundation should be identified as an academic research institute, while others argue for emphasis to be laid upon suggesting and carrying out policy alternatives. Did you ever experience difficulties caused by such a dilemma while you were serving as director of the Foundation's Dokdo Research Institute?

Lee Hoon  There does seem to be a certain bias toward the Foundation both domestically and overseas because it tries to fulfill both the role of conducting academic research and the role of suggesting policy alternatives. I once went on a visit to Japan as the Dokdo Research Institute's director and some Japanese scholars I met for the first time presumed that my personality is tough and fierce like a soldier or warrior serving my country, even though I'm physically petite and had already introduced myself as a fellow scholar.

In any case, working at the Foundation makes you realize that, to be able to suggest policy alternatives, building up expertise is more important than anything. Possessing expertise means that you have at least the same amount of or even greater expert knowledge and predicting capabilities than your opponents. So, I believe that if the Foundation can cumulate enough academically reliable research results and thereby establish its status as an academic research institute, the internal or external confusions and biases surrounding the Foundation are bound to disappear at some point.

Q. While you served as director of the Dokdo Research Institute, what were the areas that interested you the most or the projects you put the most effort into? Do you have any regrets over them?

Lee Hoon Since I joined the Foundation in 2007, I devoted four years of my time at the Dokdo Research institute from April 2010 to September 2014. The Foundation is charged not only with performing research, but providing education as well. Although our department's name was Dokdo Research Institute, we had to carry out tasks for education and promotion as well. The research fellows at the institute were forced to spend considerable time responding to requests from the outside instead of researching issues over Dokdo.

What I emphasized the most during my time as the Dokdo Research institute's director was to strengthen the institute's capabilities for researching Dokdo. That is why the Korean language journal "Youngto haeyang yeongu" [Territory and Seas] and the English language journal "The Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies" were respectively launched in 2011 and 2014, and the reason the Dokdo Seoul Museum was built despite putting ourselves through numerous difficulties. I believe those achievements established a framework that needs to be maintained. Just a few days ago, I saw a copy of the eleventh issue of Youngto haeyang yeongu at a library reading room. Since the journal has been introducing plenty of quality research papers, I sincerely hope it soon gets indexed by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Q. Some people believe the disputes over history and Dokdo between Korea and Japan have grown more worse over the past decade. And those who believe so question what the Foundation has been doing all the while. Then we might in turn need to ask what they think the Foundation should be doing. How would you judge the Foundation's activities for the past ten years?

Lee Hoon  Three years have already gone by since I retired the Foundation, so I feel that by now I've picked up the viewpoint of a client on the outside. If I were to judge the Foundation as a client and not a member of its staff, wouldn't I first look at whether the Foundation is able to offer academically reliable research outcomes when I need to gain a more in-depth understanding of the disputes between Korea and Japan over historical facts and Dokdo?

From that perspective, I would consider the collections of historical sources published after 2010, which was made possible through the expertise the Foundation's research fellows. Out of all the different collections related to Japan released by other university research institutes or local governments, I would say the collections produced by the Foundation's Dokdo Research Institute about Dokdo, or for example, the Annotated Translation of Nihon Shoki, are by far the most reliable.

Q. Compared to while you were working at the Foundation, have you been able to detect any changes or differences in the way conflicts are now shaped between Korea and Japan over issues of history or Dokdo, or in the efforts the two countries' governments are now making for the resolution of such issues?

Lee Hoon  I do have some concerns about the conflict over Dokdo between Korea and Japan. When I look at the progress studies in Japan have made since I left the Foundation, I sense that the direction of research in Japan has somewhat changed.

For example, there have been recent Japanese research outcomes arguing that "Takeshima has historically not been an inherent territory of Japan" and instead highlighting that the island was a terra nullius legally incorporated by Japan. The argument made so far by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that "Takeshima is historically and legally an inherent territory of Japan." Nevertheless, historical arguments denying that the island has inherently been Japanese territory are now being made not by Korea, but by Japan. The Abe administration has been proposing to take the matter involving Dokdo to the International Court of Justice in order to resolve it. At any rate, I am a bit concerned about how the change in Japanese research I just mentioned might affect the Japanese government's stance. I suspect that it will eventually have some sort of effect.

Q. Many lay the greatest blame on the Abe administration for aggravating conflicts in northeast Asia. Based on what you've said so far, Prime Minister Abe or his cabinet members don't seem to be aware that they are following the wrong path nor do they seem to feel the need to make improvements. What do you think they have gained so far or what else do you think they are aiming for?

Lee Hoon Based on my years of experience working at the Foundation's Dokdo Research Institute, if the Abe administration intentionally intensifies its provocations over Dokdo during times like nowadays when historical conflicts between Korea and Japan over issues such as the Japanese military "comfort women" have been growing worse, it may be possible for the Japanese government to all of a sudden discard its argument that Dokdo has historically been an inherent territory of Japan. I think the Foundation should continue to build up historical and legal arguments by steadily uncovering more historical sources and producing research outcomes.

Q. As an expert in Korea-Japan relations, would you please give a word of advice to the up and coming generation of scholars dedicated to the same area as yourself?

Lee Hoon What occurred to me after studying and watching fellow scholars over an extended period of time is that we tend to selectively study only the sources we deem necessary according to our current view of the relations between Korea and Japan. That may be convenient and easier, but I find it to be an attitude people studying history should try to avoid the most. Producing arbitrary interpretations based on selectively chosen material obliterates the overall reality that was just as much a part of the times you're studying and ultimately prevents you from gaining a proper overview of the times. So, I would like to tell anyone who studies Korea-Japan relations to try sticking to the basics and figure out how each historical source ended up being passed down in its current form.

Q. While conflicts over history has further intensified between Korea, China, and Japan over the past decade, the Foundation continues to face various demands from the government, public, and academia. The Foundation is still experiencing difficulties with seeking a unique position of its own as a government-funded research institute. What would your advice for the Foundation be?

Lee Hoon  It would be impossible to neglect either research, policy alternatives, or promotion, but I believe cumulating fundamental research outcomes initiated and academically achieved by the Foundation's research fellows is most important in order for the Foundation to gain domestic and international trust as a research institute involved in policies. Since the Foundation's identity lies in history, it will be helpful to build up its presence by publishing source books that will serve as fundamental material for studying history. Also, speaking from experience, I believe it is absolutely necessary to make the Foundation's research achievements available in English. I hope everyone at the Foundation remains in good health and remember that I will always be cheering for them.