[Editorial] Institute aims for understanding among Asian nations

The Asia Institute was innagurated last month to promote understanding and solidarity between the people of Korea and other nations of Asia. It says it plans to provide training for civic activists and business people who do Asia-related work, and to provide "web news" on Asia, build a database for activities related to the region, and engage in other diverse activities.

The creation of the Asia Institute is significant because Korea has an increasing amount of exchange and interaction with the rest of Asia, and because there are now some 500,000 Asians from other countries living in Korea. Even more encouraging is the fact that the institute was begun by nongovernmental experts that have been involved in Asian movements for decades, and who decided to create the organization only after almost 10 years of study and reflection. It is probably because they have years of experience in the Asian region that the institute has been able to set for itself the goal of "making Asia an equal partner" instead of just acting in response to short-term working-level needs.

Korean economic growth has led to a rapid increase in investment, trade, and other economic activity with countries in the region, but Korean society still has a serious lack of understanding of things Asian. Cultural misunderstandings between Korean companies and other Asian cultures have been frequent, and too many Koreans hold a baseless sense of cultural superiority that has led to conflicts with other Asians. And as everyone knows, Asians who come to Korea as laborers and who immigrate here as spouses of Koreans face a lot of discrimination.

Korea and the Korean people need to have relationships with Asian nations that are more becoming of a country that on the one hand shares the colonial experience with other Asian peoples, but on the other has become a democratic country that ranks in the world's top 10 economies. Based on our historical experience, unlike some powerful nations, which seek to build a hegemonic order in the region, we need to press for more horizontal and equal relationships. We need to place importance on solidarity with other Asians, and solidarity needs to begin with proper understanding. One hopes to see the Asia Institute play a significant role in increasing Koreans' understanding of and sense of solidarity with Asia.

One would also hope that in addition to this nongovernmental effort, government and businesses will also work to increase the ability of Koreans to be better educated about how to live with an Asia that is now deep in our midst. The need for this education is too great to be covered by a private organization alone.

Please direct questions or comments to [[e-mail]]