[KS] Publication Announcement: Korea Journal, vol. 51, no. 2

[Korea Journal]

Dear list members,

We are pleased to announce the publication of the latest issue of Korea Journal (vol. 51, no. 2). This issue deals with new and reflective approaches to the issue of Korean unification. Since the end of the Cold War, the Korean peninsula has undergone significant changes along with the rest of the world. Domestically, South Korea has undergone democratization and significant social change. At the peninsular level, Korea has recently faced several confrontational situations in inter-Korean relations. The issue of North Korean nuclear power has become more complicated and dangerous, due in part to its weakening regime as well as regional power politics. Global events such as the September 11 attack of 2001 have heightened the sense of urgency for a strict and consistent enforcement of nonproliferation rules. The last decades have also seen the rise of China and relative decline of American power. In light of such global changes, it is time for South Korea to rethink its approach to the issue of unification. Six articles are featured under this topic. The first three papers focus on unique reflections and philosophies that bring forth a new understanding. The latter three explore and delve into specific strategies that would promote peaceful unification.

The first paper by Kim Hyoung-chan insists that the process of Korean unification should pursue values that permit all human beings to be respected and, accordingly, that the discourse on unification must encompass a value-oriented philosophical discussion. Jung Taehern’s paper takes a reflective approach to Joseon’s insistence on loyalty to the Ming dynasty and the “conquer-the-north” policy of the seventeenth-century in order to emphasize the importance of staying up-to-date with international events in formulating a unification paradigm. Cho Dae-yop challenges the state-centric paradigm of unification; instead, he introduces the theory of civil society-initiated unification as a paradigm that captures the changes in civil society following economic, social, and political changes within and beyond the national sphere. Based on a survey of existing debates, Koo Kab-Woo’s paper employs a strategic perspective to explore the conditions for a sustainable peace system on the Korean peninsula. The fifth paper by Lee Nam Ju discusses how advancing the Changjitu Development Plan can facilitate Northeast Asian cooperation and contribute to the peace and reunification of the two Koreas. Park Kun Young’s paper identifies international factors that may affect the process of unification. It highlights the need to implement the concept of strategic pragmatism and design a new unification strategy that reflects China’s increased power vis-à -vis American capability.

In addition to these studies, this issue also includes an article that examines the discussions on the uniqueness of the sages’ mind-and-heart in the Horak debate of the late Joseon dynasty, as well as another article that analyzes the symbiotic relationship between the anti-American movement and other social movements in South Korea since 1987.

The contents of the issue are as follows:

Special Topic: New Understanding of and Strategies for Korean Unification

PARK Kun Young / [On this topic] New Understanding of and Strategies for Korean Unification
KIM Hyong-chan / A Reflection on the Values of Unification and Unification Philosophies
JUNG Taehern / Peace and Unification of the Korean Peninsula Seen from a Utilitarian Rational Conservative Perspective: Beyond the Twenty-First-Century
                           Version of the “Conquer-the-North” Stance
CHO Dae-yop / Outlooks on a Civil Society-Initiated Unification of the Korean Peninsula
KOO Kab-Woo / Towards a Working Peace System on the Korean Peninsula: A Perspective on the Theory of Peace States
LEE Nam Ju / Northeast Asian Economic Cooperation and the Korean Peninsula Economy: The Impact of the Changjitu Development Plan
PARK Kun Young / Sino-American Relations and the Unification of the Korean Peninsula

ARTICLES

Suk-yoon MOON and Hansang A. KIM / Discussions of the Uniqueness of the Sage’s Mind-and-Heart in the Horak Debate
Sunhyuk KIM and Eun Sun LEE / “Dynamics of Contention” in Democratic Korea: The Role of Anti-Americanism

We would like to take this opportunity to remind list members that we welcome any submissions relevant to the field of Korean Studies.

Best regards,



Korea Journal
Korean National Commission for UNESCO
26 Myeondong-gil(UNESCO Road), Jung-gu, Seoul 100-810 Korea
Tel. +82-2-6958-4262
Fax. +82-2-6958-4252


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://koreanstudies.com/pipermail/koreanstudies_koreanstudies.com/attachments/20110714/30a4481a/attachment.html>