Globalization needs for the regional specialist

Dr. S. M. Hong, President

The world is getting smaller and smaller, and becoming an international network society. The globalization and information - communication industry have been extended rapidly all over the world, demolishing geographical borders of the countries since 1990s. Moreover, the world economic system faces new era after the Gulf War. Facing the new age, Koreans expect to meet the Middle Eastern people.

Korea has emerged as one of the most successful NICs and an inspiration to other developing countries. It became the 12th largest trading country in the world and also became the 29th member of OECD on October 11, 1996. Now Korea faces uncertainties stemming from globalization and international environmental changes. Thus Korea's economic cooperation with resources rich countries is inevitably needed.

To Korea, the Middle East cannot emphasize too important. The Middle East has large oil resources which is a major driving force in the modern industry and was the former great agricultural region. When the peace process proceed in the region, the potential of the economic development would be very bright. Thus the economic cooperation between Korea and the Middle East is very important in the dimension of combining human with resources.

The Middle East, however, has variety of races, languages, religions and geographies. It also contains more than 20 countries that are connected with three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. To research the systematic studies of the Mideast, Research Institute of the East-West Economy and Society (RIES) established renamed 'Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies' (KIME) on November 2, 1996.

The world is always changing. KIME urgently feels the need of regional specialist to meet a challenge in the world's new economic order. Thus it will do its best to train the specialist and strengthen economic cooperation through a deep studies of the Mideast. For the purpose of it, KIME conceptualized the Mideast and divided it into five special areas and will put its emphasis on the studies of Ummayyads and Abbasiyyads to extend Yemeni studies that begun in 1994 firstly. For the better studies of the Mideast, KIME is waiting for good advices of the persons and bodies that are interested in its study and purpose.

Historically the Korean's first economic relations with Muslim goes back to the 8th century. However the official relationship between Korea and the Middle East countries started in 1957 when Korea had entered into diplomatic relations with Turkey. In modern context the full-scale Korea's advance to the Middle East was made in the early of 1970's after the 1st oil crisis of 1993. Thereafter Korea has not only expanding its business to the Middle East countries including the advance of manpower and construction but broadening its political, economical, social and cultural exchanges with them.

The Middle East has variety of races, languages, religions and geographies, as it consists of more than 20 countries which is connected through the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. In historical aspect, the Middle East is the origin of ancient civilization of the Nile and Euphrates and Tigris culture. They succeeded in the influence of Byzantine, Persia and Othman Empire in this region. Geographically the Middle East locates at the vast region through West Asia to North Africa and ethnologically it consists of various races such as the Arabs, Turks, Iranians, Jews and other minorities. What is more, the Middle East coexists with Christianity, Islam and Judaism as the cradle of religion. Therefore the Middle East has to be studied more widely than any other countries in the world.

For these reasons, the Middle East became the region of an Area Studies that Research Institute of the East-West Economy and Society (RIES) has been pursued, and RIES selected 'the Middle East' as a concerning region of Area Studies. For the systematic studies of the Middle East, RIES established 'Korea Middle East Institute' which raised the 'the Middle Eastern department' of RIES to higher rank of the Institute, attaching to RIES on December 12, 1995. After that, KMEI renamed 'Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies' (KIME) by RIES committee on November 2, 1996. On the other hand, Korea - Yemen Center that already born as an attached body of RIES in 1994, made Yemen a concerned country in the Middle East studies.

In accordance with it, KIME conceptualizes the scope of the Middle East as follows: It deals with the region from Iran in the East, to Sudan and Egypt in the South through Arabic peninsula, to Morocco and the Sahara desert in the West, and to Turkey in the North. KIME performs the studies contains more than 20 countries which are located in the above-mentioned region. Especially KIME divides the Middle East into five Areas in detail that consist with Fertile Crescent, the Gulf, the Red Sea, al-Maghreb and Levant and places an emphasis on the studies of the Mideast economies by comprehensive area studies. Extending Yemeni studies that begun in 1994 to the Ummayyads, Abbasiyyads and Othman period historically, KIME performs the study of economic history in the Middle East lengthwise. KIME also deals with the crucial issues as oil and water resources that are connected with food security in the world crosswise. Synthesizing the Mideast studies lengthwise and crosswise, KIME will help to understand the Mideast. For the purpose of these, KIME opens the door to play a role in the economic relations between Korea and the Mideast in the form of the attached body of RIES.

As mentioned above, Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies (KIME) became to feel the need of the 'the comprehensive Mideast studies' about history, economy, society, culture and art in the Middle East. KIME, thus, aims to research the deeper 'Mideast studies' through practical use of its languages and socio-scientific analysis in this region. KIME divides the Mideast into five special areas and focuses its study on 'the economic relations between Korea and the Mideast'. For the purpose of it, KIME was established to research the Mideast studies and play an important role in an information center between them as an attached body of RIES.

Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies performs general and multi-aspectual studies for the specific subject that consists of RIES research team controlled by the director eligible for the objective project. KIME prides itself on being able to perform every project effectively through connecting organically 'home library system' possessed by each member, utilizing the computer network. Moreover KIME possessed the Mideast specialists who attained the diploma M.A. or Ph.D. is able to carry out easily the comprehensive research for the Mideast studies.

Korea Institute of the Mideast Economies is a pure private research institute and its finance is supported by the member's fee and public and private subsidies.

1) Collection of the research works, and the informations relating to the Mideast.

2) Publication of research works, periodicals and other materials of the Mideast.

8) Dispatch the research team and researcher in accordance with the project home