Korean Studies Needs for the Middle East

16 papers were presented in this symposium and 7 foreigners including Egypt, Iran, Japan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkey were participated in this meeting. Especially attracting our attention was Korean Studies in Turkey. The Department of Korean Studies at Ankara University was founded in 1989 (M. Ertan Gokmen, Ankara University). The aim of our department is establish a cultural and academic relationship between Turkey and Korea and also to maintain the understanding of Korea in Turkey. According to Prof. Kim Dae Sung of HUFS, Area studies in Turkey started with the founding of Faculty of Letters (Dil, Tarih and Gografya) in Ankara in 1935 which aimed at providing proper education as well as facilitating scientific research in the fields of geography, languages, and letters in addition to Turkish culture. When it was founded by M. Kemal Ataturk, 10 departments of foreign language and literature were opened besides another departments of history, archaeology, and geography. Among 10 foreign language departments were opened in 1935 Persian, arabian, Chinese, Indian, Russian, French, and German. Besides faculty of Letter in ankara, there are a few academies and agencies to focus on area studies: Middle East Technological University, Bilkent University in ankara, Bogazici University in Istanbul, and National Intelligence agency etc. I think that Ataturk recognized Area studies to modernize Turkey.

Nowadays increasing the personal income, most of countries in the world has faced with new waves that the large-family system changes into small or core family. On the contrary, the world is becoming one large-global family through Globalization or Internationalism. Korea in the 21 century needs of more understanding foreign cultures. Korea has to find her way to broaden her relations with foreign countries, especially the Middle East region. To do it, Korea must understand the Middle East. That's why Korean Studies needs for the Middle East. The Middle East countries also have to make an effort to understand the Korean culture as its precondition.

Korean Studies in the Middle East

Dr. Seong Min Hong (President, RIES)

 Korean Studies is the studies to learn and develop the things native to Korea throughout the fields of language, history, geography, politics, economy, society and culture about Korea. The terms of Korean Studies began to use after the independence of Korea in 1945. Especially it has been widely used in accordance with the active study of the academic circle with the translation of Samkuksaki (The history of three countries) since Korean War. Korean Studies can express the study of the national literature simply. There is a growing tendency that scholars has been avoided it because this term can give the impression of conservatism or nationalism. Recently the terms of Korean Studies became generalization by reason of it. Korean Studies, however, have to distinguish from the Koreanology. The terms of Koreanology usually uses the study of the history of Korean culture and Korean Studies means the wide comprehensive study about Korea including not only historical aspects of Korean culture but also the study of humanities and social science.

Korean Studies has been started and developed centering on the universities of America except the Japanese study during the colonial period since 1970s. It has been widely expanded all over the world, especially Europe and the Middle East after the establishment of Korea Foundation in 1991. Starting in 1992, the Foundation has extended support for 18 libraries in 9 countries, including the Library of Congress in USA and the Korean Studies Department's Library at University of Paris VII.

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' 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.

Korea Foundation provides financial support for overseas universities, which invite visiting professors for the establishment or expansion of Korean Studies courses. Since 1992, 28 universities around the world have received Foundation support under this program, including 12 universities in the Americas, three universities in Europe, one university in Oceania, and 12 universities in Asia and the Middle East.

Korean Studies in the Middle East is poor besides a few universities because it has been concentrated on America and Europe. In these respects, the need of Korean Studies in the Middle East, especially in Yemen arose. In Korea, the Middle East has been a keen interesting region since the oil crisis of 1973. Due to the Korean advance in the Middle East, its studies and economic relations have been activated in Korea. Now the Middle East is not a strange part to Koreans. The advances and studies of the Middle East, however, have been confined really to the oil-rich countries and the confronted nations with the Israeli struggle.

Frankly speaking, the role of private level has a limit to promote the Korean Studies. As the above mentioned, Korean Studies and its support by Korea Foundation are concentrated on USA and Europe. Nevertheless Korean Studies has a different style in its performance. In USA, Korean Studies is centered on the universities and is performing by the organization like Association For Korean Studies In Europe (1977) voluntarily. Korean Studies in the Middle East, especially in Yemen must take a compromised style between USA and Europe. In the private level, academic relations and cultural approach have to realize. In the governmental level, diplomatic relations and financial support have to maintain. Present style of approach in Yemen for Korean Studies has many problems in its ability of the private level. Present style of approach in Yemen for Korean Studies has  many problems in its ability of the private level.