YU Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institute holds 2016 international conference
Joined by over 600 scholars, experts, etc. from 42 countries at Gumi Hotel Geumosan on 20th
'Implications of Korean model for sustainable development
[October 20, 2016]
<The 2016 Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institute International Conference was held in its biggest scale with over 600 participants from 42 countries>
With the international community adopting and pursuing the '2016-2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs)', an international conference was held on the 20th at the Hotel Geumosan at Gumi, Gyeongbuk to share the compressed growth experience achieved by Korea with the international community.
The '2016 Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institute International Conference' was co-hosted by the City of Gumi and YU, supervised by the Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institute (Director Choi Wae-chul), and sponsored by the Global Saemaul Forum, Global Development Foundation, and Yeungnam University College.
This academic held under the theme 'Why is the World Paying Attention to the Republic of Korea - The Implications of Korean Model for Sustainable Development -' was made up with presentations and discussions from scholars and experts from Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Bulgaria, and the US, and was the largest ever with over 600 participants from 42 countries including international students enrolled at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, Saemaul leaders and scholars.
This conference was organized to share Korea's compressed growth experience, which has become a model case for official development aide (ODA) recipients as it transformed from a 'nation that received aide to a nation that gives aide'. In particular, cases and evaluation of the Saemaul Undong as a practice model of the '2016-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)' for making improvements on global poverty by international organizations such as the UN was given special attention. At the opening ceremony of the conference held at 1:30 p.m., Tanzanian Speaker of the National Assembly Job Yustino Ndugai, Tanzian Parliament Member Mussa Azzan Zungu, and Former Speaker of the Korean National Assembly Kang Chang-hee gave keynote speeches.
Tanzanian Speaker of the National Assembly Job Yustino Ndugai said in his keynote address, "The power of politics and leadership had a huge impact in Korea becoming a third world country into an advanced country in such a short period of time." He added, "The various success cases achieved through the economic development of Korea are essential for researching national development that is both swift and possible."
The international conference is comprised of sessions 1, 2 and 3, and general discussions. <Session 1> is based on the theme of 'Korean development seen from the perspective of leadership and policies', and presentations were given by △Sofia University Professor Todor Tanev of Bulgaria (Educational Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and former Minister of Education) △ George Mason University Professor Hilton Root of the USA, and △ Kyunghee University Professor Ahn Jae-wook (Economics). <Session 2> was on the theme of ‘Sharing and challenges of Saemaul development for joint development of the global community, and presentations were given by △ Kyungpook National University Professor Lim Jin-gyu (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences) △ Mokwon University Professor Lee Jung-ho (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Department), and △ YU Professor Christopher Sparks (USA) (Liberal Arts). <Session 3> was on the theme of ‘Cases and evaluation of Korea's development experience and globalization of Saemaul’ and presentations were given on various cases of Saemaul Undong by △ Vietnam Good Neighbors local employee Nguyen Thi Yen, △ Mayuge Province public employee Nakayima Solome of Uganda, and △Tanzania Regional Development Ministry public employee Mpangala Salome Fabien.
In particular, Sofia University Professor Todor Tanev of Bulgaria, who presented results of comparative studies on Former President Park Chung-hee and Kim Il-sung, said, "Despite sharing the same cultures, South Korea achieved a constructive and prosperous society through economic development, while North Korea experienced slow economies, thus resulting in a mechanical and fixed society filled with people living in fear." He added, "Though there are some views of Park Chung-hee's politics as 'development tyranny', Park Chung-hee's leadership has an indisputable impact on the achievements made in the Korean society, or in other words, to progress the economy and democracy."
The following discussion was emceed by YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul Dean Park Seung-woo, and under theme of 'The Implications of Korean Model for Sustainable Development', △ Seoul National University Honorary Professor Song Byung-rak △ Daegu-Gyeongbuk Development Institute Director Lee Joo-seok △ Yonsei University Professor Ryu Seok-choon (Sociology) △ UN World Food Programme Regional Director of Korea Lim Hyung-joon △ Segye Times editorial writer Cho Jung-jin, and △ Korea Rural Economic Institute International Agricultural Cooperation Center Director Heo Jang spoke in the discussions.
YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul Dean Choi Wae-chul, who organized this international conference, said, "This is the first year for the 2016-2030 SDGs agenda adopted by the international community last year to eradicate global poverty, and Korea's experience with compressed growth of overcoming the division of the nation and the Korean War from the poorest country into the world to an international contributor has given many inspirations for adopting the SGDs agenda." He added, "There has been a huge growth in demand for the sciencing and globalization of the Saemaul Undong, which is a UNESCO Memory of the World and the key driving force of Korea's development, in addition to Korea's development experience and leadership by the international community. Therefore, we hope that this international conference can meet some of such demands."
