Institute of Wilson Center opens in 2014

A research institute for Korean history and public policy is expected to be established within the year in the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, or the Wilson Center, one of the most internationally recognized think tanks.

Since its founding in 1968, the Wilson Center has continued to gather research on the 1950-53 Korean War and the North Korean regime. “When I visited the Wilson Center as a vice president of the Youido Institute last November, I established a firm cooperative relationship with the center and discussed setting up a Korean history institute,” Shim Yoon-joe, a Saenuri Party lawmaker, said yesterday. “[The Youido Institute] will support the foundation of the research institute.

“The recent textbook dispute in Korea clearly shows that defining historical facts is very important,” Shim added. “The creation of the Korean ... institute will also help in establishing these historical distinctions.”

For years, the Wilson Center has worked on collecting and translating international documents related to North Korea with the help of other nations, some of which have kept diplomatic relations with the regime.

It also launched the Modern Korean History Portal last August so anyone could have access to those documents. Wilson Center’s James Person, who holds a Ph.D. in modern Korean history and who led the portal initiative, is expected to head the research institute of Korean history and public policy.

Experts and involved parties hope the installation of the institute will help the country attract international attention. “Korea’s international status will improve if Korean companies actively participate in fund-raising efforts for the establishment of the Korean history and public policy institute,” said Jeong Jae-ho, a researcher at the Youido Institute who is participating in the founding process.

BY KIM KYUNG-HEE [bongmoon@joongang.co.kr]