Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies 2021 KCI Impact Factor : 0.88

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2008, Vol.15, No.1

  • 1.

    The Asia-pacific Area Study in Japan - its current status and problem -

    Song Seok Won | 2008, 15(1) | pp.1~18 | number of Cited : 0
    Abstract PDF
    The aim of this study is to historically examine a trend of the Asia-Pacific research in Japan since modern nationalism setablished there. The main focus is on who has researched the Asia-Pacific region in Japan, why has studied it and which area has been studied so far. Also, I move on to examine who has helped the study and what precisely has done as a time order. By dwelling upon these examination, I will explore the characteristics of the Asia-Pacific area study carried out in Japan. Edward Said has pointed out that an area study is an outgrowth of imperialism and the study itself is 'ugly neologism.' Said's opinion can be applied to the Asia-Pacific study during the pre-war period. The area study in Japan was for the purpose of the war under the theme of imperialism during the pre and inter-war period. As a result, the study made a contribution to the establishment of identifying of the Asia-Pacific area and Japanese holding a prominent position. The study about the Asia-Pacific area in the post-war period pays attention to a power of Asia under reflection on pre-war period and shifts its work frame from 'domination' to 'living together.' Reorganization of the study system also gives an energy to the Asia-Pacific area study.
  • 2.

    A study on the Process of Normalization of Sino-North Korea Relations(1969-70)

    박종철 | 2008, 15(1) | pp.19~39 | number of Cited : 7
    Abstract PDF
    The historical fact of Sino - North Korea relationship has rarely been disclosed. Especially during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution(GPCR), study in regard to the conflicts and normalization between two countries don't exist till now. Recently some documents disclosed in China, this study aims at rebuilding historical facts concerning the process of normalization between two countries during that period. The relationship between two countries was broken during GPCR because of conflicts of ideology, but considering national interests such as national security and aids look for political normalization. The end of 1960s, china domestically took measures to correct mistake of the extreme left. Changing world situation such as military engagement in border of Sino -Soviet, security dialogue between US-Japan, the Pueblue accident etc , Norh korea and China individually recognized increasing security threats. That's why the two parties and nations made decisions to security corporation. In particular, normalization of the relationship was achieved throughout country and party leaders. Although North Korea and China experienced in ideological conflict regard to GPCR, two Countries achieved normalization regard to national interest.
  • 3.

    The European Union's North Korean Policy: the rationales of the soft-security policy approach

    MOOSUNG LEE | 2008, 15(1) | pp.41~55 | number of Cited : 1
    Abstract PDF
    The aim of this paper is to examine the driving forces behind the EU's North Korean policy, not least when the recent rounds of enlargements appear to have particular policy implications. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to provide an additional explanatory variable to make sense of the EU's North Korean policy. There is a conventional approach built on the intergovernmentalist perspective which accounts for the soft security approach adopted by the EU. Given the difficulties in ensuring the cooperation among the member states in terms of foreign and security polcy, it is evitable to undertake a soft security policy, which is much easier to muster agreement among members. However, this approach is challenged by using constructivist view, which is used to put the role of small states into perspective when the CFSP is socialized among the member states.
  • 4.

    Study of International Relations in Korea:Reality and Search for an Alternative

    Jinseog Yu , 박건영 | 2008, 15(1) | pp.57~71 | number of Cited : 2
    Abstract PDF
    This study aims to explore correctives to overcome the heavy dependence of the Korean International Relations(hereafter IR) scholarship on American IR scholarship. The main argument of this study is that although it is desirable from a long-term perspective to develop universally valid IR theories "made in Korea," from a short to midium term perspective it is more realistic to make good use of the American mainstream scholarship in a critical, self-conscious, and strategical manner. This study is organized as follows:In chapter 2 we discuss the on-going debate among Korean IR scholars on the issue of Korean academia's heavy dependence on American IR theories. Chapter 3 discusses why the question of academic dependence matters. In chapter 4, we examine the cause of the persistence of the Korean scholarship's heavy dependence on American scholarship. Overcoming dependence and searching for "Korean-style" IR scholarship would be possible only if we closely examine the cause of the dependence. In chapter 5 we discuss the future direction of “Korean-style” IR studies.
  • 5.

    China's 'Scientific concept of development' and its Implications

    Mansoo Jee | 2008, 15(1) | pp.73~89 | number of Cited : 3
    Abstract PDF
    CCP's 17th party congress inserted HuJintao's concept of the 'scientific development' into the amendment of the party constitution. Scientific concept of development which focuses on a people-oriented, overall, coordinated and sustainable development of China, seems to substitute previous 'reform and open-door policy' as a new guide line of China's future economic development. After 30 years of successful transformation and accomplishing all the conditions which follows China's WTO accession in 2001, China became one of the most influential market economy in the global economy. Now China is facing a new, fundamentally different task, that is to choose a specific path of development its own market economy, which should reflect current social structure and balance among various interest groups. The scientific concept of development is to cope with this new task. However, given one-party system and lack of active civil society, it's very hard to get necessary signals from the society and to find proper balances among the groups. As a result, so called scientific concept of development might be followed by a more interventionist government, which is different from former reformist one. This kind of interventions should tend to collide with market. This will be a new challenge against the authority of CCP in the long run.
  • 6.

    Consolidation of Democracy in South Korea- How and when can it be possible? -

    Jun Ki Min | 2008, 15(1) | pp.91~103 | number of Cited : 1
    Abstract PDF
    The aim of this paper is to suggest a model for the consolidation of democracy in South Korea. Under this goal, this paper explores three political values - stability, equality, and democracy. As independent variables, stability and equality should be respected. The dynamics of transaction between these two variables and democracy are also required. During this transaction, the democratic system might have the capability to resolve the problems of inequality in the economic, political, and social spheres. The democratic transaction that is often ignored makes possible the realizations of consolidating democracy -where the rights of the individual are the most central aspect. As a Korean value, distributive justice could be a decisive factor that impacts national identity, consciousness of civil duty, as well as public spiritedness. In this article, it is asserted that the consolidation of democracy in South Korea is quite vulnerable to such variables as stability, and distributive justice.
  • 7.

    Nepotism Discourse in Korean Society : It has nothing to do with Original Confucian Values

    Hyunguen Chang | 2008, 15(1) | pp.105~124 | number of Cited : 13
    Abstract PDF
    Confucianism has been receiving a great deal of attention in Korean Society. Recently some scholars in fields such as Asian Studies, Political Economy and Sociology have emphasized that Confucianism can be attributed to core factors including the rapid economic development of Korea. Some Sociologists wish to call your particular attention to Korean network society as an affectional relationship. They think the 'network-oriented' nature of Korean society came from traditional Confucianism, and can understand it as a form of reducing 'transaction cost' for the entire Korean society, and steer industrialized Korea to prosperity. Some people say that conceptualized 'Confucian Democracy' or 'Confucian Capitalism'. It proved to be true? We know that Korean traditional society is very different from the West where society is ordered around individual values, but have a rich contents of community. Confucian values will be more esteemed and treasured by people as they became harder maintain, as it becomes impossible economically to practice those virtues. Confucianism not be connected with Capitalism. Network is extremely important for Human beings(not only Korean) because it is through building and maintaining ties that they order their world and pursue their goals. It is also an important means to build trust. As we all know, filial piety, discipline, work ethic, and meritocracy are not only traditional Confucian values, but also can be found in other cultures, they were shared and practiced in the U.S. during the forties and fifties, for example. To be sure, their opinion had the effect of booting public`s awareness of Confucianism. However, their overemphasize came to the detriment of serious and balanced inquiry into the history, logic, and ideals of this traditional Confucianism. There is not an indissoluble connection between traditional Confucianism and Korean discourse of nepotism or the network society. I would like to emphasize that the task of modernizing traditional Confucian values need not lead to conservative conclusions, and need to develop normative arguments which would explain why certain values should continue to remain influential and why others should not.
  • 8.

    An Analysis of the Characteristics of Japan's Existing FTAs

    KIM, YANG-HEE | 2008, 15(1) | pp.125~146 | number of Cited : 4
    Abstract PDF
    The aim of this study is at analyzing the characteristics of Japan’s existing FTAs. An economy’s real outcome of certain external policy may differ from the policy per se since the latter might be rapped superficial justification or diplomatic rhetoric. In this context, we pay attention to the Japan’s partners and the contents of ratified FTAs than the FTA policy of Japan revealed as official documents in order to achieve the study’s aim. In doing so, we first address the uniqueness of Japan’s selection criterion of FTA partner. Secondly, we assess the characteristics of existing FTAs in terms of various areas such as trade in goods, investment, cross-border trade in services, intellectual property rights, cooperation agendas and so forth. As findings of the investigation, it is worthwhile to demonstrate that Japan’s existing FTAs are do not necessarily consistent with its policy since it suffers from weak competitive edge of agricultural sector in terms of internal politics meanwhile it mainly takes into account the rivalry with China in terms of external relations.
  • 9.

    A Study on the Reform and Determinants of China's Exchange Rate Regime

    Nam, Soo Joong | 2008, 15(1) | pp.147~171 | number of Cited : 2
    Abstract PDF
    This study is focused on the reforms of Chinese RMB(yuan) exchange rate regime and discussing the accelerating revaluation of yuan currency exchange rate after specific changes in July 2005. According to an empirical result, Chinese RMB(yuan) nominal exchange rate policies are affected by macro-economic variables(external balance and internal balance), especially the reforms of exchange rate regime is much more influenced by external balance than internal balance. Although exchange rate management poses some challenges(internal and external), Chinese government appears prefer gradual currency revaluations to drastic reform of exchange rate regime, so as to stabilize her macroeconomic.
  • 10.

    The Characters of the M&A Market in Russia and Implications

    Byun Hyun Sub | 2008, 15(1) | pp.173~192 | number of Cited : 0
    Abstract PDF
    After 2003 trends of foreign investment in Russia are changing from founding joint venture or small-scale corporation to large-scale investment with mergers and acquisitions (M&A). In the Russian M&A market in 2007 486 transactions for a total sum of 124.6 billion dollars are concluded. The growth of the market in 2007 in comparison with 2006 was by quantity of transactions 41%, on the sum 195%. There are some characters of the M&A market in Russia. First, concentration of the M&A market of Russia is very high - two fields (oil and gas and electric power industry) held 50% of volume of transactions and four industries (plus a mining and a communication) consist of two third in volume of M&A transactions. Second, the share of cost of transactions "Top-10" in a total sum of M&A transactions in Russia for 2007 has held 43%. Third, the M&A in food and drinks (50 cases), financial section (total 53 cases which include insurance) was accomplished actively above 50 cases, even though the volume of transactions is lower than that of energy industry. Fourth, Russian enterprises propelled M&A of foreign companies actively, as a result, in 2007 volume of overseas property acquisition by Russian enterprises(23.3 billion dollars) is equal to that by foreign companies(23.6 billion dollars) in Russia. In the future, a continuous diversification will be taken in the Russian M&A market. It is forecasted that the M&A will be accomplished actively in the consuming sector, that is, in the retail, food and drinks, finance with magnification of the consuming market which follows in high economic growth and income increase. Moreover, energy and mining enterprises with the liquidity secured by good performance and the Russian government with sovereign wealth fund will make a large purchase of overseas properties. The M&A transactions in the field of oil and gas, electronic power, mining, in which was accomplished previous big scale M&A will decrease. Because, interesting objects for M&A few remained as a result of completing privatization in the field of electronic power and sale of properties of YUKOS as well as restricted a foreign investment in the strategic industry with the reinforcement of state control against oil and gas, mining industry etc. 70-80% of the foreigners are entering Russian market through the M&A transactions. The Korean enterprises need to concentrate their efforts to M&A of Russian companies for the local production and sale, overcoming trade barrier, preparation of global business base etc. I think that the prospective field of M&A in Russia will be retail, food and drinks, finance with the high potential of growth in Russia to Korean companies in demand for security of new growth power and making profit sources because of high competition in domestic market.
  • 11.

    An Analysis of the '1st United Front KMT-CCP': focusing on the Fact of United Front among Political Powers

    이준태 | 2008, 15(1) | pp.193~213 | number of Cited : 1
    Abstract PDF
    The realization of ‘the 1st United Front KMT(Kuomintang)-CCP(Chinese Communist Party)’ reflects practicalinterests of the two main parties, the KMT and the CCP, and their direct and indirect link with the COMINTERN, which brings a triangular relationship involving the Soviet Union in the formation of the United Front. Looking at the united front in the light of an “alliance for the common interests”, as the conceptualizing of an “united front” generally entails, real intentions of the respective parties could be understood as following. The KMT collaborated with the CCP as it needed the Soviet aid, though its rhetoric focused on the completion of people’s revolution by uniting the anti-warlords force. The CCP’s rhetoric shared that of the KMT, but aimed at securing its political base, which had not yet been consolidated, and expanding its force through facilitating the workers and farmers revolutionary movement for the cause of construction the Communist State. The COMINTERN (the Soviet Union), on the other hand, intended to support the Chinese revolution to rally its ally force and to minimize the besiegement and attack of the capitalist world in order to buy time to strengthen their capacity to instigate the World Revolution.
  • 12.

    The Optimum path of urbanization:Resolve Problems about Agriculture,Ruralareas and Peasantry

    安虎森 , 鄒 璇 , 高正伍 | 2008, 15(1) | pp.215~237 | number of Cited : 1
    Abstract PDF
    Since ninety years end ,Chinese Mainland wakes up to which urbanization and the problems about agriculture, ruralareas and peasantry are both cores topic for discussion in socialism modernization constructing, and heightens strategically quickening urbanization pace up to above the problems about agriculture,ruralareas and peasantry.this paper is based on the city real wage equation developed by Fujita et al(1999), it examines the key question of urbanization, and provides the following conclusions:ony if it satisfys the no·black·hole condition that the valve of preference degree of product diversity is more than the value of expenditure share of industrial products, there must exist optimum city size; the optimum city size is mainly decided by such factors as the preference degree of product diversity, the expenditure share of industrial products, and the trade costs of industrial and agricultural output.The further study finds that:trade cost of agricultural output is the core factor that affects the optimum city size which people choice . Accroding to the is finding, we argues that the solution of the problems of urbanization or optimum city size will be how to resolve the problems about agriculture,ruralareas and peasantry(PARP).