Abstract
This chapter discusses the acceptance of human security by the “ODA community” in South Korea. The authors examine official documents, academic publications, and interviews with stakeholders, to see whether the term “human security” was explicitly or implicitly used. The result shows that even though the South Korean government does not use the term very often, it has embraced the three freedoms, protection, and empowerment in its official development assistance (ODA) policies. While it is not clear whether the idea of human security has been fully implemented in ODA activities, it is noteworthy that the term has been explicitly used by the South Korean government. The chapter concludes by mentioning the possible utility of the concept with regard to future situations around North Korea.
Keywords
- Human Security
- Ministry Of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
- Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF)
- CSOs Civil Society Organizations
- Humanitarian Assistancehumanitarian Assistance
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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- 1.
South Korea’s ODA does not include its assistance to North Korea, since South Korea’s constitution includes North Korea as part of a larger Korea, and not as a separate country. OECD/DAC defines ODA as international development cooperation between nation-states. Thus, South Korea’s assistance for North Korea cannot be counted toward its ODA. Hence this chapter does not deal with South Korea’s assistance to North Korean refugees or other types of humanitarian support for North Korea.
- 2.
Implicit use refers to when the meaning of human security is embraced without explicit use of the term.
- 3.
Political parties have changed their names, and a more progressive government has taken office in 2017. Please note that the party’s name and political position—incumbent versus opposition party—is based on the empirical research in 2014.
- 4.
Eun Mee Kim, 2014, asked the Minister for clarification of his use of the term human security in his speech, and he confirmed his knowledge of the term and meaning.
- 5.
President-elect Myung-bak Lee, 2014, telephone communication with the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the UN.
- 6.
Lee Myung-bak, 2008, Focus on Environment and Human Rights as Part of Human Security.
- 7.
The Saenuri Party’s Supreme Council member Hee-tae Park, 2014, comments made at the luncheon with the ambassadors from combatant nations of the Korean War commemorating United Nations Day.
- 8.
Although Moon lost the 2012 election, he was elected President in May 2017.
References
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———. 2014b. About EDCF Projects. http://www.edcfkorea.go.kr/edcf/job/kind/fund_devel.jsp. Accessed 19 July 2014.
Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. 2013a. MOFA Current Affairs Report. Working Paper from 316th Provisional Meeting (MOFA). http://uft.na.go.kr/site. Accessed 19 July 2014.
———. 2013b. National Auditing Report of the Committee (Summary Report). http://uft.na.go.kr/site?siteId=site000001025&pageId=page000002431&bd_mode=read&bd_pageNumber=1&bd_searchTerm=&bd_searchKeyword=&bd_recordId=2014010040520. Accessed 26 June 2014.
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———. 2013. The Protection and Promotion of Human Security in East Asia. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
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———. 2014a. Development Cooperation. http://www.mofa.go.kr/trade/development/index.jsp?menu=m_30_130. Accessed 1 June 2014.
———. 2014b. Establishment of National Action Plan for the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. http://www.mofa.go.kr/news/pressinformation/index.jsp?mofat=001&menu=m_20_30&sp=/webmodule/htsboard/template/read/korboardread.jsp%3FtypeID=6%26boardid=235%26tableName=TYPE_DATABOARD%26seqno=350441. Accessed 5 June 2014.
———. 2014c. ODA Propelling System and Support Status. http://www.mofa.go.kr/trade/development/propulsion/index.jsp?mofat=001&menu=m_30_130_20. Accessed 1 June 2014.
———. 2014d. Overseas Emergency Relief. http://www.devco.go.kr/contents.do?contentsNo=45&menuNo=255. Accessed 5 June 2014.
———. 2014e. Policy Direction of South Korea’s Development Cooperation. http://www.mofa.go.kr/trade/development/policy/index.jsp?mofat=001&menu=m_30_130_10. Accessed 1 June 2014.
———. 2014f. The Framework Act on International Development Cooperation. http://www.law.go.kr/lsInfoP.do?lsiSeq=142005&efYd=20140101#0000. Accessed 5 June 2014.
Moon, Jae-in. 2012. The New Politics Alliance for Democracy. Speech by the Presidential Candidate, Jae-in Moon at the Press Interview with the Seoul Foreign Press Club. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=123&oid=305&aid=0000010342. Last Accessed 19 July 2018.
MOSF (Ministry of Strategy and Finance). 2014. South Korea as the Top Country with the Highest Increasing Rate of ODA Size among the OECDDAC Members in the Last 5 Years. Policy Briefing. http://www.korea.kr/policy/diplomacyView.do?newsId=148776676&call_from=naver_news. Accessed 8 Apr 2014.
New Politics Alliance for Democracy. 2014. Doctrine, Platform Policies. http://npad.kr/?page_id=265. Accessed 20 June 2014.
PMO (Prime Minister’s Office). 2010a. Mid-term ODA Policy for 2011–2015. http://odakorea.go.kr/ODAPage_2012/T02/L01_S04.jsp. Last Accessed 21 Dec 2017.
———. 2010b. Strategic Plan for International Development Cooperation (Strategic Plan). http://odakorea.go.kr/hz.blltn.PolicySl.do?bltn_seq=105&sys_cd=&brd_seq=9&targetRow=31&blltn_div=oda&searchKey=01&keyword=. Last Accessed 25 Oct 2017.
———. 2014. ODA White Paper. http://odakorea.go.kr/hz.blltn.PolicySl.do?bltn_seq=158&sys_cd=&brd_seq=9&targetRow=&blltn_div=oda&searchKey=01&keyword=. Last Accessed 20 Apr 2018.
Yun, Byung-se. 2013. Opening Remarks. Speech at the New Strategic Thinking: Planning for Korean Foreign Policy Conference. http://www.mofa.go.kr/webmodule/htsboard/template/read/korboardread.jsp?typeID=9&boardid=749&seqno=301856. Accessed 28 Apr 2013.
Interviews
Government Source #1. 2014. Expert Advisor from the Prime Minister’s Office. Interviewed by the author (mailed questionnaire), July 9.
Government Source #2. 2014. Deputy Director of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF). Interviewed by the author (mailed questionnaire), July 11.
Academia Source #1. 2014. Professor at Ewha Womans University. Interviewed by the author in Seoul, July 10.
Academia Source #2. 2014. Professor at Kyung Hee University. Interviewed by the author in Seoul, July 7.
Civil Society Organization Source #1. 2014. Director of Advocacy team at World Vision Korea. Interviewed by the author in Seoul, July 7.
International Organization Source #1. 2014. Head of the UNWFP Korea Office. Interviewed by the author in Seoul, July 7.
International Organization Source #2. 2014. Head of IOM Korea. Interviewed by the author in Seoul, July 4.
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Kim, E.M., Bae, S.Y., Shin, J.H. (2019). Human Security in Practice: The Case of South Korea. In: Mine, Y., Gómez, O.A., Muto, A. (eds) Human Security Norms in East Asia. Security, Development and Human Rights in East Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97247-3_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97247-3_10
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