Support for Peaceful Resolution of N. Korea`s Nuke Crisis

Experts on Korea in the United States organized an Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea (ASCK, www.asck.org), which is now up and running, to support a peaceful resolution on issues on the Korean Peninsula such as North Korea’s nuclear crisis.

The organization founded mostly by prominent moderate scholars is expected to offset the voice of hard liners through policy discussions and policy proposal announcements and have a great influence in policy on the Korean Peninsula.

The organization, composed of 60 scholars or Korean Studies experts at major U.S. universities such as Carter Eckert, director of the Korea Institute at Harvard University, David I. Steinberg, director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University and John Duncan, a professor at UCLA, held an inauguration ceremony in March 2003 at Columbia University and will have their first meeting at Stanford University today (local time).

During the meeting, which will be held without public participation, 11 preparatory committee members will discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis in depth and then will make a policy proposal based on the discussion to deliver it to the U.S. administration and major media.

Members of the ASCK will hold an annual conference and carry out the following activities; teaching the general public in the U.S. about Korea; holding workshops which contribute to the constructive and peaceful development of US-South Korea relations and US-North Korea relations; and facilitating the exchange of scholars and students between the US and North Korea.

“We believe that current problems on the Korean Peninsula are now so serious that U.S. Korean Studies scholars feel a responsibility to make unbiased and accurate predictions about the Korean Peninsula to policy makers,” Shin Gi-wook, the Director of the Institute for International Studies at Stanford University said. Shin is the co-chairman of the ASCK along with Charles Armstrong, the professor of Columbia University.

“Most of the members are moderate scholars who believe that the current nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula should be solved through dialogue, and the active pursuit of peace,” Professor Shin added.

Jung-Ahn Kim credo@donga.com