NTS in Korea:
Current Trends, Future Efforts

Changrok Soh
Korea University

Contents
Korean Perspective of NTS
How does Korea understand NTS?

Issues of NTS
General Issues of NTS

Current Korean Efforts
Korean Institutional Efforts
Human Security of DPRK Asylum Seekers

Women Security and Gender Issues
Environmental Security

Strengthening Future Partnership

What is Security?
Origins of “Security”“Se” (free from) + “curitas” (worries, anxiety and threats)
Conceptualization

1. Objects: Individual / Group / State / Region

2. Instruments: Military / Political / Diplomatic / Economic
3. Costs: Economic / Social / Political Values
Conceptualizations of Security are based on three questions- Who is the object of Security?
- What are the main instruments utilized?
- Where are the main costs incurred?

Development of NTS
Traditional Security vs Non-Traditional Security
Traditional
Territorial Integrity
Security
Deterrence
Military Maneuver

NonTraditionalSecurity
Human Rights
Political, Economic, Societal, andEnvironmental Security

Terrorism, Crimes, etc.
Post-Cold War
Transnational Events(Financial Crisis, SARS, 9/11, etc)

Who is the object of Security?

1. Subjects: Individual / Group / State / Region

Understanding NTS-Who is the object of Security?
The Object of NTS is diverse,
But concentrates on the INDIVIDUALThe Subject of TS was the STATE.
-What are the main instruments utilized?
Comprehensive Security

NTS utilizes Military, Political, Diplomaticand Economic instruments
TS mainly uses Military instruments-Where are the main costs incurred?

Mutually Complementary
Mutually Reinforcing

Costs of NTS and TS are complex
and issue specificKorean Approach to NTS
Securitization Model
The process and practice of transforming the NTS issues – terrorism,
illegal migration, environmental degradation, and drug trafficking
into core security issues is generally called “securitization”.
(B.Buzan, O.Weaver, and J. Wilde, 1997)- Adapted by I.T.HYUN, S.H.KIM and G.LEE

Korean Approach to NTS has not Deviated from Global Trends.
Conceptualizations of NTS in Korea is founded on international views.
Korea is still at an initial stage of NTS Research.
Nonetheless, specific issues of NTS pose direct threats to Korea.
Korea’s efforts to resolve these problems need international support.

Issues of NTS
General Issues of NTS
Human Security (Human Rights)
Women’s Security/ Gender Security

Environmental Security-Resource scarcity and Environmental degradation
Transnational Diseases
Overpopulation

Refugees
Terrorism
Nuclear catastropheCurrent Korean Efforts

Research Institute

The ILMIN Research Institute
The Graduate School of International Studies(Korea University)
The Center for Reconstruction of Humanity(Kyunghee University)

Associations

Korea Political Science Assoc.

Korea Assoc. of Int’l Studies
Korea Assoc. of Human Security

Other

Asan Foundation(Asan Institute of Policy Studies)

NGOs (PSDP, CAN.K.HR, etc.)

Current Korean Efforts
The ILMIN Research Institute(Korea University)

Founded1995
President Dr. In Taek HYUN (appointed as Minister of Reunification)
Participated in research network“Non-Traditional Security in Asia”- Project funded by the Ford Foundation
Traditional Security Studies Div. & Non-Traditional Security Div.

Publications- Bringing Politics Back in: Globalization, Pluralism andSecuritization in Asia (I.T.HYUN, S.H. KIM, Geun LEE, 2006)- Environmental Security in East Asia (I.T. HYUN, S.H. KIM, 2005)- Human Security in East Asia; The Role of UN and Regional Org.
(S.H. LEE, 2003)

Current Korean Efforts
Graduate School of International Studies(Korea University)

Founded1992
Holding Asia Human Rights Forum since 2006

Jointly working with ACHR, UN OHCHR, ILO“Migrant Workers’ Contributions and Local Perceptions in Asia”- Forum held in Feb. 17, 2009 (4th Forum)

Participants in 2009:-Man-Ho Heo, Director, ACHR
-Sachiko Yamamoto, Director, ILO’s regional office for Asia
-Homayoun Alizadeh, Regional Representative, UN OHCHR-Various participants from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand

Current Korean Efforts
The Center for Reconstruction of Humanity(Kyunghee University)

Founded 1970
GCS & Political Institutions

Research in Progress:•GCS & Concept of Alternative Security•Role of GCS for Institutionalization of Human Security•Role of UN for Human Security

Current Korean Efforts
Asan Foundation(Asan Institute of Policy Studies)Founded 1977(2008)
Social Welfare & Human Security
Organized

Int’l Conference on “Freedom from Want and Fear: Human Security in theEra of Globalization (June, 2007)
Workshops & Forums
TS and/or NTS issues

Issues of NTS
Korean Specific NTS Efforts
Case Studies

1. Human Security- DPRK Threat
The conditions of relations between DPRK & ROK poses severe
threats to human security in the East Asian Region
Korea has continuously worked towards alleviating this problem.

2. Women’s Security/ Gender Security
Korea has followed international trends and concern towards womenand gender issues.

3. Environmental Security
The academia in Korea has expressed interest in the importance ofprotecting the environment, and concern for emerging threats due toenvironmental degradation.

Human Security: DPRK Threat

Issues of NTS

Human Security for DPRK Asylum Seekers
Massive violationsof Human Rights

Six-Party States
Int’l Organizations

Political Asylum

EU, ARF, CSCAP

Food Crisis
Multi Dimensional

Refugees
Mandate Refugees
v.s.

Economic migrants

Hard measure for
Nuclear Weapons Crisis
Soft measure for
Humanitarian Crisis

Human Security: DPRK Threat

Issues of NTS

Enhancing Human Security in DPRK throughDevelopment of Human Rights Regimes in Asia

MultilateralApproach

Track III

Track II

Track I

Bottom-up approach(NGOs with IOs & GVMT)Grass-roots attention

Unofficial diplomacy (CSCAP, EAVG)
Important role through policy
debate & researchInter-governmental Cooperation (i.e. ARF)
Limited agenda setting

Human Security: DPRK Threat

Issues of NTS

Institutionalization of Regional Meta-governance
Framework to Enhance Human Security in East Asia

Meta
Governance

Bottom-up

Cosmopolitan
Multilateralism

Issues of NTS

Women Security & Gender Issues

Global trends gain interest in Women Security
Broadening to Gender Issues
the consideration of nonmilitary
security threats, such as environmental
scarcity and degradation, the spread ofdisease, overpopulation, mass refugee
movements, nationalism,
terrorism, and nuclear catastrophe

Deepening to Women Security
the field is now more willing to consider
the security of individuals and groups,
rather than focusing narrowly on externalthreats to statesIssues of NTS

Women Security & Gender Issues

CEDAW(79),
WCHR, Vienna (93),
4th WCOW, Beijing (95)
EU Framework Strategy Gender
APEC: Ad-hoc AGGI (99),
Seoul Declaration on Women (01)
Establishment of MOGE(01)Role of Women on Tech.
development & PeacebuildingIssues of NTS

Environmental Security

I.T. Hyun & S.H. Kim

Definition within Korean academia
Security from theEnvironment
Environmental Degradation• Sudden natural disaster• Cumulative change• Technological disaster• Development scheme• Ecocide

Security inHarmony with theEnvironment
Resource Scarcity• Economic development• Overpopulation• Food shortage• Water shortage

Environmental Security

Issues of NTS

Global Environmental Threats
Environmental Refugees
People who can no longer gain a secure livelihood in their homelands
because of drought, soil erosion, desertification, deforestation and otherenvironmental problems. (N. Myers)
About 19.2 million recognized as Environmental Refugees today and 150
million will exist in 2050. (UN)Food and Water Shortage

Crop productivity can’t meet demands of foods.
The world confronts the challenge of the food security.
Politics of water should be regarded as high politics
rather than low politics.
Water security is closely intertwined with Food security

Issues of NTS

Environmental Security

Achieving Environmental Security• Paradigm shift from development and supply-driven
concept to comprehensive approach, based on sustainabledevelopment.
Free-trade vs. Sustainable development• Reducing gap of understanding between theindustrialized and the underdeveloped & developing world
on sustainable development.
• Korea should play a significant bridging role in a varietyof issues within the arena of international cooperationsuch as UN CSD, WTO CTE, etc.

Future Partnernship
Implications of Korean Case Studies
Human Security
DPRK Threat is not a Korean problem, but a regional, global, humansecurity threat.
Cooperation and Collaboration of state and non-state actors are necessary.

Women Security and Gender
Korean awareness is still weak.
The international community must continue to foster interest , so that
future efforts can encompass diverse efforts of multilateral actors.

Environmental Security
Environmental degradation is a threat to the global community.
Efforts to protect the environment must be made on a global level.
Korea has strong potential of becoming a bridge between developed anddeveloping countries.

Future PartnernshipIndividual country efforts are not sufficient.
Countries must form strong partnerships for cooperation.
Non-State actors must also be involved.

Due to inherent complexities and interconnectedness

Collaborative efforts of Multilateral Actors
is Essential in NTS issues.

Conclusion• Non Traditional Security is an emerging field of research insecurity studies in Korea.
• NTS has been regarded as a multidimensional, holistic andinter-disciplinary subject, and creates argumentation
against TS.

• In general NTS, issues specific to Korean context should betackled through multilateral cooperation of regional
stakeholders.
• In-depth study is necessary to establish a guiding principle
on human security.