Earticle

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the United Nations (UN) and regional collaboration in tackling climate change and environmental security in East Asia. East Asia plays critical roles in both climate change mitigation and adaptation. In order to seek environmental sustainability, the aspect of so-called planetary boundaries also should be taken into consideration, by assessing the thresholds of climate change, biodiversity loss, nitrogen cycle, and others. However, compared to the active economic regional integration, transboundary cooperation in environmental management is rather weak. Despite the regional environmental agreements, the actual implementation and the impacts are quite limited. In East Asia, regional environmental initiatives did not evolve into formal institutions. Cases of the Montreal Protocol and Mekong River transboundary management are examined to draw concrete lessons for effective regional frameworks. Elements for success are to embrace scientific rigor and flexible legal framework for implementation, trade provisions, give support to developing countries through multilateral processes, including the UN and the broader framework for cooperation, including not only the environment, but also socio and economic bargaining. The participation of the super powers in the agreement is also crucial. The environmental concerns should be reflected in the existing regional trade and economic frameworks in the region.

This paper addresses three key issues and analyzes foreign policy options available to the Korean Government in East Asian region-building. Three key questions are as follows: what makes a group of disparate nations (ASEAN) take up a leadership role in 'emerging East Asian regionalism?'; in the midst of deep-seated rivalry between Japan and China for shaping the East Asia in its own image/policy preferences, what are the current contours of evolving regional architecture in the economic and political area?; what has been Korea's role in this process and what policy options are desirable and implementable to Korea? It is argued that Korea needs to play a strategic actor's role in East Asian region-building and it has yet to form coalition with the ASEAN countries to fulfill the role.

The main aim of this article is to examine how South Korea and North Korea may mitigate the ideological differences of the two Koreas. Without a major revision of the Juche ideology, it will be hard to embrace the doctrine of liberalism for a narrowing of the extreme ideological confrontation on Korean peninsula. The method to overcome the extreme difference of ideology is to accept western liberalism as a capitalistic developmental strategy in North Korea and to induce the high level of social capital in SK. The developmental strategy of North Korea must be the combination of planned and market economy such as the case of China. On the other hand, it is necessary to derive a high social capital in South Korea which can facilitate democracy, prosperity, and happiness. The high level of social capital has substantially generated an integral capacity for accommodating the various demands of citizens, which leads to stable democracy, development, and good governance in South Korea. Good governance, which is operated by the high level of social capital, may generate major consensus between South Korea and North Korea for peaceful unification under the initiative of South Korea based on the policy of idealism rather than realism.

After World War 􀸋, West Germany started internal trade with East Germany, and through intra-German trade, the two Germanys could accomplish unification based on continuous human exchange and economic integration. Recently, China has also completed free trade level agreements (ECFA and CEPA) with Taiwan and city states, Hong Kong and Macau. China and Taiwan have made a stronger economic foundation and unification circumstance through the agreement. The trade of divided nations such as Korea, Germany and China usually started from private level transactions in the beginning, and it developed to internal level, later to international level trade. In 1992, South and North Korea agreed on internal trade through the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement. Recently, South Korea also received recognition for Gaeseong products as outward processing goods through free trade negotiations. Thus, it may be said that the two Koreas have already laid a firm foundation for a South and North Korea FTA. However, in order to achieve FTA level trade between the two Koreas, the internal trade of both Koreas needs to be legally recognized from the international society and trade organizations such as the WTO. Above all, sincere attention and intention of North Korea to international and free trade would be one of the most indispensable factors. This paper tries to prove that, through the existence of various international economic activities of North Korea such as a Special Economic Zone and investment law, North Korea can join substantive economic co-operation with South Korea in the near future. This paper also shows that a South and North Korea FTA is a possible mission considering the North's intention to opening and reformation if South Korea encourages cooperation properly. Simultaneously, a South and North Korea FTA is not only the most adequate alternative to resolve the economic dependence of North Korea on China, but also preparation to confront the diplomatic relationship between Japan and DPRK. This set up of a two-Korea FTA would eventually make an indispensable foundation of unification of the two Koreas

The purpose of this study is to examine the future perspective of Bangladesh community in Korea (BCK). We analyze the formation, goals, purposes and activities of different types of community organizations. Bangladeshi migrants like to live in community in host country that plays an important role on their overseas life. Different types of Bangladeshi migrants have established different types of communities and all communities have specific goals. To achieve their goals, they have various activities. Bangladesh Community in Korea (BCK) known as common platform where all types of migrant communities work together as "unity of will". It works asan umbrella organization upon all Bangladeshi migrants as well as migrant communities. BCK's aims are developing and raising the migrant community, achieving various facilities and opportunities from host country, making bridge between home and host country, and finally branding home country. The future perspective of BCK is very significant for Bangladeshi migrant society as well as home and host country. This study suggests that every community should have good strategy and increase network and activity to achieve their goals for target people and welfare of migrant society in Korea. BCK should promote Bangladeshi migrants as a member of the Korean society rather than excessive strengthening of ethnic national identity.

The Unification Church, which has been performing marriage blessing ceremonies that have transcended religious, racial and national barriers since the 1960's, has produced many international couples. This study seeks to shed new light on Korean multiculturalism from the perspective of Japanese women who, after receiving a Unification marriage blessing, have been living in Korea for over 20 years. Japanese women who married into the Unification Church live as citizens who follow the Church's ideal vision of multiculturalism. This ideal has been reported positively by the media. The news reports done on these women, and the positive they image portrayed, show that the Unification Church's vision of multiculturalism, transcending national and religious barriers to live as world citizens through true love, is coming to fruition. Multiculturalism in Korean society has gone beyond the stage of abstract theory, and is now in a concrete and substantial stage that needs to be developed through research. Through the research gathered here, it is shown that at first, Japanese immigrant women worked hard to adapt to Korean society; but that as time went on, they worked hard to actively participate in and positively contribute to Korean society. This sort of multiculturalism goes beyond assimilation or tolerance; it shows that multiculturalism in Korea requires mutual communication with Korean society and immigrants in order to create peace.