대한민국과 미국－냉전의 맥락에서 본 문화적 재기와 아시아 재단의 역할－ = The United States and the Republic of Korea－Cultural Resurgence in the Cold War Context and The Role of the Asia Foundation－

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The Asia Foundation, one of the most significant international aid organizations in Korea during the Cold War era, carried forward various programs designed to contribute both to the increased wellbeing of the Korean people and of long-term positive U.S.-Korean relations. It was the time of historical and political conflicts, including the impact of Japanese colonial rule and the United States official presence, that foreign organizations programmed in the Republic of Korea. Especially, as a product of Korean insecurity in the U.S. relationship, Korean society experienced ambivalent feelings of dependence, enmity, and anxiety toward the U.S. Tracing back this complex mix of dependency and nationalism－of vulnerability and pride－at that particular time, this paper examines how the Asia Foundation took an idiosyncratic role in Korea, compared to any other Foundations.
Based on the experience of being the Asia Foundation’s representative in Korea in the 1960s and later in 1990s, I will discuss the Foundation’s plans and goals, and its special attitude. In spite of the relatively moderate scale of its financial assistance compared to other organizations, the Asia Foundation was enable to establish a strong network with local intellectuals and leaders in Korea through the programs based on Korean demands and cooperative interaction. Especially, the paper addresses its seven goals and activities, albeit officially never stated in the program documents. They were: [1] Keeping the intellectual community alive and as vibrant as possible in the context of authoritarian and repressive regimes. [2] Helping Koreans re-establish their own cultural identity that had been intentionally and overtly subverted by the Japanese, and later inadvertently overshadowed by the preponderance of U.S. cultural and political influence following the war. [3] Pursuing political and intellectual pluralism not only through academic channels, but also through the media, non-governmental organizations, and even within appropriate governmental contexts. [4] Assisting Koreans to place themselves in the world’s intellectual and professional community as peers with their colleagues in other states. [5] Assisting the growth of a more egalitarian society that traditionally had been markedly hierarchical by supporting social and gender equality. [6] Broadening support beyond Seoul, which however important it was in every field, denied to provincial governments and institutions the opportunity for growth with equity. [7] Providing youth with some of the tools necessary for socio-economic mobility and their future contribution to the society.
The Asia Foundation was singular among U.S. organizations working in Korea. It had no official “script” or ideology it had to follow since it could deviate from traditional U.S. Cold War rhetoric and programs as well as traditional grant-giving methodology. But, it recognized the need for program changes and it also understood that the very continuity and commitment were reassuring elements in the U.S.-Korean relationship that were important beyond military and economic ties. And so, program emphases shifted, but program presence remained.