Korea’s social science gurus to hold their first forum to address national division
2019.02.20 13:39:08 2019.02.20 13:39:36
이미지 확대The Korean Academic Society of Business Administration has invited the Korean Economic Association and the Korean Political Science Association to its spring academic conference on Apr. 26 for a heated discussion on the roles of the market and the government in the current political and economic climate.
This would be the first time for Korea’s three most prestigious academic societies to come together for a common purpose. About 150 academics from the three organizations would speak under the theme “Market Failure or Government Failure,” with the speakers divided into two panels representing conservative and progressive voices.
The three academic societies have as many as 20,000 members combined, with 8,000 of them professors representing nearly all of the major universities in Korea’s political science, economics and business schools.
This year’s joint talks took shape after six months of preparation by Professor Kim Yong-joon, the newly appointed head of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration, along with Professor Lee In-sil, director of the Korean Economic Association, and Professor Jang Ung, director of the Korean Political Science Association.
The Korean society is currently dealing with deep divisions in a wide range of social, political and economic issues. The gap between the left and the right, women and men, as well as the young and the old on broad issues has continued to widen since the collapse of the conservative government through the removal of former President Park Geun-hye over corruption charges.
The new liberal government that took office in a snap election following Park’s impeachment has not successfully narrowed the chasm nor has it reinvigorated the country’s economy that has remained lackluster in recent years.
By Han Ye-kyung and Kim Hyo-jin
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
