Two research institutes restructured in “leftist purge”

Posted on : 2010-08-18 14:36 KST Modified on : 2010-08-18 14:36 KST
Both have reportedly been merged into one conservative corporation
 2006.
2006.

By Lee Je-hoon

  

Minutes from a Sejong Foundation Board of Trustees meeting have confirmed that an important factor in the decision to dissolve the institute was the political goal of driving out progressive and reformist researchers. A plan is reportedly in progress to dissolve a unification and foreign affairs research organization affiliated with the Sejong Foundation along with the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) affiliated with the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) to establish a large conservative institute in corporate form. It was also confirmed that concerns were expressed during the meeting that the plan for the new corporation overwhelmingly favored the FKI and appeared to represent an attempt to hand the foundation over to them.

 

The minutes of the meeting, obtained by the Hankyoreh on Tuesday, state that Sejong Foundation Chairman Gong Roh-myung said, “It was first reported that KERI was coming into the Sejong Foundation, but as the plan progressed, it turned into the dissolution of the two institutes and the formation of a corporation. The basic premise was that people at Sejong held pro-North Korea ideas and Sejong was perceived as a North Korea-friendly, leftist institute, and that there was no excuse for this.”

 

The meeting took place at Hotel President in Seoul on July 14.

 

At the meeting, Gong said that the pursuit of a merger could be the improvement of the Sejong Foundation’s financial structure, and a good way to reduce criticisms of Sejong [as a pro-North Korea, leftist institute] and achieve reforms.”

 

Gong also reportedly spoke recently to the head of the Sejong Institute’s labor union, who expressed opposition to the foundation’s dissolution.

 

“Do you know what other people say about the Sejong Institute?” Gong asked him. “They call it a hotbed of leftism.”

 

Gong’s statements are expected to cause controversy, as they represent a public declaration of the key motivation behind the decision to abandon the initial plan of absorbing KERI into the Sejong Institute and change course to dissolving the two institutes and establishing a new corporation. According to the recent revelation, this was to drive away progressive and reformist researchers at the Sejong Institute, including former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, in a “leftist purge.”

 

Another trustee expressed concern at the meeting, saying, “There is a strong chance that this will turn into a public controversy rather than just an issue within the Sejong Institute.”

 

Some insiders also questioned the two institutes’ funding methods for the time of the corporation’s establishment, contending that this constitutes preferential treatment to FKI. According to a document titled “Major Details about the ‘Unified Institute’” that was reported at the Sejong Foundation Board of Trustees Meeting, the foundation is to provide all assets - equivalent to a market value of 270 billion Won ($230 million) including an endowment and real estate - in a lump sum within 20 days after the approval of the new corporation.

FKI is to provide 30 billion Won during the same period of time for the purchase of a building for the new institute, followed by yearly funding of 13 billion Won beginning in 2011. FKI is currently providing just over 10 billion Won per year to KERI, meaning it will have an additional burden of 3 billion Won per year.

One of the trustees objected to the unequal funding method at the meeting, saying, “If Sejong and KERI were equal in this merger, maybe FKI could provide the same amount in financing all at once like Sejong’s fund, but I do not know whether it is okay for it to provide small sums of support on an annual basis.”

 

Another trustee took issue with the FKI’s funding performance guarantee.

 

“There is the potential for misunderstandings and criticisms that Sejong was handed over to FKI,” the trustee said.

  

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