OREANDA-NEWS. May 29, 2012. At the forum held under theme of the `Rediscovery of Asian Culture and Value,` 200 people attended including CEO Chung Joonyang, Chairman of Sentencing Commission of Korea Lee Kisu, Chancellor of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology Sunwu Jungho, and other university chancellors and professors, Asia research scholars, Asian students studying abroad in Korea, and Asia region specialists.

CEO Chung Joonyang said in his opening speech, ``Just like how Arnold Toynbee said that the 21st century will be led by Asia, it is important for Asians to research and define the value of Asian culture from Asia`s perspective as we greet a time where the global village is directing its attention to Asia.`` He added, ``The POSCO Asia Forum aims to provide an opportunity to mutually understand the culture and spirit of the Asian countries through humanities studies about Asia, and furthermore define and increase the universal value that can contribute to the coexistence and mutual prosperity of humanity. We welcome your proactive participation.``

The POSCO TJ Park Foundation annually selects common issues in the humanities/social field such as Asia`s culture and value and supports 450 million KRW for a year as research funds, announcing and discussing the results at the POSCO Asia Forum.

Among the 233 tasks submitted last year, 12 of the 25 selected theses considered to contribute to increasing mutual understanding and cooperation of Asia were presented at this year`s forum.

The first keynote speaker, chairperson of National Institute of Korean History Lee Taejin, explained the Gimi Declaration of Independence and Korean provisional government constitution, and the direction Korean modern history research should take under the theme of `Equality of Humanity of Modern Korea and the Origin of the Discourse of Democracy.`
Especially, he compared Gimi Declaration of Independence with Kant`s argument for free will and observed the concept of a democratic republic country presented in the Korean provisional government`s constitution, emphasizing the fact that the government had accepted the modern law ideology of the West which respects and guarantees individual`s freedom and dignity.

The second keynote speaker, humanities professor of Seoul National University Kim Gwangeok, emphasized in his presentation under the theme of `Reflection on the Cultural Recreation and Memory for an East Asia Cultural Community,` that ``In a situation where the country solely possesses the system to produce culture and recreates a mass cultural nationalism and cultural patriotism, cultural communication and understanding beyond borders is not easy. To create an East Asia community, the cultural ability to accept cultural heterogeneity must be fostered at civil society level and various exchanges of value and culture must be guaranteed at civil level.``

Meanwhile, after the keynote speeches, participants joined heated discussion with researchers of many fields in the branched conferences for Humanities I, Humanities II, and Social Science.