Department of Sociology

Description: a policy-relevant, academic conference on East Asian regionalism with a focus on the Korean role in shaping the ideas and institutions of the EAC.

Participants: 3 scholars from Korea, 2 from other Asian nations, 3 U.S. scholars from outside Washington area, plus scholars, policy-experts from Washington D.C. area

Results: eight papers composed for the conference, publication of papers, and a Policy Brief for dissemination to the Washington government and policy community.

Concept Paper for GCKS 05

Efforts at regional integration might be distinguished as either “functional” strategies which build upon existing ties, or “visionary” strategies constructing new linkages often with new institutions with regional mandates. Concretely, we might parallel the existing economic ties or “commerce” across the region as functional, versus visionary proposals to shape a “Community” of identities and regional institutions. Commerce and Community convey the dual conference focus on socio-economic networks on the one hand, and dedicated political efforts at community formation on the other, evident in ’s role in APT (ASEAN +3) and APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation).

Theories of cross-border commodity chains provide a common language for analyzing commerce, while theories of comparative regionalism provide a language for analysis of political efforts at integration. Our goal is a clearer theoretical understanding of ’s brokering role, whether from the perspective of hub economies and “nodes” in value chains, or of medium-size state leverage in coordinating regional initiatives among larger and smaller powers.

How do extensive ties of manufacture and marketing linking East Asia promote or impede more proactive political strategies of integration? How have Korean efforts to establish regional hubs affected community-formation? On the other hand, we can ask how formal efforts at community integration affect the growth and deepening of cross-border production networks. Looking more to the Korean role of broker among larger powers in APT and APEC, we hope to first map out the means and goals, successes and failures, and then better distinguish this role by comparison with states in other regional groupings.

The conference would include two days of paper presentations and discussions, concluding with a final session on policy directions. The latter will be published as a “Policy Briefing” and distributed to the Washington community, and translated for the administrative and diplomatic communities in Seoul . The papers will be revised and edited for publication.  

View the 2005 GCKS Program

2006- From Commerce to Community – Korea’s Role in East Asia
2005- From Commerce to Community – Korea’s Role in East Asia
2001- Contending Forms of Korean Modernity, Comparative Perspectives
1999- Adjustment and Exchange, Comparative Perspectives
1997- Trust & Individual Transformation in Korea, Comparative Perspectives
1995- Korean State and the Rise of Civil Society: Comparative Perspectives
1994- Capitalism and Corporatism in Korea: Comparative Perspectives

 Last Updated Spring 2010