Sejong Institute
| Formation | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Type | Foreign & Security Think Tank |
| Location | |
President | Dae-sung Song |
| Website | www.sejong.org |
Sejong Institute is a non profit private organization for public interest and a leading think tank in South Korea, conducting research on national security strategy, unification strategy, regional issues, and international political economy.[1] The Sejong Institute was established as a corporate foundation with the support of national leaders in politics and business, in the aftermath of the Rangoon Incident in January 1986. The organization's president, Dae-sung Song, Ph.D in Political Science, previously served as a professor at the Korean Air Force Academy.[2] The Sejong Institute works in collaboration with international specialists and institutions holding various academic conferences and forums around the world.
Research
For efficient and specialized research activities, the Sejong Institute operates four program offices – Office for National Security Strategy Studies, Office for Unification Strategy Studies, Office for Regional Issue Studies, and Office for International Political Economy Studies.
Training
The Sejong Institute carries out an annual training program called the Sejong National Strategy Training Program. It lasts around 10 months and receives leaders from government agencies, government invested organizations and private sector. The trainees receive lectures from invited instructors as well as research fellows of the Sejong Institute.
Publications
The books and journals they publish include joint and individual Mid-to-Long-Term Policy Research, Comprehensive Research, Granted Research Projects, quarterly National Strategy, monthly Current Issues and Policies, and a web-based email service in the form of Sejong Commentary.[3] The Sejong as an institution produces an Annual Report as well, which details an updated introduction of the institute and lists the annual accomplishments.
Support programs for bereaved families
The Sejong Foundation is providing financial support and scholarship to the bereaved families of the 1983 Rangoon victims — 17 senior diplomatic officials and other members of the presidential entourage – killed by North Korean terrorists.
Chronology
| November 25, 1983 | Inaugural meeting was held and bylaw adopted |
| December 1, 1983 | The Ilhae Corporate Foundation was established |
| July 2, 1984 | The Ilhae Foundation opened its office |
| October 26, 1984 | The subordination was shifted from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| February 1, 1985 | The foundation started granting scholarships and secured the foundation's building construction site |
| January 18, 1986 | The Peace and Security Research Institute was established under the foundation |
| March 20, 1988 | The foundation started to dusburse financial support to the bereaved families of the Rangoon victims |
| May 4, 1988 | The Ilhae Institute was renamed to the Sejong Institute |
| March 6, 1995 | The Sejong training program was established and the 1st Term Training Course was provided |
| September 19, 1996 | The corporate foundation Sejong Institute was restructured as the Sejong Foundation and the Sejong Institute became an affiliate of this foundation |
| November 27, 2008 | Ro-Myung Gong inaugurated as the 10th Chairman of the Sejong Foundation |
| January 1, 2009 | Dae-sung Song inaugurated as the 8th President of the Sejong Institute |