Korea-ASEAN Migration and Human Security Seminar

Scholars and practitioners working in the field of transnational migration in the region came together to present papers on issues pertaining to human security and the nexus between migration and human security in Korea-ASEAN relations. The seminar was sponsored by the Korea Foundation (Seoul, Korea) and co-convened by the School of Social Sciences (SOSS), Singapore Management University (Singapore) and the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (Washington D.C., USA.).

There were a total of 18 speakers including Dr Yu Hyun-seok, President of the Korea Foundation who presented the congratulatory remarks, and His Excellency Mr Oh Joon, then Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Singapore, who delivered the keynote address. In the speech (which was his last public appearance as the ROK Ambassador to Singapore), Mr Oh Joon stressed the importance of Korea-ASEAN relations in the coming age of new security threats.

Other prominent scholars and practitioners in inter-Korean relations, migration and human security included, Dr Paik Haksoon from Sejong Institute (Seongnam, Korea); Mr John McGeoghan from the International Organisation for Migration (Bangkok, Thailand); Mr Francis T. Temprosa, formerly with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (Manila, Philippines); Ms Phalla Chea from the Documentation Center of Cambodia; and Ms Hnin Wut Yee from the Institute for Human Rights and Business (Myanmar).

This seminar is part of the book project on ‘Irregular Migration and Human Security in East Asia’ with Routledge (London, United Kingdom). Song Jiyoung, Assistant Professor of Political Science at SOSS, SMU, is working with seven other research collaborators based in the region. The team is composed of young emerging scholars and practitioners in the field of migration who examine the complexity of migration and human security. As Assistant Professor Song is also a Global Ethics Fellow of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, the research results will be shared in the Carnegie Council’s Global Ethics Network online.