Towards Korea-Southeast Asia Collaboration in Greying Societies
| Kua Wongboonsin | |
| |
| Name in Latin Alphabet: | Kua Wongboonsin |
|---|---|
| Nationality: | Thai |
| Affiliation: | Professor |
Dr. Bae Yong Lee, President of the Academy of Korean Studies,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of Chulalongkorn University, I am delighted and honoured to participate in this international conference organized by the Academy of Korean Studies to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Korea’s independence in Seoul.
May I, at the outset, extend my sincere appreciation to the Academy of Korean Studies and the organizing committee for organizing this auspicious event, of which the main aims are to identify and strengthen the existing partnership between Korea and Southeast Asia and to explore opportunities for future cooperation between Korea and Southeast, including the role of leading universities in the region.
As we may all agree, after becoming an independent modern nation in 1945, Korea has achieved a remarkable success in establishing its international presence. Korea and the Philippines established their diplomatic relations 66 years ago on 3 March 1949. Thailand and Korea established their diplomatic relations 57 years ago on October 1, 1958. Korea and Malaysia celebrated their 50th Anniversary of bilateral relations in 2010, after they established their diplomatic ties on February 23, 1960. In November 1989, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and Korea initiated their sectoral dialogue relations. In July 1991, Korea was accorded a full Dialogue Partner status by ASEAN at the 24th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. The ASEAN-Korea partnership was elevated to a summit level in 1997. The relationship reached a new height with the signing of the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Cooperation Partnership at the 8th ASEAN-ROK Summit on 30 November 2004 in Vientiane and the adoption of the ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action (POA) to implement the Joint Declaration at the 9th ASEAN-ROK Summit on 13 December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur.
So far, the relations between Korea and Southeast Asian countries as well as ASEAN have broadened and deepened. Southeast Asia has become Korea’s important partner. Besides political and security cooperation, Korean-ASEAN development cooperation has been expanded to cover areas of trade, investment, tourism, science and technology, and environment. At the same time, cooperation in the areas of human resource development, people-to-people exchange and bridging the development gaps has been given due attention. There are also complementary efforts on both sides in line with those expanding areas of cooperation.
This also includes their cooperation on social welfare and development. It continues to grow with the focus on children, women, older people, and people with disabilities. Several activities have been implemented, namely training workshop on strengthening capacities of communities, practitioners and policy makers to address violence against women and regional workshop on the implementation to the convention on the rights of the children, among others. In addition, ASEAN and the ROK have recently concluded the third phase of the Homecare for the Elderly People in the ASEAN Member States in 2011-2012. The first year of the project was implemented from June 2009 to May 2010 and the second year was implemented from June 2010 – May 2011.
In a joint statement announced at the close of the summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations under the slogan of “Building Trust and Bringing Happiness” in December last year to mark the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the dialogue relationship, the leaders agreed to bolster cooperation in development, security and other areas to strengthen their multi-faceted strategic partnership.
- On the economic front, the two sides agreed to promote economic growth and development through further trade liberalisation and regulatory improvements. They also agreed to try harder to expand their trade volume to $150 billion by 2015 and $200 billion by 2020.
- On the security realm, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation through ASEAN -led regional arrangements such as the ASEAN Regional Forum to promote peace, stability and security in the region. They also agreed to foster cooperation on various security challenges including terrorism and trafficking in persons and drugs.
- As for the socio-cultural cooperation, the two sides agreed to further promote people-to-people contacts in both public and private sectors. ASEAN welcomed South Korea’s efforts to simplify the visa process for its nationals, and to build the “ASEAN cultural house” in Busan by 2017.
- In the areas of forestry and water resources, President Park touched on the provision of Seoul’s know-how in constructing new dams, and of financial support for a project to manage ageing dams; and the establishment of a bilateral organisation dedicated to forestry cooperation.
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As part of the efforts to proactively strengthen the relations and cooperation between Southeast Asia and Korea, particularly in the areas of human resource development at the people-to-people level, Korean Studies has been promoted and strengthened in its member countries across the ASEAN region. Among others, the ASEAN University Network has played an active role in promoting Korean Studies at key institutions of higher learning in the region. Based on such collaboration within the ASEAN University Network, an MA Programme in Korean Studies has been launched at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand in joint collaboration with Seoul National University as multidisciplinary graduate programme to produce graduates with knowledge of Korean economy, society, politics, international relations, culture, business and industry as well as proficiency in the Korean language. It also aims to produce a new body of knowledge on Korean studies emphasizing relations with Thailand, the other countries in Southeast Asia, and the ASEAN.
The Programme is coordinated by the Faculties of Arts, Economics, Commerce and Accountancy, and Political Science, as well as the Institute of Asian Studies. Scholarships are offered for students from 10 ASEAN countries, particularly from Cambodia, Lao PDR., Myanmar, and Vietnam to study Korean Studies at Chulalongkorn University and Seoul National University for 2 years. The scholarship covers air ticket, tuition fee, room and board, and monthly living stipends at both universities.
Moreover, the research teams from Chulalongkorn University’s Asia Research Center and leading Korean universities jointly conducted a collaborative research project on Korean Studies entitled “An Analysis of Theoretical Foundation for Development of Korean Studies Curriculum in Southeast Asia and an Establishment of Network for Korean Studies Education among Seven Leading National Universities in Southeast Asia”. The project analyzed the Korean Studies curriculum in the leading national universities in Southeast Asia, provided a theoretical foundation for development of ‘comprehensive Korean Studies programs’, and established a strategic network for development of Korean Studies among the seven leading universities in seven countries in Southeast Asia.
The networking activities purport to strengthen cooperation with leading universities in the Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia networks and the Korean Research Institute at the University of New South Wales. The educational activities try to work and cooperate with the partner universities in the afore-mentioned networks and the academic institutions in Korea to localize Korean Studies education programs in Southeast Asia and to organize academic conferences, symposiums, seminars and workshop in Southeast Asia.
As for activities related to research, we will work and cooperate with the partner universities and scholars in the Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia networks as well as the Korean Research Institute of the University of New South Wales and other institutes in order to conduct collaborative research projects.
In addition, Chulalongkorn University has established ASEAN Studies Center as a gateway to promote ASEAN Studies for a successful ASEAN Community as well as academic and research collaboration with ASEAN dialogue partners in political-security, economic, socio-cultural, functional, and development areas.
Areas for future cooperation between Korea and Southeast Asia remain to explore. Among others, as a demographer, I am thinking of the challenge of the rapidly ageing population, one of the most fundamental, structural shifts, which is considered a megatrend to carry profound impacts on the economy and the society. Population ageing is a major global phenomenon, which is expected to intensify in years to come.
If I am not mistaken, it was in 2014 when media in both developed and developing countries across the globe highlighted a Moody’s notion of over 60% of Moody’s-rated countries would be officially “ageing” this year, those to attain the super-aged status to increase to 13 and 34 countries in 2020 and 2030, respectively from three (Germany, Italy and Japan) currently. The notion was made in a Moody's report, entitled "Population Aging Will Dampen Economic Growth over the Next Two Decades" available on www.moodys.com. According to the commonly-used UN definition, a population is aging when 10% of the total population is 60 or older, and 7% of the population is 65 or older. It will turn into an “aged society” and “superaged society” once the population aged 65 or over is greater than 14% and 20% of the total population, respectively.
If we trace back to 1950 when there was only 8% of world’s population aged 60 years or over, we have to admit that the world is now experiencing an unprecedented pace of aging. According to the United Nations, ageing started in developed nations many decades ago, and has lately been taking off in developing nations.
The world is struggling to find solutions to the problems of low fertility and aging. So do the Republic of Korea and certain Southeast Asian Countries.
If I am not mistaken, Korea became an ageing society in 2000, and is expected to be an aged society in 2018, when 14.4% of its population to be comprised of the elderly. Korea will have attained the status of a super-aged society in 2025 and to become one of the most aged nations in the world by 2050, according to a report by the Korea Economic Institute. OECD estimates that Korea will have the second oldest population by 2050 after Japan. According to the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, South Korea has the fastest-ageing population of all the advanced economies.
Southeast Asia was experiencing transformation in both size and structure of the population and will continue to do so in decades ahead. The population in the region was 597.1 million in 2010 and is expected to grow at a declining rate to reach 722.8 million and 763.8 million in 2030 and 2040, respectively, according to data provided by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2013). This is partly attributable to a declining rate of population growth in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand is projected to have a zero (0) % of population growth rate in 2025 and to experience negative growth rates thereafter, -0.1%, 00.2% and -0.4% in 2030, 2035, and 2040, respectively. Although the Vietnamese population increased from 89.5 million in 2010 to 93.4 million in 2015 and further rise to 104.2 million in 2040, the rate of population growth is expected to drop rapidly from nearly 10% to 0.2% in 2040. This compares to a drop from 1.6% to 0.7% of population growth during 2015-2040 in Malaysia to house 39.9 million people in 2040.
Thailand ranks second after Singapore among ASEAN member countries in the number of elderly people. Thailand stands in the forefront of low middle income countries to move from an ageing to an aged society in less than a decade from now, and to attain a superaged status in less than two decades from now.
If we take a look at the ageing index, which is calculated as the number of persons 60 year old and over per hundred persons under age 15, Thailand is now relatively advanced in terms of index and would be more advanced as time passes by when compared to Vietnam and Malaysia.
Although Southeast Asia as a whole is now relatively young while Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are now ageing relatively fast, the proportion of the elderly in Southeast Asia is projected to increase a lot from 2000 to 2050. The working age population in Southeast Asia will not increase that much while the proportion of the children is declining.
The 2014 Global AgeWatch Index, developed by HelpAge International with the support of the United Nations Fund for Population, ranks 96 countries according to 13 indicators grouped into four domains: income security, health status, capability (employment and education) and enabling environment. The index show which countries are doing best for their older populations and how their performance links with policies on pensions, health, employment, education and the social environment in which older people live.
In 2014, Norway the best country to be old in, from the perspectives of income security, health status, capability and enabling environment. The Global AgeWatch Index in 2014 ranked Korea moderately on the Index, at 50 overall. Korea ranked highest in the capability domain (19), with above regional average values for employment (63.1%) and educational attainment (50.3%) among older people. Korea ranks moderately in the health domain (42), a significant decline from its 2013 ranking (8) due to revision of psychological wellbeing data. In 2014 Korea ranked lowest in its region on this indicator, while its rankings on life expectancy indicators are above average. Korea also ranks moderately in the enabling environment domain (54), with below regional average values for three out of four indicators: social connectedness (60%), safety (59%) and civic freedom (67%- which is slightly below the regional average). Korea ranked lowest in the income security domain (80). However, this was a significant increase from its 2013 ranking (90) due to revision of pension coverage data and updated data on poverty and relative welfare. Despite a high GDP, Korea had the highest old age poverty rate in its region (47.2%).
According to a Commentary on South Korea’s domain ranks in the 2014 Global AgeWatch Index by Professor Hyeji Choi, Seoul Women’s University, Department of Social Welfare, in terms of the income security, 77.6% of older Koreans currently receive a pension. The pension system in Korea consists of three schemes: national, basic, and a special occupational pension. The basic pension – a tax-financed social pension introduced in 2007 - covers the largest group of more than 65% of older people. The scheme has been a topic of intense debate in recent years; and this July the government finally announced a doubling of the basic pension benefit. This is a welcome rise; however, the benefit still remains modest by international standards. The income replacement rate of national pension remains 40%; civil society organisations are calling for this percentage to be increased. In addition, the government is trying to integrate the government employee’s pension, which is one of the special occupational pensions, with the national pension. However, it has generated strong resistance among government employees as they will receive smaller benefits as a result of this change. The income gap between older people and the total population continues to grow.
With regard to the health status, according to a national survey by the Department of Statistics (2012), only 19.5% of older people over 65 reported their health as good or very good compared with 36.9% of respondents under the age of 59. In the capability dimension, in Korea, 50.3% of older people in Korea have completed a secondary or higher education. By 2014, there were 1,027 third age schools and 237 elderly welfare centres in Korea, which provide important platforms for older people to educate themselves and to participate in social and cultural activities. In the dimension of enabling environment, according to the National Survey by the Department of Statistics (2013), 70% of older people above 60 answered that there know someone who they can ask for help with housework if they are sick. However, only 31.0% answered that they have someone who can provide financial support. In most urban areas, people older than 65 have access to public transport paying a discount fee. In several metropolitan cities, including the capital Seoul, older people have free access to the public subway system.
Among the ten ASEAN member countries, six are covered in the Global AgeWatch Index. They are Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. While the Global AgeWatch Index in 2014 ranked Korea at 50 overall, it ranked Thailand a bit higher, at 36. According to the 2014 Global AgeWatch Index, Thailand ranked the best place in ASEAN lower middle income countries for elderly.
In other words, if we compare Korea and developing Southeast Asian countries, we can see that certain Southeast Asian countries were doing better in some dimensions of the 2014 Global AgeWatch Index, while it was the other way around in other dimensions.
The notion reflects the need for Korea and Southeast Asia to learn and share their experiences to deal with the demographic changes, their impact on the economy and the society, as well as the policies on pensions, health, employment, education and the social environment in which older people live.
The demographic changes lead to a number of key questions. For example, whether economic productivity can be sustained with an ageing labour force or with a decreasing population; how are transfers between age groups to be managed in a way that they remain equitable; what the roles of the public sector, the market, the family, and individual life-cycle saving strategies would be in providing answers to the problems that ageing poses; whether fertility levels can or will rise again to near replacement level; what role immigration can play and whether it will be acceptable; and how to deal with the impact of the changing inter-generational relations both at home and in the labour market.
I believe you all do share with me that the 2015 AKS International Conference is vital as the necessity for academic collaboration looms large. It will allow us to exchange views and ideas on various issues of challenges, while stimulating discussions on our collaborative research plans.
Indeed, the tasks of improving education and research, if boosted with collaborative activities, can exceed capacity limit only if the partners work effectively together. The results, in turn, can greatly benefit our next generation.
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Those are some of my thoughts, which I would like to share with you today, hoping that they will stimulate discussion on our collaborative research plans. Before I conclude, allow me to express my appreciation once again to the Academy of Korean Studies for this auspicious and timely event.
Chulalongkorn University looks forward to working in close partnership with you all. Last but not least, I wish all participants all the best for the successful and fruitful deliberation.
Thank you.
