On March 24-25, 2011, the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences hosted the XV scientific conference of Korean Studies of Russia and CIS countries "Korea: a Decade of new opportunities", which annually discusses a set of problems related to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and scientists from Russia and CIS countries exchange experience and opinions on issues of interest to them. The 28 reports presented are divided into three sections: "Politics", "Economics", and "History and Culture".

Opening the conference, M. L. Tytarenko, Director of the Institute of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that in the new, difficult historical conditions, the current scientific forum should not only cover, but also promptly respond to acute problems arising in the Korean direction. Among such problems, he attributed: the curtailment of the national dialogue in relations between the ROK and the DPRK, the nuclear problem, etc.

Oleg Davydov (Russian Foreign Ministry) stressed that an objective analysis of the processes taking place in North and South Korea is the main condition for developing balanced decisions by Russian diplomats. He believes that since Lee Myung-bak's harsh policy towards the DPRK has become a threat to inter-Korean relations, stopping the process of inter-Korean dialogue that has begun, the current situation may become an opportunity for Russia. This is confirmed both by the progress in the Russian-South Korean talks and by the continuation of our contacts with the DPRK.

The Politics section (eight reports) focused on the settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, US geopolitical interests here, inter-Korean relations in the second half of 2000, Russia's image and role, and others. Presentations were made by: A. Z. Zhebin (Central Research Institute of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences) "US geopolitical interests in the NEA and some aspects of the Korean settlement", A. V. Vorontsov (Central Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences) "The nuclear problem of the Korean Peninsula - against the background of worsening inter-Korean relations", K. V. Asmolov (Central Research Institute of International Relations) " The Korean Peninsula: real and Imaginary threats", S. O. Kurbanov (St. Petersburg.GU) "Historical inertia in inter-Korean relations in the second half of 2000", Kim Yong-un (Central Research Institute of IDV RAS) "Evolution of the image and role of Russia in Korea", D. A. Samsonov (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after him. Peter the Great (Kunstkamera), St. Petersburg) "Looking at each other: results of social surveys at exhibitions dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea", V. N. Dmitrieva (MGIMO (U) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) "New in the study of international relations and Korea", V. A. Ten (Moscow State University) "Peculiarities of Korean immigration to Canada (late XX-early XXI centuries)".

A. Z. Zhebin's report was devoted to American policy on the Korean Peninsula. In his opinion, the United States over the past 60 years has given priority to bilateral alliances more than multilateral international security structures. The region is no exception. Taking advantage of the DPRK's nuclear problem in the early 1990s, the Americans managed to take a dominant position here. The United States, according to A. Z. Zhebin, is not at all interested in peace on the Korean Peninsula. The current US administration, represented by President Obama, aims to change power in North Korea and create a military and economic foothold there in contrast to the growing power of China. That is why, the speaker believes, the United States will continue to strive in every possible way to increase its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region in the future.

A.V. Vorontsov, unlike the previous author, believes that Russia's balanced position is a reliable guarantor of maintaining peace and political stability in the region. Despite the sad incidents involving the South Korean ship Cheonan in the Yellow Sea in March 2010 and the artillery exchange near Yeonpyeong Island, it is gratifying that it is our diplomats who have called on the authorities of both parts of Korea to " exercise maximum restraint and restraint, and not allow any steps that could provoke further aggravation of the situation."

K. V. Asmolov's report was devoted to strategic threats that may arise on the Korean Peninsula. He divides them into imaginary and real ones. Among the imaginary ones, it includes:

1) The threat of" terrorism " from North Korea. However, the author proves quite reasonably that, first of all, they deliberately try to attribute the DPRK to"terrorist"countries. Secondly, real terrorists simply cannot enter the DPRK due to the" closeness " of North Korean society. Third, it is unprofitable for North Korea itself, since such actions can provoke a retaliatory military strike on its territory.

2) The threat of using nuclear missiles located in the DPRK, which allegedly threatens the entire world. According to K. V. Asmolov, North Korea at best has only nuclear devices, but no means of delivering them. The possibility of their secret export to third countries is also unlikely, since Pyongyang is attracting close attention from the international community.

3) The threat of a coup in North Korea. Unlike in Egypt or Libya, the DPRK does not even show signs of a revolutionary situation, because the ruling party elite and top military leaders of the country are united around their leader.

4) The threat of solving the problem of Korean unification by military means. Despite the fact that the current administration of South Korea strongly demonstrates its desire to change power in the DPRK, there is no real ground for such actions, because neither the ROK, nor the United States, nor China is simply unprofitable.

The author considers the most real threats to be natural disasters, periodic military conflicts on the 38th parallel line, and random military conflicts due to unreliable data from one side or another.

A very interesting, though controversial, interpretation of the term "historical inertia" was given by S. O. Kurbanov in his report. In his opinion, despite the fact that in 2008 Lee Myung-bak took the path of a strictly "pragmatic" policy towards North Korea and the external deterioration of contacts between the two states (which was often referred to by previous speakers), these contacts did not stop. Some aspects of inter-Korean relations turned out to be frozen (trips of South Korean tourists to the Geumgansan Mountains), but in other areas inter-Korean cooperation continued and even had short periods of rapprochement (the visit of the president of the Hyundai Corporation to Pyongyang in August 2009, etc.). he noted that the term "historical inertia" has more to do with philosophy than with history.

Kim Yong Un focused on the evolution of Russia's image and role in Korea. The image of Russia in Korea went through several stages: initial (the second half of the XIX century), high hopes (the 90s of the XIX century-the beginning of the XX century), inspiration (1917-1945), imitation (1945 in the ROK, 1945-1957 in the DPRK), deep distrust (1946-1988 in the ROK, 1989-1998 in the ROK). North Korea), hopes (1988-1991 in the ROK, 2000-2006 in the DPRK), arrogant and condescending attitude (1993-2001 in the ROK), consumer-pragmatic attitude, including attempts to establish strategic partnership relations (2001-2011 in the ROK). The author's general conclusion is that the weakening of Russia's contacts with Korea led to the strengthening of negative aspects in its image in each of the Korean states.

A logical continuation of the study of the image of Russia and Korea from the perspective of intercultural dialogue between the two countries was the speech of a young researcher D. A. Samsonov. In his opinion, it is important to remember that politics is only a part of culture, its reflection. You can learn about the culture of a particular nation through exhibition projects. One of these significant projects was an exhibition from the collections of the State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Wind in the Pines", which opened in the summer of 2010 in St. Petersburg, and a return exhibition in the fall of 2010 in Seoul" Russia and Korea: a new meeting of old neighbors", dedicated to Russian-Korean relations. A subsequent survey of Seoul residents showed that most Koreans know Russian culture well. This means that relations between the two countries through the dialogue of two cultures have good prospects for the future.

The section" History and Culture " was traditionally the most numerous (12 reports). It was presented by the following participants: L. B. Hwang (Karakalpak State University, Nukus) "Russian and Korean Literature: Points of contact", Lee Sang Yoon (RSPU, St. Petersburg) "Women's themes in modern literature of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Japan and China", A. I. Sharafetdinova (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) " Modern processes of cultural development of the DPRKA. M. Gushchina, E. B. Tsoi (NSTU, Novosibirsk) "Russian-Korean regional partnership in education as a tool for cultural mutual enrichment of the nation", A. M. Pastukhov (independent expert, Moscow) "Korea and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895", I. A. Musinova (USU, Yekaterinburg) " The Korean Question in Russian diplomacy of the late XIX-early XX centuries (analysis of the American historical tradition), V. S. Akulenko (FEFU, Vladivostok) "The Goguryeo Era of the Nationalist Historical School of the Republic of Kazakhstan", K. V. Ermakov (ISAA MSU) "Chong Dasan's contribution to the construction of the Hwaseong Fortress", O. B. Lynsha (UGPI, Ussuriysk) "Mission schools of the Russian Orthodox Church for Koreans of the South Ussuri region at the end of the XIX century", A.V. Pak (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) "Penetration of Protestantism in Korea: the initial stage", L. V. Ovchinnikova (ISAA MSU) "Colonial Korea in the materials of the Japanese Secret Police", N. N. Kim (Institute of Internal Affairs of the Russian Academy of Sciences) "Socio-economic stratification of Korean society at the end of the colonial period".

Two reports of the section were devoted to Korean literature: L. B. Hwang-comparison of Russian and Korean literary traditions and Lee Sang Yoon - women's themes in the works of writers from the Republic of Kazakhstan, Japan and China.

Great interest was aroused by the speech of A. M. Pastukhov, who reviewed one of the most difficult historical periods in the modern history of Korea - the events of the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-1895.In his opinion, this war was a consequence of the aggressive policy of Japan, which tried to oust Qing China from Korea and establish its dominance there. At the same time, the Japanese actively relied on the pro-Japanese part of the Korean elite, trying to give the appearance of legality to their actions and justify aggression against Korea. However,

Even relying on the pro-Japanese government of Kim Hong-jip, the Japanese were not able to turn the bulk of Koreans against China, as traditional cultural and political ties have held China and Korea together for many centuries. A. M. Pastukhov concludes that at present, due to the aggravation of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, China and Japan again play a significant role the role in its political settlement, the experience of the distant past may not be useless.

The message of A. I. Sharafetdinova was devoted to the problems of modern cultural development in the DPRK. Culture in North Korea, she noted, is designed to fulfill the tasks of ideological and political propaganda. Therefore, all works invariably include ideological guidelines ("Let's light up the year with outstanding works of Songun art!", "Let's celebrate the period of full flowering of socialist culture in the Songun era", etc.), according to which artists should serve the construction of "Juche" - style socialism with their works. The success achieved in the cultural sphere is seen as the result of the" wise leadership " of the military leader Kim Jong Il.

O. B. Lyn'sha spoke about the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Far East, and A. V. Pak spoke about the activities of Protestants in Korea.

O. B. Lyn'sha focused on the activities of Orthodox schools for Koreans in the South Ussuri Region in the late 19th century. In his opinion, mission schools played an important role in the process of integrating Korean immigrants into Russian society. Therefore, such schools began to open in the centers of Korean settlement in the late 80s-early 90s of the XIX century. In mission schools, students primarily studied the Russian language and the Law of God, which contributed to the adaptation of Koreans to the new cultural and socio-political environment. During the discussion, Kim Yong Un (IDW CCI) noted that the success of Orthodoxy among Korean immigrants was ensured by the desire of the newcomers themselves to adapt to life in a new country as quickly as possible.

The topic of the initial penetration of Protestantism in Korea was touched upon in the report of A.V. Park. In his opinion, today South Korea is practically the only country in Asia where Protestantism occupies a dominant position. The main reasons for this are the flexible use of the Nevius method by Western missionaries, the main postulate of which is to rely on the efforts of believers themselves and the desire of Koreans to join the advanced knowledge of Western science and culture. In practice, this trend was reflected in the construction of hospitals and schools of a new European type by missionaries in Korea. Protestant missionaries were the first to introduce progressive ideas of the Western way of life to the then unified Korean state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: European medicine, education, women's equality, elements of Western culture, etc. Therefore, without denying the ideological influence of Western powers, the adoption of Protestantism was historically a step forward. It is no coincidence that many Korean Christian leaders later became active participants in the struggle for independence against Japanese colonial occupation.

N. N. Kim analyzed the processes of colonial modernization. In her opinion, the social and economic policies of the colonial authorities had twofold consequences for the Korean national economy. On the one hand, by the end of the colonial period, it was possible to clearly observe the positive results of modernization processes in the field of industrial production, development of transport infrastructure, communication systems, education, etc. On the other hand, the process of natural transformation of the obsolete feudal estate structure into modern bourgeois relations was hindered by the harsh policy of the Japanese colonial government. Therefore, the reverse side of modernization in the social sphere was the polarization of social strata along national lines, uneven distribution of income between different social groups, mass impoverishment of workers, etc.

At the Economics section, eight reports were read: S. S. Suslin (MGIMO University) "The role of innovations in the modern economic development of South Korea", V. G. Samsonov (IDV Central Research Institute) "The current state of scientific and technical developments in Russia and prospects for Russian-South Korean cooperation in this area", A. A. Yushin (MGIMO University) "The role of innovations in the modern economic development of South Korea". F. Sinyakova (MGIMO University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) "The Republic of Korea: Green technologies as a new source of economic growth", P. P. Em (IG RAS) "The impact of urbanization and settlement processes on the economic development of the Republic of Kazakhstan", B. S. Lee (TSPU, Tashkent) " Culture in business and economics (experience communications with Koreans)", by D. N. Verdi.

khoturov (Moscow) "Transformation of economic relations between Indonesia and the Republic of Kazakhstan", R. L. Kazaryan (IB RAS) " On the relevance of the "sunny heat "policy", L. V. Zakharova (RSUH) "Kaesong industrial complex: some practical aspects of functioning".

V. G. Samsonova considered the process of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia. Over the past two decades, the development of relations between Russia and South Korea has changed in various areas, but the current state of cooperation no longer meets the challenges of the new information world. The most important asset of the emerging high-tech information and network economy is not material resources, but knowledge, intelligence, and innovation. The economic strategy of the Republic of Kazakhstan is based on the development of knowledge-intensive industries. The country is actively developing in such areas as robotics, bioengineering, nanotechnology, etc. As for Russia, despite optimistic statements at the state level, it continues to be a country with a predominantly commodity-based economy.

R. L. Kazaryan's report was devoted to the policy of "solar heat", the foundations of which were laid back in 1998 by the then President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kim Tae-joon. The essence of this policy was to recognize the existence of two Korean states, reject the idea of forced unification or any other activity aimed at overthrowing the government, and establish comprehensive peaceful cooperation and coexistence in order to prepare the foundations for future peaceful unification. Among the practical results of this policy, we should mention the construction of the Geumgangsan tourist complex, the Kaesong industrial Zone, and the project to connect the railways of the North and South. However, the most important and still unsurpassed achievement of the "solar heat" policy was the overall stabilization of the Korean peninsula. However, the new deal announced by ROK President Lee Myung-bak in 2008 actually meant abandoning many of the principles of the "solar heat" policy. Therefore, during the discussion that unfolded, the question rightly arose: is it possible to return the policy of "solar heat" now? R. L. Kazaryan believes that the initiative, similar to the model of the "solar heat" policy, which assumes restrained political and economic cooperation within the framework of existing systems and ideologies, is the only practically implemented strategy for resolving the Korean issue at the moment.

The scientific conference that took place brought undoubted benefits to its participants, providing an opportunity to discuss topical issues and share their experience.

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