York University Profs Provide Analysis of President Kim Dae Jung's 1st Official Visit to Canada Today as Canada-Korea Forum Proposals Released

TORONTO, July 5, 1999 -- During President Kim's first state visit to Canada (Ottawa) today, he will discuss with Prime Minister Jean Chretien a range of bilateral issues. As background for their discussions, the Canada-Korea Forum convened by York University last month has made three proposals on some of those issues.

The following professors at York can provide context and an analysis of the proposals, which are: a joint study of bilateral, comprehensive trade liberalization between Canada and the Republic of Korea; more collaboration on co-operative security and human security issues between the two countries; and strengthening educational connections through a proposed national scholarship program.

Professor David Dewitt is Director of the Centre for International and Security Studies at York University and a participant in the Canada-Korea Forum. He can speak to the political security issues and the possibility for new types of regional cooperation in the North Pacific, and the economic impact of these issues in the context of a strengthened Canada-Korean relationship. He can be reached at: (416) 736-5156, ext. 46011, or (416) 787-5746.

Professor Paul Evans, a co-convenor of the June 7th Canada-Korea Forum who has just joined the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of British Columbia after many years teaching international relations at York, can speak to co-operative and human security issues. He is also knowledgeable about President Kim's so-called "sunshine policy", a bold, creative and controversial effort to move from conflict to cooperation with communist North Korea. Evans can be reached at: (416) 922-9301.

Professor Donald Rickerd, a research associate with York University's Centre for Refugee Studies and a participant in the Canada-Korea Forum, can address the general state of Canada-Korea relations and the proposed national scholarship program. He can be reached at: (613) 923-5440.

Professor Theresa Hyun, who has been teaching courses in Korean culture in the Humanities department at York since 1992, can talk about the cultural aspects of stronger Canadian ties with the Republic of Korea in view of the 100,000-strong community of Korean Canadians. She can be reached by email: thyun@yorku.ca, or through the York Media Relations department.

Professor Eugene Lee teaches political science at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, a partner university with York, and is currently in Toronto conducting research on Canadian policy towards North Korea compared with other countries such as Cuba and China. He can address the political and economic concerns in Korea and the North Pacific. He can be reached at: (416) 923-6847.

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For more information, please contact:

Susan Bigelow
Media Relations Officer
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22091
email: sbigelow@yorku.ca

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
email: sinem@yorku.ca
YU/075/99