[Citizen College Season 6] #4 The Past and Present of Southeast Asia

On November 3, 2022, the Peace and Democracy Institute and the Seongbuk District Office held the fourth lecture of the Citizen College Season 6  “Politics in Everyday Life.”  In this lecture Professor Jae Hyeok Shin from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University presented on the topic of “The Past and Present of Southeast Asia.”

Professor Shin talked about the history of Southeast Asia and its changing status. In the past, Southeast Asia developed its own civilizations for thousands of years under the influence of countries such as China and India. This experience provided the spiritual and institutional foundations for the formation of modern nation-states in the region. The Pacific War and several wars with European powers resulted in Southeast Asian countries gaining independence. Southeast Asia has developed continuously since the establishment of ASEAN in 1967, becoming the world’s fastest-growing region today. It is the world’s fifth-largest economy and Korea’s second-largest trading partner. However, there are still unresolved conflicts between China and Southeast Asian countries, mainly in the South China Sea that may affect the future of the region.