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International North Korea Conference with IFES

1.3 Minutes

On 12 June, experts from China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Switzerland, and the USA spoke about capacity building and knowledge sharing with North Korea at a conference organized by the Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) of Kyungnam University and Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF).

Lee Su-hoon, director of IFES, emphazised: “These efforts can greatly enhance the benefits of humanitarian assistance to the country, and provide a step toward building trust – where to date there is largely none.”

Lars-André Richter, resident representative of FNF, stressed the importance “to exchange our experiences, learn from our successes as well as from our mistakes, and discuss future prospects for engagement.”

Swiss entrepreneur Felix Abt, who set up and ran a business school for senior executives in Pyongyang, explained: “We could not help these enterprises purchase badly needed spare parts for their machines, or raw materials for that matter. […] We could, however, train their managers to make the best out of the resources they already had […] and become familiar with basic skills like accounting and controlling, marketing, supply chain management and strategy.”

“The people we work with want a better future for their country,” said Robert E. Springs, President of Global Resources Services, an American NGO. “Dealing with difficult relationships, the first step to resolution is understanding. You can never get progress if you don't understand where the other party is coming from, the factors that motivate or threaten them.”

“Debate does take place over economic policy in elite circles, but consensus or imposition of consensus has yet to emerge,” observed Andray Abrahamian, executive director of the Singapore-based non-profit organization Choson Exchange, which trains young North Koreans in economic policy, business and law. However, “North Korean authorities are generally supportive of such programs.”

More than 120 guests attended the conference, which took place at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies.