1st Korean to lead int¡¯l political forum

For the first time in the half-century history of the International Political Science Association, a Korean has been elected to the chairman`s post.

Professor Kim Dal-Joong, who is a tenured professor of political science at Yonsei University and chief of the Sejong Research Center, became the solitary contender for the post through the recommendation of the IPSA board members during the International Conference on Politics. The 18th International Conference was held at the Hilton Hotel in Quebec City, and professor Kim was elected to the post on August 2 for a term lasting three years.

The IPSA, which was created in 1949 under the guidance of UNESCO, currently boasts about 1,400 members consisting mainly of professors of political science from 55 nations. South Korea formally became a member of the association in 1967, followed by North Korea in 1990.

Professor Kim said in his acceptance speech that the new focus of political science in the 21st century must be on the promotion of peace for mankind, improvement of his welfare and human rights issues. He also reiterated the importance of environmental protection, saying that the destruction of the environment or natural resources translates into a destruction of people¡¯s fundamental life resources and that there was a need for an international policy to prevent such destruction.

He added that the time calls for a joint effort among environmental scientists to establish an "environmental political science" and through it foster the growth of academics in that field.