[K-Women Talk]An Era in Need of Coexistence: Korea's Role

Humanitarian Crisis Threatens All Humanity
Humanity Is Essential for Korea's Leap as a Global Pivotal State

On August 19, 2003, a bomb attack occurred at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. It was a major incident in which 22 people, including S?rgio Vieira de Mello, the UN Special Representative in Iraq at the time, were killed and 150 were injured. To commemorate this tragedy, the UN designated August 19 as World Humanitarian Day every year. Currently, the Korean government and civic organizations also carry out various activities on this day to raise awareness about the global humanitarian crisis and the need for support.

Recently, UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres announced that the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance due to conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics, and food crises has reached an all-time high. As of June 2023, 360 million people worldwide are in need of support, which is a 30% increase compared to early last year. Secretary-General Guterres appealed that the support for this is grossly insufficient. The UN requested about $55.2 billion from the international community in 2023, but only about 27%, or $14.8 billion, has been secured. Moreover, this support is concentrated on well-known disasters such as those in Ukraine, T?rkiye (Turkey), and Syria, while funding is being withdrawn from prolonged and forgotten disasters.

In this situation, our government is actively participating in international support for neighbors suffering around the globe. During the T?rkiye earthquake in February this year, the Republic of Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) was dispatched three times, and currently, the government and civic groups are jointly conducting recovery projects. Various relief workers of different nationalities are working on earthquake recovery in T?rkiye, and foreigners are reportedly surprised by the exceptional hospitality shown by locals toward the Korean government and activists. According to a Turkish official, T?rkiye, which has strong national pride and does not readily accept foreign aid, is actively accepting Korea’s support. It is only right to repay the debt to a brother country that shed blood to protect Korea’s liberal democracy, and the Turkish people were much more welcoming and grateful for our help than expected.

The Korean government’s official development assistance (ODA) request for next year is about 6.8 trillion won, a 43% increase from the previous year. The expanded budget is expected to be used intensively for humanitarian aid. Some may ask, “We are struggling ourselves, so where do we get the money to help others?” However, not only in T?rkiye but also during the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2022 Ukraine refugee crisis, Korean citizens have generously opened their wallets for neighbors in need around the world. As a country that has experienced devastating war and extreme poverty, the inability to ignore others’ suffering may be deeply ingrained in us. This is the spirit we call humanity.

New types of humanitarian crises such as climate change, conflicts, and pandemics threaten the survival of all humanity, regardless of whether countries are developed or developing. Meanwhile, with Korea’s rising international status, the international community is earnestly expecting Korea’s role in crisis response. Accordingly, our government has promised to contribute to the international community through its leap as a global pivotal state.

At a time when coexistence is more important than ever in human history, isn’t the spirit of humanity what we need most? Anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “Civilization begins with helping others in pain. We become our best when we help others.” Perhaps the key to Korea’s leap as a global pivotal state lies right here.

Jang Eun-ha, Research Fellow, Korean Women’s Development Institute