미래한국리포트

The Republic of Korea has persevered through the agonies of war and national division to become one of the world's most remarkable success stories simultaneously achieving economic development and democratization. Such achievements have facilitated Korea's rapid recovery from the recent global financial crisis, with the per capita GDP expected once again to surpass the US$20,000 mark this year.

Yet despite material wealth from several decades of economic development, and most recently from the emergence of a cutting-edge IT and communications technology sector, there is a growing thirst for sotong(疏通 소통), which is a Korean term for building trust through communication and dialogue among different groups in society. The challenge is to build a culture of sotong in a society that is composed of diverse and often conflicting groups and that has paid a tremendous social cost for the frequent clashes among them.

What our society must focus on more today is not the conventional path of quantitative growth, but on qualitative growth that produces a cohesive and well-functioning society. At the center of this is the concept of sotong.

A society characterized by sotong has succeeded in creating the groundwork for societal trust, in nurturing a tolerant culture that cherishes diversity and objectively judges talent based on merit and in constructing an effective system of conflict resolution to mediate disputes.

Since 2004, through the nationwide telecast of the Future Korea Report, SBS has discussed a wide range of key topics such An Aging Society, The Job Crisis, Education, Happiness, Leadership, Climate Change, and Beyond the Crisis in an attempt to help Korea set a long-term agenda for society.

Under the theme of Sotong : Building a Consensus in Korea, this year's Future Korea Report will feature Sweden's Dr Bo Rothstein, who stresses the importance of good government in creating social trust and Ms. Katherine Hahn, an advocate for non-violent communication who explains how natural and voluntary sotong can be spread. In addition, McKinsey & Company will be the Future Korea Report's knowledge partner.

Please join us at the 8th Future Korea Report as we explore what kinds of sotong are most needed today in Korea and how it can become an indispensable catalyst for creating a brighter future, a future in which a fair and just society is able to take root and flourish.