Danish intl development speaks volumes for Korea

By Kim Se-jeong

At the end of the Korean War, the National Medical Center in Seoul was established with the help of three Scandinavian countries ― Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

The Danish government, in particular, went a step further and presented young Korean students with opportunities to study in Denmark.

You Tae-yeung was one of the students who returned home and played a key role in launching the Saemaeul (New Village) Movement, which served as the North Star for Korea's economic developments in the decades to come.

It illustrates a segment of the long history of Danish international development as part of its foreign diplomacy, which resulted later in the birth of the Danish International Development Agency or "DANIDA."

Peter Lysholt Hansen, the new Danish ambassador to Korea, was the head of the organization between 2001 and 2004. Later, he was assigned to Vietnam, one of 26 Danish development assistance recipient countries.

Denmark is highly recognized in the circle of international development.

The North European country selectively chooses countries of priority and allocates all available resources -- DANIDA's budget totaled $2.9 billion last year.

Along with Vietnam, the 26 priority countries include Tanzania, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Decentralized administration is a flagship of DANIDA.

The Danish Embassy in the recipient country is responsible for the entire process, from brainstorming to implementation of aid and assistance programs.

"It makes it extremely efficient," said the ambassador, noting that projects reflect the most urgent needs of the locals and they can be consulted directly.

By doing so, it allows implementation to be fully integrated into the existing system.

"You have to work through the (existing) system to make it sustainable. It's the only way to work," he added.

Back home, DANIDA's role is to look at the bigger picture of the development project in the recipient country, and give general direction to embassies so it can be carried out based on a comprehensive five-year strategy.

DANIDA also supervises Denmark's entire international development policy, which means that "other ministries don't have a budget for international development projects."

If a request comes from a ministry, it is passed on to DANIDA, which reviews and makes relevant decisions.

The Danish experience speaks volumes for Korea, as it strives to become an "emerging" donor in the international community.

At the end of last year, Korea graduated from a group of international development assistance recipient countries, joining the Development Assistance Committee under the OECD.

The Korean government lauded itself for this achievement. However, it still has a lot to do to increase efficiency.

Park Dae-won, president of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), which is the biggest implementation body of Korean international development assistance, told The Korea Times in the past that the biggest challenge facing Korea is the absence of a supervising institute.

The result would be two similar projects in one African town, run by two different Korean agencies.

Korea's development assistance is also criticized for giving help with strings attached.

Loans with low interest rates often require the recipient country to keep Korean businesses as partners.

It used to be a common practice among donor countries, but has become unpopular as an undesirable practice.

"Grants are the preferred aid modality of Denmark," according to Ambassador Hansen.

Denmark's international development policy sees poverty reduction as its ultimate goal.

To this end, DANIDA dedicates itself to five priority sectors: erecting democracy, developing the private sector, creating gender equality, environment and climate change, and stability.

Asked whether North Korea could be considered as a recipient of the Danish aid, he shook his head in rejection.

"Danish assistance is concentrated on a limited number of poor countries where we see possibilities of implementing the priority areas for Danish development policy including respect for human rights and effective poverty reduction."

North Korea, the ambassador ad amits is vulnerable, but Denmark doesn't see room for the time being any possible change for the better. He was in Pyongyang last month, submitting his credentials to the government.

On Nov. 11, North Korea's state-owned media stressed economic development that would enable North Korea to stand on its own feet, alleging that "Western countries are trying to snare us through assistance."

Denmark offered Pyongyang humanitarian assistance only through multilateral channels such as the Red Cross and the World Food Program.