"So I think that to develop Taiwan's own cultural subjectivity it is crucial to overcome political confrontation with China and embrace its cultural influence," he said.
Kim obtained a master's degree in comparative philosophy from National Taiwan University before going on to a doctoral degree at Harvard University.
Known as "The King-Maker" for his election campaign strategies that helped South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun get elected two years ago, Kim is currently serving as one of Roh's key advisers.
He was invited by the Council of Cultural Affairs to an eight-day visit to meet President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), travel to southern Taiwan to visit local Aboriginal tribes and talk to artists and cultural figures.
Meanwhile, Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday spent 30 minutes discussing "the search for self-identity" with Kim, and both agreed that "Taiwanese people should not look down upon themselves ... Long or short, difficult or easy are only human comparisons according to human standards. It is only a human evaluation," Hsieh said.
"So, whether Taiwan is important cannot be evaluated by human's standards. We have to believe in ourselves," he said.
Hsieh started the conversation by talking about globalization and localization.
"Globalization" is the main value in today's society, and we cannot live without "localization" because we have to recognize ourselves, our own soil and our motherland, Hsieh said.
"If we do not recognize ourselves, our own culture will not be recognized, either," Kim said, adding that keeping "self-identity" is very difficult because it requires people's recognition.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
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