The 2022 KF Global Korean Studies Forum held in off- and online venues

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the Korea Foundation (KF, President Lee Geun) held the 2022 KF Global Korean Studies Forum on August 4 at the Westin Josun Seoul. This event held under the theme Changing Paradigms and Future Directions in Korean Studies was also broadcast on the KF’s YouTube channel.

Celebrating the 30 years of the foundation’s dedication to promoting Korean Studies around the world, the forum reviewed major achievements and shifting paradigms by region and subject area in Korean Studies, and discussed ways to move forward.

As the first large-scale in person academic conference in the Korean Studies field following the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 KF Global Korean Studies Forum was attended by over 100 Korean Studies scholars and researchers from 33 countries. Among the notable guests was keynote speaker Professor Emeritus John B. Duncan of the University of California Los Angeles, who has been referred to as “the godfather of overseas Korean Studies.” Many speakers at the forum have long been cultivating new generations of Korean Studies scholars and have worked closely with the foundation to promote Korean Studies abroad, including Professor Ryu Youngju of the University of Michigan, Professor Nishino Junya, Director of the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies at Keio University, Professor Roald Maliangkay of the Australian National University, and Professor Barbara Wall of the University of Copenhagen.

The forum was opened by KF President Lee Geun’s opening speech, followed by congratulatory speeches from Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon, Secretary General Han Kyung-koo of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, and the keynote speech by Professor Emeritus John Duncan. The forum consisted of a total of four sessions.

Sessions 1 and 2 featured presentations and discussions exploring key achievements and prospects in overseas Korean Studies by region. Session 1, chaired by Professor Kim Seung-kyung of Indiana University, covered North America, Europe, and Central and South America. Session 2, chaired by Professor Kim Dong-taek of Sogang University, looked into the Korean Studies programs in Asia, Oceania, Russia, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Session 3 explored paradigm shifts in Korean Studies research in three concurrent sub-sessions: The Hallyu Phenomenon and Research, moderated by Professor Woo Mi-seong of Yonsei University; Korean Language Education, moderated by Professor Lee Hye-young of Ewha Womans University; and the KF e-School and Online Education, moderated by Professor Kim Ji-hyung of Kyung Hee Cyber University.

In the final session chaired by Professor Park Tae-gyun of Seoul National University, participants discussed the academic evolution of and future directions for overseas Korean Studies based on the findings of previous sessions on the accomplishments and paradigm changes over the past three decades.

In addition, Lee Sun-young, Chief Producer at CJ ENM, spoke at the luncheon. Based on her experience of successfully exporting the Korean TV show “I Can See Your Voice” to the North American market, she discussed the implications of the Korean Wave as a soft power asset.

The 2022 KF Global Korean Studies Forum can be viewed on the KF’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/TheKoreaFoundation).

(Source)

https://www.kf.or.kr/kf/na/ntt/selectDgtldetailView.do?dgtlSn=14180