About 130 Korean Studies scholars from around the world gathered at the Academy of Korean Studies to attend the Eleventh Congress of Korean Studies

• ◇ The 11th World Congress of Korean Studies took place at the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) in Seongnam, South Korea, from October 20 to 21, 2022. Roughly 130 presenters and discussants from around the world participated and 108 papers were presented.
• ◇ A total of 28 panels, including on language, literature, culture, and history, were offered based on this year’s theme of “Korean Culture Shared around the World.”
• ◇ AKS President Ahn Byung Woo hoped this event would provide an opportunity for scholars to hold in-depth discussions on Korean Studies and build networks.

The Academy of Korean Studies (President Ahn Byung Woo) hosted the Eleventh World Congress of Korean Studies over two days beginning on October 20, 2022. The theme of this year’s event was Korean Culture Shared around the World.

The purpose of the congress is to share academic achievements in Korean Studies around the world, cultivate the next generation of Korean Studies scholars, and strengthen the global network of Korean Studies researchers and research institutions.

This year’s event was the largest Korean Studies congress of its kind, with some 130 presenters and discussants from 21 countries and 108 papers presented.

Among the papers submitted by graduate students, four that stood out in terms of originality and potential for growth were selected and given the Next Generation Korean Studies Scholars Award.

“The Korean Wave will continue. Keeping up with the popularity of Korean culture, the Korean Studies community should make efforts to move beyond its traditional research methods and practices and improve the research environment by strengthening its digital capacity,” said Yoo Hong-jun, Chair of the AKS Board of Directors, in his keynote speech.

Ms. Brittany Khedun-Burgoine, a PhD student at Oxford University, talked about the socio-linguistic impact of the popularity of Korean culture not only on the entertainment industry, but also on other areas. As an example, Khedun-Burgoine discussed how the Korean culture fandom is globalizing such Korean words as daebak or oppa.

In a panel led by Professor Lee Seok-gyu from Gachon University and Professor Mark Peterson from Brigham Young University in the US, participants discussed the need to systemize a valid objective theory on the style of Sijo, a traditional Korean poetic form, and have it inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

The major programs of the Congress were as the following.

October 20 (Thursday):

• △ The opening ceremony with Ahn Byung Woo, President of the AKS (Broadcast live with simultaneous interpretation on YouTube).
• △ A congratulatory speech by Song Nam-seon, Chair of the International Society for Korean Studies, and another by Professor Marion Eggert, President of the Association for Korean Studies in Europe
• △ Keynote speeches by Yoo Hong-jun, Chair of the AKS Board of Directors and by Professor Andrew Jackson, Monash University, Australia
• △ A talk between Professor Roald Maliangkay from Australian National University and Professor Maya Stiller from Kansas University in the United States
• △ Congratulatory performances

In the afternoon, a total of 14 concurrent panels were held in two sessions.

On the second day, a total of 14 panels (two hours in the morning and another two hours in the afternoon) were held along with presentations and discussions. The event closed at 4pm. With some speakers being unable to attend the Congress in person due to pandemic-related measures, some panels accommodated both in-person and online presentations.

“We have been able to hold the World Congress of Korean Studies over the past two decades thanks to the scholars and researchers around the world who have dedicated themselves to Korean Studies,” said AKS President Ahn. “I hope this year’s event serves as an opportunity for Korean Studies researchers to engage in in-depth discussions and to meet each other and build networks.”

Photo 1. The invitation letter to the Eleventh World Congress of Korean Studies

(Source)

https://www.aks.ac.kr/cop/bbs/selectBoardList.do?bbsId=BBSMSTR_000000000046