Korean Studies Core University Conference


Diversity, Identity, and Universality in Global Korea

 

Korea has witnessed great societal changes in recent years, which include consolidation of democracy, continuous growth in its economy, security challenges from the North, expanding influence of Korean popular culture, and shifting identities of Koreans. However, the nature of these recent changes in Korea has not been fully understood and appreciated. To remain relevant, it is critical that the field of Korean studies continues to evolve with Korea’s transformations.

In 2015, the Center for Korean Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa received Core University funding from the Academy of Korean Studies, South Korea, with a focus on the issues of "Diversity, Identity, and Universality in Global Korea." The Core University project team, consisting of thirteen participating researchers, has initiated multiple research projects under the following three topics:

  • Internal Transformation in Korea: Growing Inequality and Linguistic Diversity
  • The Two Koreas: Confronting Diversities and Challenges
  • Beyond Korea: Seeking Korea's Place in the Asia Pacific and in the World.

Concluding the past three years of the Core University project’s research initiatives, the Center for Korean Studies is holding a conference to highlight its accomplishments and to confirm its continuing growth, through which future generations of Korean studies scholars will be produced and nurtured.

This conference is supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2015-OLU-2250005).