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We are pleased to share the publication of a new volume, Cold War Refugees: Connected Histories of Displacement and Migration across Postcolonial Asia, edited by the Korea Program's Yumi Moon, associate professor in Stanford's Department of History.

The book, now available from Stanford University Press, revisits Cold War history by examining the identities, cultures, and agendas of the many refugees forced to flee their homes across East, Southeast, and South Asia due to the great power conflict between the US and the USSR. Moon's book draws on multilingual archival sources and presents these displaced peoples as historical actors in their own right, not mere subjects of government actions. Exploring the local, regional, and global contexts of displacement through five cases —Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, and Pakistan — this volume sheds new light on understudied aspects of Cold War history.

This book is an important new contribution to our understanding of population flows on the Korean Peninsula across decades.
Paul Chang
Deputy Director, Korea Program

The book's chapters — written by Phi-Vân Nguyen, Dominic Meng-Hsuan Yang, Yumi Moon, Ijlal Muzaffar, Robert D. Crews, Sabauon Nasseri, and Aishwary Kumar — explore Vietnam's 1954 partition, refugees displaced from Zhejiang to Taiwan, North Korean refugees in South Korea from 1945–50, the Cold War legacy in Karachi, and Afghan refugees.

Purchase Cold War Refugees at www.sup.org and receive 20% off with the code MOON20.

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Korean activists released from prison on August 16, 1945.
Commentary

Can the United States and Asia Commemorate the End of the Pacific War Together?

Within Asia, World War II memories and commemorations are not only different from those in the United States but also divided and contested, still shaping and affected by politics and nationalism. Only when U.S. and Asian leaders come together to mark the end of the Asia-Pacific war can they present a credible, collective vision for the peace and prosperity of this important region.
Can the United States and Asia Commemorate the End of the Pacific War Together?
Gi-Wook Shin seated in his office, speaking to the camera during an interview.
News

Sociologist Gi-Wook Shin Illuminates How Strategic Human Resource Development Helped Build Asia-Pacific Economic Giants

In his new book, The Four Talent Giants, Shin offers a new framework for understanding the rise of economic powerhouses by examining the distinct human capital development strategies used by Japan, Australia, China, and India.
Sociologist Gi-Wook Shin Illuminates How Strategic Human Resource Development Helped Build Asia-Pacific Economic Giants
Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab team members and invited discussants during a roundtable discussion in a conference room.
News

Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab Probes Political Messaging and Public Attitudes in U.S.-China Rivalry

At a recent conference, lab members presented data-driven, policy-relevant insights into rival-making in U.S.-China relations.
Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab Probes Political Messaging and Public Attitudes in U.S.-China Rivalry
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3d cover image of the book "Cold War Refugees," showing Asian refugees walking up from a beach, with boats in the background.
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The new volume, edited by Stanford historian Yumi Moon, examines the experiences of Asian populations displaced by the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union.

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Visiting Scholar at APARC, 2025-2026
soo_chan_choi.jpg Ph.D.

Soo Chan Choi joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as a visiting scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year. He currently serves as Dean and Professor of the School of Social Welfare at Yonsei University. While at APARC, he will be conducting research on the adaptation of Korean workers to overseas environments, focusing on the Bay Area.

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APARC Predoctoral Fellow, 2025-2026
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Isabel Salovaara joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as APARC Predoctoral Fellow for the 2025-2026 academic year. She is a Ph.D. Candidate in Stanford's Department of Anthropology. Her dissertation, “Engendering the State: Aspiration, Government Jobs, and the Coaching Industry in Bihar, India,” analyzes the effects of organized exam preparation systems on urban life, gender and kin relations, and the politics of (un)employment. Through ethnographic engagement with young people preparing for government recruitment examinations in India, Isabel's work investigates the social life of "shadow education" — a burgeoning industry across much of Asia. Her research complicates the common framing of shadow education as a social ill by showing how young women and members of disprivileged caste groups harness India's coaching institutes to pursue forms of security and independence for themselves and their families.

Isabel received an A.B. in History from Harvard University and an M.Phil. in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge.

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Flyer for the panel discussion "Behind the Spotlight: How K-Pop Talent Is Discovered and Made" with speaker headshots. In the background: a photo of audience members during a k-pop concert.

The K-pop industry has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Shifting market demands, increased global attention, and evolving media platforms have redefined how talent is discovered and cultivated. This panel spotlights the behind-the-scenes world of trainee recruitment, a dynamic and evolving part of how K-pop groups come to life. Featuring two current Stanford students with firsthand experience in the audition process and an industry insider actively involved in talent scouting, the event offers a closer look at the inner workings of this fast-changing global industry. 

Speakers:

Portrait of Mina Woo

Mina Woo is CEO of Flowing Academy, which specializes in preparing prospective K-pop trainees for auditions. She also works as a vocal trainer for major entertainment companies that contribute to the Hallyu wave. With direct experience in managing and advocating for trainees, Woo brings her perspective on training and recruiting processes.

portrait of Michael Wu

Michael Wu is a senior at Stanford University, double majoring in Communication and Film & Media Studies. Born in Poland and raised in Canada, Michael developed a passion for dance at an early age. With 5 years of ballet and contemporary training and 11 years of competitive hip-hop experience, he was a semi-finalist on the show NBC's World of Dance, a Finalist on Canada's Got Talent 2021, and a Silver Medalist at the Hip Hop International Dance Championships. At Stanford, he has continued his love for hip-hop as one of three directors of Alliance Dance, one of Stanford's largest hip-hop teams.

Prior to his time as a trainee on Starlight Boys, Michael had no experience as a trainee. He applied himself and interviewed over FaceTime in study rooms on campus, and he was eventually selected as a contestant and flown out to Korea. Michael's journey is one of passion, perseverance, and unexpected opportunities. He hopes to continue inspiring and entertaining others through his personality, story, and craft.  

Luis Oyson

Luis Oyson is a sophomore at Stanford University from the Philippines, majoring in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. He brings real-world experience in the K-pop industry. His journey started in 2022 when he flew to South Korea and auditioned for top entertainment companies. After a series of competitive evaluations, he was selected as a trainee and spent over two years fully immersed in the demanding world of idol training. During that time, Luis was named main vocalist and earned a spot on the debut team of a new idol group in development. In 2024, he coveted a spot on JTBC’s global idol survival show Project 7, standing out among thousands of applicants from around the world.

Luis’ background is a testament to years of discipline, performance training, and persistence in one of the world’s most competitive entertainment industries. You can catch him at Stanford, where he continues to sing, dance, and create—sharing his musical passion and industry experiences both in person and on social media (@its.luisoyson).

Moderator:

Portrait of Irene Kyoung

Irene Kyoung is currently a Research Associate for the Korea Program and Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL) at the Shorenstein APARC where she supports research projects regarding Korean politics and society, and US-China relations. Irene received her MA in Political Science from Columbia University and graduated with honors in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College. 

Directions and Parking > 

Irene Kyoung, Research Associate at Shorenstein APARC, Stanford University

Philippines Conference Room (C330)
Encina Hall, 3rd Floor
616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305

Mina Woo, CEO of Flowing Academy in South Korea
Luis Oyson, Sophomore at Stanford University
Michael Wu, Senior at Stanford University
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Flyer for the conference "Taiwan Forward." Image: aerial view of Taipei.

We have reached capacity for this event and registration has closed.


Organized by the Taiwan Program at Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC)
Co-sponsored by National Taiwan University's Office of International Affairs

As Taiwan looks to develop comprehensive strategies to promote national interests, it faces challenges shared by other advanced economies. How can Taiwan leverage AI innovation and its semiconductor prowess to drive resilience and continued growth while promoting entrepreneurship and forging advantages in emerging industries? What regulatory and policy measures are needed to scale Taiwan’s role as a global leader in biomedical and healthcare advancements while ensuring patient trust and safety? How can it address the gaps posed by rapid family changes and population aging? And how do its historical and linguistic legacies shape present narratives and identities, within Taiwan and among the Taiwanese diaspora?

Join us for a conference that explores these questions and more, featuring panel discussions with scholars from Stanford University, National Taiwan University, and other universities in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, alongside Taiwanese industry leaders. We will examine Taiwan’s strategies for navigating modernization in a shifting global landscape — bridging technology, industry, culture, and society through interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives.

 

8:45 - 9:10 a.m.
Opening Session

Welcome Remarks

Shih-Torng Ding
Executive Vice President, National Taiwan University

Gi-Wook Shin
Director, Shorenstein APARC and the Taiwan Program, Stanford University

Congratulatory Remarks

Chia-Lung Lin
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan

Raymond Greene
Director, American Institute in Taiwan 


9:10-10:40 a.m.
Panel 1 — Advancing Health and Healthcare: Technology and Policy Perspectives     
    
Panelists 

Kuan-Ming Chen
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, National Taiwan University

Lynia Huang
Founder and CEO, Bamboo Technology Ltd.

Ming-Jen Lin
Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics, National Taiwan University

Siyan Yi
Associate Professor, School of Public Health, National University of Singapore

Moderator
Karen Eggleston
Director, Asia Health Policy Program, Shorenstein APARC, Stanford University


10:40-10:50 a.m.
Coffee and Tea Break


10:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Panel 2 — Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Leadership

Panelists 

Steve Chen
Co-founder, YouTube and Taiwan Gold Card Holder #1

Matthew Liu
Co-founder, Origin Protocol

Huey-Jen Jenny Su
Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Former President, National Cheng Kung University

Yaoting Wang
Founding Partner, Darwin Ventures, Taiwan

Moderator
H.-S. Philip Wong
Willard R. and Inez Kerr Bell Professor in the School of Engineering, Stanford University


12:30-1 p.m.

Perspectives from Stanford and NTU Students

Tiffany Chang
BS Student in Engineering Management & Human-Centered Design, Stanford University

Liang-Yu Ko
MA Student in Sociology, National Taiwan University


1-2 p.m. 
Lunch Break


2-3:30 p.m.  
Panel 3 — Interwoven Identities: Exploring Chinese Languages, Taiwanese-american Narratives, and Japanese Colonial Legacies in Taiwan

Panelists 

Carissa Cheng
BA Student in International Relations, Stanford University

Yi-Ting Chung
PhD Candidate in History, Stanford University

Jeffrey Weng
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, National Taiwan University

Moderator
Ruo-Fan Liu
Taiwan Program Postdoctoral Fellow, Shorenstein APARC, Stanford University


3:30-3:45 p.m. 
Coffee and Tea Break


3:45-5:15 p.m.    
Panel 4 —  The Demographic Transformation: Lessons from Taiwan and Comparative Cases

Panelists

Yen-Hsin Alice Cheng
Professor, Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica

Youngtae Cho
Professor of Demography and Director, Population Policy Research Center, Seoul National University

Setsuya Fukuda
Senior Researcher, National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan

Moderator
Paul Y. Chang
Tong Yang, Korea Foundation, and Korea Stanford Alumni Association Senior Fellow, Shorenstein APARC, Stanford University


5:15-5:30 p.m.    
Closing Remarks

Gi-Wook Shin
Director, Shorenstein APARC and the Taiwan Program, Stanford University

THIS CONFERENCE IS HELD IN TAIPEI, TAIWAN, ON SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2025, FROM 8:45 AM TO 5:30 PM, TAIPEI TIME

International Conference Hall, Tsai Lecture Hall
College of Law
National Taiwan University

No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road
Taipei City, 10617
Taiwan

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Cover of the working paper "Korean Cuisine Gone Global," showing a bowl of noodles.

To understand the transformation of Korean food from an “ethnic curiosity” into one of the world’s hottest cuisines, the Korea Program at Shorenstein APARC brought together culinary experts and  academics at the conference “Korean Cuisine Gone Global.” Held on April 11, 2024, the scholars offered insights into the transformation of Korean cuisine, the role of race and place in its success story, and new directions in studying food and Korean culture. Their papers are collected in this volume.

The conference also featured celebrity chef Judy Joo, a renowned television star, an international restaurateur, and owner of the famed Seoul Bird, and Ryu Soo-young, an acclaimed actor turned culinary maestro. 

About the Contributors

Rebecca Jo Kinney is an interdisciplinary teacher and scholar of American Studies and Ethnic Studies, and an associate professor at the School of Cultural Studies at Bowling Green State University. Kinney’s award-winning first book, Beautiful Wasteland: The Rise of Detroit as America’s Postindustrial Frontier (University of Minnesota Press, 2016), argues that contemporary stories told about Detroit’s potential for rise enable the erasure of white supremacist systems. Her research has appeared in American Quarterly, Food, Culture & Society, Verge: Studies in Global Asia, Radical History Review, and Race&Class, among other journals. Her second book, Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland: Race and Redevelopment in the Rust Belt, is forthcoming from Temple University Press in 2025. She is working on a third book, Making Home in Korea: The Transnational Lives of Adult Korean Adoptees, based on research undertaken while a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea. 

Robert Ji-Song Ku is an associate professor of Asian and Asian American Studies at Binghamton University (SUNY) and the managing editor of Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook of the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA. His teaching and research interests include Asian American studies, food studies, and transnational and diasporic Korean popular culture. Prior to Binghamton, he taught at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Hunter College (CUNY). He is the author of Dubious Gastronomy: Eating Asian in the USA (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2014) and co-editor of Eating More Asian America: A Food Studies Reader (NYU Press, forthcoming 2025), the sequel to Eating Asian America (NYU Press, 2013). He is also co-editor of Pop Empires: Transnational and Diasporic Flows of India and Korea (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2019) and Future Yet to Come: Sociotechnical Imaginaries in Modern Korea (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2021), as well as the Food in Asia and the Pacific series for the University of Hawai‘i Press. Born in Korea, he grew up in Hawai‘i and currently lives in Culver City, California. 

Jooyeon Rhee is an associate professor of Asian Studies and Comparative Literature and director of the Penn State Institute for Korean Studies. She specializes in modern Korean literature and culture. Her main research concerns Korean popular literature, with particular emphasis on transnational literary exchanges and interactions. Currently, she is writing her second book on cultural imaginations of crime and deviance manifested in late colonial Korean detective fiction. Her other research interests include diasporic art and literature and food studies. 

Dafna Zur (editor) is an associate professor of Korean literature and culture in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and director of the Center for East Asian Studies at Stanford. Her first book, Figuring Korean Futures: Children’s Literature in Modern Korea (2017), interrogates the contradictory political visions made possible by children’s literature in colonial and postcolonial Korea. Her second project explores sound, science, and space in the children’s literature of North and South Korea. She has published articles on North Korean popular science and science fiction, translations in North Korean literature, the Korean War in children’s literature, childhood in cinema, children’s poetry and music, and popular culture. Zur’s translations of Korean fiction have appeared in wordwithoutborders.org, Modern Korean Fiction : An Anthology, and the Asia Literary Review

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Papers from Shorenstein APARC’s Korea Program Conference

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We are pleased to share that Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures Dafna Zur, a faculty affiliate with APARC and the Korea Program, is the recipient of the Order of Culture Merit, the highest recognition bestowed by the government of the Republic of Korea, for her promotion of the Korean language and its writing system, Hangeul.

The Order of Cultural Merit recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Korean culture and arts, advancing national development. At Stanford, Zur teaches courses on Korean literature, cinema, and popular culture. She is the author of Figuring Korean Futures: Children’s Literature in Modern Korea (Stanford University Press, 2017), and has published articles on the Korean War in North and South Korean children’s literature, childhood in cinema, and Korean popular culture. Her new project examines moral education in science and literary youth magazines in postwar North and South Korea.

Congratulations to Professor Zur for this incredible honor! The Korea Program at APARC is enriched by Professor Zur’s important contributions to Korean Studies.

Watch the recording of the award ceremony held on Hangeul Day, October 9, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea.

 

In the Media

The Korea Herald >
KBS World Global Koreanists >

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side view encina hall
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Open Faculty Positions in Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy, Korean Studies, and Taiwan Studies

Stanford University seeks candidates for a new faculty position in Japanese politics and foreign policy, a faculty position in Korean Studies, and a new faculty position on Taiwan. All three appointments will be at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and affiliated with Shorenstein APARC.
Open Faculty Positions in Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy, Korean Studies, and Taiwan Studies
portraits of Jiwon Bang and Jong Boom Lim
News

13th Annual Korean Studies Writing Prize Awarded

Master's students Jiwon Bang (MA '24, East Asian Studies) and Jong Beom "JB" Lim (MS '25 Computer Science; BAS '24 International Relations and Mathematical Computational Science) are the recipients of the 13th annual Korea Program Prize for Writing in Korean Studies for their thesis papers.
13th Annual Korean Studies Writing Prize Awarded
Paul Y. Chang, FSI Senior Fellow
News

Korea Expert Paul Y. Chang Joins FSI as Senior Fellow

A leading sociologist of Korea, Professor Chang’s scholarship has influenced a number of subfields such as democratization, social movements, political repression, and demographic transition.
Korea Expert Paul Y. Chang Joins FSI as Senior Fellow
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Dafna Zur
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The award, the highest recognition bestowed by the government of the Republic of Korea, honors Zur for her contributions to promoting the Korean writing system, Hangeul.

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APARC Predoctoral Fellow, 2024-2025
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Alisha Elizabeth Cherian joined the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as APARC Predoctoral Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year. She is a PhD candidate in Social and Cultural Anthropology at Stanford University. She received her BA from Vassar College in Anthropology and Drama with a correlate in Asian Studies, and her MA in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.

Her dissertation, entitled "Beyond Integration: Indian Singaporean Public Urban Life", investigates how enforced racial integration shapes racial formations and race relations in Singapore. Her project explores everyday encounters and interactions that are structured, but not overdetermined, by the state's multiracial policies as well as colonial histories and regional legacies of Indian indentured and convict labour. With her research, she seeks to contribute to a more ethnographic understanding of how plural societies are approached both scholarly and practically.

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Visiting Student Researcher, 2024-2025
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Xinxin Lu joined the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as visiting student researcher in the fall of 2025 until winter 2026. She is currently a doctoral student in Sociology at Tsinghua University. Her dissertation focuses on "The Dying and the Chinese Family: The Economic, Moral, and Cultural Logic of End-of-Life Care in China."

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Taiwan Program Postdoctoral Fellow, 2024-2026
Ruo-Fan Website Headshot2.png Ph.D.

Ruo-Fan Liu is the inaugural Taiwan Program Postdoctoral Fellow at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC). She earned her PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research explores how Taiwan's holistic admission reforms created uncertainties for students and how parents and teachers leveraged cultural and social capital to restore admissions advantages.

A Fulbright recipient and former Congress party negotiator, Ruo-Fan is also the author of Let the Timber Creek: An Alternative School’s Utopia for Coming Generations, recognized as one of the top ten non-fiction books by China Times. Her work has been published in International Studies in Sociology of Education and Ethnography, and she also investigates transformative meritocracy and credentialism in East Asia.

At APARC, Ruo-Fan is transforming her dissertation, When Ladders Move, into a book manuscript while expanding her research on uncertainty and legitimacy to offer practical recommendations for different nations’ policies and talent flows. Learn more about her work on her website and follow her on X.

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