Stanford University

Panel Explores K-pop's Impact on Korean Studies

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On November 2, the Korea Program’s Future Visions conference closed with a panel featuring Siwon Choi — a member of Korean boy band Super Junior — and SM Entertainment USA director and music producer Dominique Rodriguez. Panelists spoke about the global reach of Korean pop music (K-pop) and how it could be a key stimulator of Korean studies in America and the rest of the West.

A recap of the panel by The Stanford Daily is now available online.

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Siwon Choi speaks at panel as part of Future Visions conference.
Siwon Choi speaks at panel as part of Future Visions conference.
Nicole Feldman
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Leading Korean Studies Scholars to Examine the Field’s Future at Stanford Conference

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October 16, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STANFORD, CA — The Korea Program at Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) is pleased to announce it will convene distinguished Korea scholars from across North America at the conference “Future Visions: Challenges and Possibilities of Korean Studies in North America” on November 1-2, 2018. Participants will gather at Stanford to discuss how the field has evolved over time, the challenges and opportunities it faces, and its future direction and potential.

“The panels and panelists at this conference represent the quality and depth of Korean Studies in North America,” says APARC Director and the Korea Program Director Gi-Wook Shin. “This is our opportunity to take stock of our achievements in nurturing Korean studies to date, while also considering frankly where we go next and how we might go there together as peers.”

Six unique panels are scheduled over the course of the two-day conference, on themes including literature, language education, social sciences, history, and library collections and services. Each section will consist of three or four panelists who will discuss the state of the discipline.

Stanford faculty will be joined by scholars from twelve North American institutions, including Harvard University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of British Columbia, University of California-Los Angeles, and the University of California-Berkley. They will consider issues such as the research trends in each discipline, the challenges and possibilities for graduate student training, and what intuitional structures may better support faculty.

Additionally, a closing panel discussion on the rise of K-Pop (“Korean Wave”) will be headlined by two prominent artists of Korean Wave, Dominique Rodriguez, Director of SM Entertainment USA, and CHOI Si-Won of Super Junior.  

“We’ve only just begun to examine Korean popular culture through a more rigorous academic lens,” notes Shin. “This conference can serve as a significant first step in exploring what our intersecting disciplines can learn from K-Pop, as well as the other cultural forms that comprise Korean Wave.”

Serving as cosponsor of the conference is Foundation Academia Platonica. Based in Seoul, Korea, the Academy supports the development of research in the humanities. The Foundation endowed a senior fellow in Korean studies position at FSI/APARC and supports research at the Korea Program.

“Foundation Academia Platonica is honored to be involved in this conference,” says Chairman of the Foundation Academia Platonica Chang Won Chey. “We share similar commitments to those of the Korea Program, and agree with them on the great importance this event holds for the future of Korea studies.”

The Korea Program at APARC is proud to partner with the academy and looks forward to future collaborations

For more information about the conference and to view the complete agenda (including the scheduled panelists), visit stanford.io/2ygFxih.

About the Korea Program
The Korea Program at Stanford’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, directed by Gi-Wook Shin, conducts multidisciplinary, social science-oriented research on policy-relevant Korea topics and supports teaching and outreach on Korean issues through courses, fellowships, seminars, and conferences. For more information, visit aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/korea.

About the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia Pacific Center

The Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center is dedicated to the study of critical issues affecting the countries of Asia and their regional and global relations. Our scholar community is comprised of distinguished academics and practitioners in government, business, and civil society. Through policy-relevant research, publications, education, public programs, and international collaborations, we address pressing challenges in a world in which Asia plays an increasingly central role. For more information, visit aparc.fsi.stanford.edu.

About Foundation Academia Platonica

Foundation Academia Platonica, the first foundation dedicated to support humanities studies in Korea, was established in November, 2010, with an ambitious mission; “To develop and spread the ‘Humanities of soul-searching’ which aims to see the universal progress of the human-spirit and pursue Arete(excellence in virtue).” For more information, visit www.platonacademy.org

Media Contact
Noa Ronkin, DPhil
noa.ronkin@stanford.edu

For more information about the conference, visit: https://stanford.io/2ygFxih, or contact the Korea Program Manager
Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center
Stanford University
hjahn@stanford.edu 

 

 

 

 

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Conversation with Choi Si-won: K-Pop Super Junior

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We are sorry that the registration is now closed. It has reached the limit of the room capacity.

 

This event is one of the sessions in a 2-day conference, "Future Visions: Challenges and Possibilities of Korean Studies in North America," held November 1~2 at Stanford University.

If you are interested in attending other sessions of the conference, please click here to register.

The 2-day conference agenda is available.

Download pdf

Paul Brest Hall

555 Salvatierra Walk, Stanford University

Panel Discussions
Korean Studies Colloquium Series

7th Annual Korean Studies Writing Prize Awarded

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Sungmoon Lim (BA '18 Urban Studies) has won the 7th annual Korea Program Prize for Writing in Korean Studies for her paper, "Urban Design in the Age of Globalization: An Analysis of the Global Reception of Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon Stream Restoration Project." Gi-Wook Shin, director of the Korea Program at Shorenstein APARC, says, "Sungmoon's paper is superb. Her work is original and ambitious and her thesis will make an excellent contribution to various fields and sub-fields, including urban studies, globalization, and Korean studies." The award announcement may be viewed here.

Sponsored by the Korea Program and the Center for East Asian Studies, the writing prize recognizes and rewards outstanding examples of writing by Stanford students in an essay, term paper or thesis produced during the current academic year in any discipline within the area of Korean studies, broadly defined. The competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Past Recipients:

6th Annual Prize (2017)

 

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Eun Young Park

616 Serra StreetEncina Hall E301Stanford, CA94305-6055
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Eun Young Park joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) during the 2018-2019 academic year from the law firm of Kim & Chang where he serves as a partner and co-chair of international arbitration and litigation practice group.  Dr. Park has served as Judge in the Seoul District Court during the Kim Young Sam government. After joining Kim & Chang he has focused on international dispute resolution including trade sanctions, transnational litigation, and international arbitration. He was appointed to Vice-President of the London Court of International Arbitration and a Member of the Court of Arbitration of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. He has taught in many universities including SKK University School of Law as an adjunct professor. His research focuses on the possibility of establishing dispute resolution mechanism in the transition of East Asian countries. The research interests encompass decisions from international tribunal arising out of international and transnational disputes of various areas including boundaries, economic disputes, and reparation arising out of transitional justice; trends and efforts to establish an independent judicial body to cope with conflicts and disputes in the region. Dr. Park is an editor of Korean Arbitration Review and has published articles including "Appellate Review in Investor State Arbitration," Reshaping the Investor-State Dispute Settlement System: Journeys for the 21st Century and "Rule of Law in Korea," Taiwan University Journal of Law. He is an author of a book entitled "The Analysis of the Iran Sanctions Act of the United States and the Strategy of the Overseas Construction Project” (in Korean). 

He holds a J.S.D. and LL.M. from NYU School of Law and M. Jur. and B. Jur. from Seoul National University.

Visiting Scholar at APARC

Andray Abrahamian

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Andray Abrahamian was the 2018-19 Koret Fellow at Stanford University. He is also an Honorary Fellow at Macquarie University, Sydney and an Adjunct Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute. He is an advisor to Choson Exchange, a non-profit that trains North Koreans in economic policy and entrepreneurship. He was previously Executive Director and Research Director for Choson Exchange. That work, along with supporting sporting exchanges and a TB project, has taken him to the DPRK nearly 30 times. He has also lived in Myanmar, where he taught at Yangon University and consulted for a risk management company. He has conducted research comparing the two countries, resulting in the publication of "North Korea and Myanmar: Divergent Paths" (McFarland, 2018). Andray has published extensively and offers expert commentary on Korea and Myanmar, including for US News, Reuters, the New York Times, Washington Post, Lowy Interpreter and 38 North.  He has a PhD in International Relations from the University of Ulsan, South Korea and an M.A. from the University of Sussex where he studied media discourse on North Korea and the U.S.-ROK alliance, respectively. Andray speaks Korean, sometimes with a Pyongyang accent.

North Korea expert selected as 2018-19 Koret Fellow

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Andray Abrahamian will be the 2018-19 Koret Fellow in the Korea Program at Stanford’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC). Abrahamian has been Executive Director and Director of Research for Choson Exchange, a non-profit that has trained over 2000 North Koreans in entrepreneurship and economic policy since 2010. His work for Choson Exchange and other projects has taken him to North Korea 30 times. He has also lived in Myanmar, allowing him the ability to conduct field research for his new book, North Korea and Myanmar: Divergent Paths (2018, McFarland). Divergent Paths asks how Myanmar came to end its isolation, while North Korea has yet not. 

“When it comes to North Korea, Dr. Abrahamian has been very active both as an academic and on the ground. He has genuine hands-on experience of working with North Koreans from his numerous trips to the country. In this important period of flux for North Korea’s place on the world stage, we welcome Dr. Abrahamian as 2018-19 Koret Fellow, and look forward to his meaningful contributions to our activities.” “His experience and understanding of North Korea will be a great asset to our program,” Gi-Wook Shin, director of APARC said.

andray abrahamian koret fellow pic
As the 2018-19 Koret Fellow, Abrahamian will research the economic relations of North Korea during changing geopolitical conditions as well as entrepreneurship in North Korea as it relates to communities of Koreans abroad. He also plans to write a general readership book that explains contemporary North Korean society. While at Stanford, he will teach a course on contemporary North Korean society and engage in public talks and conferences on Korea issues. During his fellowship, Abrahamian will also help organize the Koret Workshop, an international conference held annually at Stanford University.

Abrahamian is an Honorary Fellow at Macquarie University, Sydney, and an Adjunct Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute. He is a frequent contributor to 38North.org, a website focused on North Korea analysis, and is a member of the US National Committee on North Korea. Andray holds a PhD from the University of Ulsan and an MA from the University of Sussex in International Relations. He has taught courses at Yangon University and Ulsan University. 

Supported by the Koret Foundation, the fellowship brings leading professionals to Stanford to conduct research on contemporary Korean affairs with the broad aim of strengthening ties between the United States and Korea.

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Assessing the Effectiveness of Alliance Responses to Regional and Global Threats

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From 31 January through 1 February 2018, Stanford University’s U.S.-Asia Security Initiative (USASI) and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), gathered in Tokyo representatives from the government, defense, and academic sectors of the United States and Japan for the second workshop of the U.S.-Japan Security and Defense Dialogue Series. The purpose of the workshop was to facilitate frank discussions between academic scholars, subject matter experts, government officials, and military leaders on the current strategic and operational security challenges to the U.S.-Japan security alliance. The goal of the dialogue was to establish a common understanding of the problems facing the U.S.-Japan security alliance and to develop actionable policy recommendations aimed at addressing these issues.

This conference report provides an executive summary, policy recommendations, and a summary of the workshop sessions and findings. More information about USASI is available here.

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Stanford students visit Korea to experience how international policy works in practice

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Students from Ford Dorsey Master’s Program in International Policy spent a week in Korea to experience firsthand how international policy works in practice.

The full article can be viewed here.

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Student Isabelle Foster asks Lieutenant Commander Daniel McShane about his time defending the DMZ as they stand on a platform overlooking North Korea. Photo by Nicole Feldman.
Student Isabelle Foster asks Lieutenant Commander Daniel McShane about his time defending the DMZ as they stand on a platform overlooking North Korea. Photo by Nicole Feldman.
Nicole Feldman
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Gi-Wook Shin on Korea

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Gi-Wook Shin, director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and of the Korea Program, regularly writes on Korean affairs for Korean audience. His recent articles in Munhwa Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper, are listed below. Note: these articles are written in Korean.

Three ambiguities should be resolve in Hanoi (Gi-Wook Shin, February 13, 2019)

Come and See Silicon Valley, the Front Line for the U.S.-China Technology War (Gi-Wook Shin, January 23, 2019)

The Danger of the Administrative Politicization of the Moon Government (Gi-Wook Shin, January, 9, 2019)

Populism Politics and Democracy in Korea (Gi-Wook Shin, November 28, 2018)

BTS and Kim Jong Un are well-known to Americans (Gi-Wook Shin, November 7, 2018)

North Korea nuclear issue: A chronic disease (Gi-Wook Shin, October 17, 2018)

This time North Korea must take the opportunity missed 20 years ago (Gi-Wook Shin, September 19, 2018)

The Danger of a Compromised Alliance (Gi-Wook Shin, August 1, 2018)

With Trade War, Will U.S. and China Fall into Thucydides Trap?  (Gi-Wook Shin, July 18, 2018)

Three Track approach is still valid in dealing with North Korea nuclear issues (Gi-Wook Shin, July 4, 2018)

Withdrawal of US troops from South Korea now becomes an option (Gi-Wook Shin, June 20, 2018)

Risky game between North Korea and U.S. (Gi-Wook Shin, May 30, 2018)

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