Column
Spreading Knowledge about Korea and Korean Culture
in America's Heartland
Keith Seidel
Assistant Director, The Institute for Korean Studies at Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) has long been known for its language and area studies programs, including its robust Korean studies program. The Korean program at IU began in 1962, when the newly created Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures began offering Korean language courses, the first in the Midwest. From the program's inception, there have been three notable characteristics of the Korean program at IU: First, Korean language and Korean studies courses have been offered at the initiative of the Department; second, Korean programming and outreach have been driven by the East Asian Studies Center; and third, Korean language class enrollments have been composed mostly of non-heritage students. The University's central role in driving the demand for Korean studies contrasts with how Korean studies developed at most other American universities.
IU's commitment to Korean studies is evident in its founding of the Institute for Korean Studies (IKS) in 2016 and the hiring of an Institute director, associate director and assistant director. Dr. Seung-kyung Kim joined IU's faculty as Korea Foundation Chair and inaugural director of IKS. Under her leadership, IKS has been successful in promoting interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of Korea, on campus and beyond. We advance both cultural fluency and applied social policy by providing programs for students, faculty, and the community.
During IKS's first year, we were awarded a Core University Program grant from the Academy of Korean Studies: "Establishing Korean Studies in America's Heartland: Social Science, Policy, and Cultural Fluency." This five-year grant allows us to spread knowledge and interest about Korea at IU and across the Midwest. During the first four years of the grant, IKS has had great success in promoting Korean studies.
Another way IU has built up the Korean studies program is through hiring new faculty. In recent years, IU has hired Dr. Jiyoung Kim as a full-time Korean language lecturer, Dr. Seung-kyung Kim as Korea Foundation Chair, Dr. John Finch as lecturer in Korean studies, and Dr. Susan Hwang as a Korean literature and cultural studies professor. In the next academic year, Dr. Russell Burge will join the department as a tenure-track faculty in modern Korean history. We also expect to be able to add another faculty member in social science and policy of Korea. These faculty members represent a wide range of specialties and are able to offer courses on almost any topic. With these faculty members in place, we will be ready to establish our long wished-for PhD program in Korean studies.
A key aspect of the AKS grant was our plan to develop regional partnerships with four neighboring public universities (Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville), where only the University of Illinois had an existing Korean studies program, and these partnerships have now been firmly established. This network enables Korean studies to reach a community in America's Heartland that otherwise does not have exposure to the field. IU's work with our partner universities has paid off with a number of recent hires: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hired Dr. Myoung-Sun Song as assistant professor of Modern and Contemporary Korean Culture with an appointment starting in Fall 2020; Purdue University hired a lecturer in Korean language who began teaching in Fall 2019; and the University of Kentucky hired a lecturer in Korean language to start teaching in Fall 2020. With this hire, it will be the first time Korean language courses have been offered at the University of Kentucky.
IKS holds an annual international conference on diverse topics ranging from Korean democracy to the Korea-China relationship. Each conference brings together scholars, policy makers, and diplomats in an exciting and innovative format which combines cultural fluency and applied social policy. The first half of the conference contains academic presentations and discussions of the conference topic, while the second half is a roundtable policy discussion. Another highlight of the conference is that we include a Korean-themed musical performance featuring musicians from IU's world-renowned Jacob's School of Music.
The Korean film series held annually introduces Korean film to IU students, the Bloomington community and communities at our partner institutions. Through this program, IU screens Korean films at IU's state-of-the-art cinema and brings Korean directors in Bloomington to discuss their films. Recent topics have included "The Films of Byun Young-joo," "The Films of Ryoo Seung-wan," and "Recent Coming-of-Age Films by South Korean Women Directors." Directors including Byun Young-joo, Ryoo Seung-wan and Bora Kim have been well-received by people involved in Korean studies, cultural studies, and film studies, and the film series has been one of IKS's most popular and successful events.
IKS also co-hosts an annual Korean Night with IU's East Asian Studies Center. This full-day event showcases Korean culture through cultural displays and performances and features a lecture on a Korea-related topic. This event brings up to 1,000 students, faculty, and community members together to celebrate all things Korean, and it has become one of the most eagerly anticipated events on campus.
IU's commitment to Korean studies is evident in its founding of the Institute for Korean Studies (IKS) in 2016 and the hiring of an Institute director, associate director and assistant director. Dr. Seung-kyung Kim joined IU's faculty as Korea Foundation Chair and inaugural director of IKS. Under her leadership, IKS has been successful in promoting interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of Korea, on campus and beyond. We advance both cultural fluency and applied social policy by providing programs for students, faculty, and the community.
During IKS's first year, we were awarded a Core University Program grant from the Academy of Korean Studies: "Establishing Korean Studies in America's Heartland: Social Science, Policy, and Cultural Fluency." This five-year grant allows us to spread knowledge and interest about Korea at IU and across the Midwest. During the first four years of the grant, IKS has had great success in promoting Korean studies.
1. Building Korean Studies at IU and Partner Institutions
One of our main goals has been to establish IU as a hub for Korean studies in the Southern Midwest. IKS has played an integral role in bringing Korean studies at IU to the next level. During the last four years, we have begun revitalizing our graduate program. After several years without accepting any MA students, IKS has been able to attract many excellent students to the program. To date, we have recruited six MA students, the first of whom graduated in 2020. Our students are highly motivated and ambitious, and we expect them to continue to contribute to the field after graduation.Another way IU has built up the Korean studies program is through hiring new faculty. In recent years, IU has hired Dr. Jiyoung Kim as a full-time Korean language lecturer, Dr. Seung-kyung Kim as Korea Foundation Chair, Dr. John Finch as lecturer in Korean studies, and Dr. Susan Hwang as a Korean literature and cultural studies professor. In the next academic year, Dr. Russell Burge will join the department as a tenure-track faculty in modern Korean history. We also expect to be able to add another faculty member in social science and policy of Korea. These faculty members represent a wide range of specialties and are able to offer courses on almost any topic. With these faculty members in place, we will be ready to establish our long wished-for PhD program in Korean studies.
A key aspect of the AKS grant was our plan to develop regional partnerships with four neighboring public universities (Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville), where only the University of Illinois had an existing Korean studies program, and these partnerships have now been firmly established. This network enables Korean studies to reach a community in America's Heartland that otherwise does not have exposure to the field. IU's work with our partner universities has paid off with a number of recent hires: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hired Dr. Myoung-Sun Song as assistant professor of Modern and Contemporary Korean Culture with an appointment starting in Fall 2020; Purdue University hired a lecturer in Korean language who began teaching in Fall 2019; and the University of Kentucky hired a lecturer in Korean language to start teaching in Fall 2020. With this hire, it will be the first time Korean language courses have been offered at the University of Kentucky.
2. Spreading Knowledge about Korea and Korean Culture
Another part of our mission is spreading knowledge about Korea and Korean culture to an ever-expanding audience. To that end, we host several events throughout the year.IKS holds an annual international conference on diverse topics ranging from Korean democracy to the Korea-China relationship. Each conference brings together scholars, policy makers, and diplomats in an exciting and innovative format which combines cultural fluency and applied social policy. The first half of the conference contains academic presentations and discussions of the conference topic, while the second half is a roundtable policy discussion. Another highlight of the conference is that we include a Korean-themed musical performance featuring musicians from IU's world-renowned Jacob's School of Music.
The Korean film series held annually introduces Korean film to IU students, the Bloomington community and communities at our partner institutions. Through this program, IU screens Korean films at IU's state-of-the-art cinema and brings Korean directors in Bloomington to discuss their films. Recent topics have included "The Films of Byun Young-joo," "The Films of Ryoo Seung-wan," and "Recent Coming-of-Age Films by South Korean Women Directors." Directors including Byun Young-joo, Ryoo Seung-wan and Bora Kim have been well-received by people involved in Korean studies, cultural studies, and film studies, and the film series has been one of IKS's most popular and successful events.
IKS also co-hosts an annual Korean Night with IU's East Asian Studies Center. This full-day event showcases Korean culture through cultural displays and performances and features a lecture on a Korea-related topic. This event brings up to 1,000 students, faculty, and community members together to celebrate all things Korean, and it has become one of the most eagerly anticipated events on campus.
3. Creating Programs to Support Undergraduate Students
A steadily increasing number of undergraduate students at IU are interested in learning about Korea and Korean culture. There has been a 270% increase in the number of students enrolled in Korean language courses at IU in the past decade! IKS has developed several programs to support these students and provide them with opportunities to explore Korean studies. These programs include the GW-IU Undergraduate Research Exchange Program, the Korean Speech Contest, and the Korean Literature Essay Contest.The GW-IU Undergraduate Research Exchange Program is a joint venture with the Institute for Korean Studies at the George Washington University. Each school selects five students to participate in research workshops during the fall and spring semesters, take part in a mini-conference, and present their papers at the annual GW-IU Undergraduate Research Exchange Conference in the spring semester. The conference alternates locations between Washington, DC, and Bloomington, Indiana. This program provides undergraduate students with numerous benefits, including close mentoring from Korean studies faculty, invaluable experience in conducting research and writing a research paper, and exposure to the academic field of Korean studies. The students who participate in the program are some of our best students, and their topics have included the representation of elderly people and minorities in South Korean media, the rise of independent markets in North Korea, and changes in Korean phonology. Many alumni of the program have gone on to graduate school in Korean studies or to work in Korea.
IKS held the first annual Korean Speech Contest in 2018, and the program was an instant success. Korean language students at IU are enthusiastic in honing their language skills and this contest gives them an opportunity to show what they have learned. A growing number of students participate in the competition each year, and in 2020, one of IU's student K-Pop dance groups, Unity, performed at the conclusion of the competition. The winner of the Intermediate level in 2019 went on to participate and win a first prize award at the Midwest Korean Speech Contest, which included 17 universities and 41 participants.
The Korean Literature Essay Contest asks undergraduate students to read a work of Korean literature in translation and submit an essay on a topic related to the book. Korean literature is becoming increasing recognized around the world, and the contest helps students to become aware of it. Starting in 2021, we will build on our partnership with the George Washington University and co-host a larger program.
4. Future of Korean Studies and the Institute for Korean Studies
This article covers only a portion of the work we do at IKS. You can obtain information about other programs on our website: https://iks.indiana.edu. Our successes over the past four years has been made possible by encouragement and backing from IU and gracious support from the Academy of Korean Studies, the Korea Foundation, and IU friends and alumni. Above all else, the passion and dedication of IU's students and faculty to establish IU as a hub for Korean studies has been crucial to the advances we have made. With this backing and hard work, we are confident that IU's Korean studies program and the Institute for Korean Studies will continue to grow as we build more partnerships in spreading Korean studies and Korean culture.
