The history of the Korean peninsula has long been intertwined with imperial powers. Interactions with these powers brought Korea to confrontation with different forms of universalizing ideologies, a dynamic which shaped and transformed Korean institutions and their historical development. This two-day conference brings together scholars in various humanities and social science disciplines to investigate how Korean polities and actors engaged with “empire,” broadly conceived as conceptual, institutional, and social structures justified by claims to universal normativity: whether they be represented by Confucian dynasties and international organizations, or enforced through Cold War orthodoxies. How have Korean actors resisted, contested, but especially, appropriated “empire” for their own ends? How do pre-nineteenth experiences with “empire” have lasting impacts on later interactions? How does modern and contemporary Korean international engagement inform understandings of Korea’s past?

April 22nd, 2016 8:30–6:00 PM
April 23rd, 2016 9:00–7:00 PM

Sixiang Wang (Moon Family Postdoctoral Fellow)

Eugene Y. Park (Korea Foundation Associate Professor)