Korean Studies at Leiden University

25/06/2024

Het nieuwe kabinet dreigt bijna een miljard euro te bezuinigen op het hoger onderwijs. Dit brengt niet alleen het werk op de universiteit in gevaar, dit is een ramp voor Nederland zelf. De geplande langstudeerboete en andere financiële maatregelen zullen studenten zwaar treffen en de toegankelijkhe...

28/04/2024

Can anyone get to this article? I'm not having success:

Central and Eastern European Online Library - CEE journals, documents, articles, periodicals, books available online for download, Zeitschrfitendatenbank, Online Zeitschriften, Online Zeitschriftendatenbank

22/04/2024

Ik heb net gestemd in de universitaire verkiezingen. Ongevraagd stemadvies voor mijn collega's: Leidse Academische Gemeeschap, want ik wil meer democratie en zeggenschap voor de academische gemeenschap, minder geld naar alles wat niet de primaire taken behelst en een plattere, duurzame organisatie. Leidse Academische Gemeenschap LAG/LAC

I just voted in the elections for the new University Council. You haven't asked for it, but you'll get it nonetheless: my recommendation. I voted for Leiden Academic Community (LAG/LAC) and you could do worse than to do the same. Why? Because I dream about a university where the community is leading, where democracy thrives instead of being smothered in embarrassingly undemocratic appointment procedures that bypass co-participation structures. A university with a flat (or is that a Dutchism?) and non-hierarchical organisation that spends its money on the primary process instead of on PR damage control and strategic brand creation and a university that is sustainable.

20/03/2024

The South Korean non-governmental org PSCORE is coming to the Netherlands, and you can join them!

15/03/2024

An English translation of the memoir of senior North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho has been released.

05/03/2024

These workers were watched by security agents 24/7 and forced to work grueling 16-hour shifts under threat of violence.

23/01/2024

22/01/2024

Special Lecture and Discussion
In this turbulent era of geopolitics and economic security, can EU and Korea be better partners?

Speaker: Mr. Yeo Han-koo, former Trade Minister of the Republic of South Korea
Date: Friday, 2 February 2024
Time: 13.00 – 15:00 p.m.
Venue: Leiden University Law Faculty, Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw (KOG), room A0.51, Steenschuur 25, 2311ES Leiden, The Netherlands

The Lecture

In this turbulent era of geopolitics and economic security, the international community is witnessing a seismic shift in the global economy. From a once-globalized, open and free multilateral trading system, we are transitioning into a more managed, fragmented landscape driven by economic security concerns and geopolitical tensions. With the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China, supply chain disruptions, and the looming threat of climate crisis, 2024 presents an uncertain and tumultuous global circumstance.

This lecture will delve into the pressing questions of our time:


- What roles can like-minded third countries play in this changing landscape?
- How can the EU and South Korea, as two such entities, collaborate to navigate the challenges ahead?
- With more than 70 elections taking place worldwide, including in the US, EU, Korea, and Taiwan, what opportunities for cooperation can be identified?

The Speaker

Yeo Han-koo, former Republic of Korea Trade Minister and current senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, boasts experience in international trade. Over nearly three decades, he served as chief negotiator for key agreements, including RCEP and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. His research spans international trade policy, industrial policy, and supply chain resilience and economic security. As a seasoned negotiator, he played pivotal roles in amendments to the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement and Section 232 steel negotiations. Yeo holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, contributing to academia as a visiting professor.

Registration (required)

Please use the registration form on our website if you would like to attend this lecture. We will pass your name and email address on to building security. Please make sure to bring your identification (e.g. passport or ID card), which may be checked upon entering the Faculty of Law building.

The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) is a global research organisation and knowledge exchange platform based in Leiden, The Netherlands. The Institute initiates and supports interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral programmes that engage and connect partners in Asia and the rest of the world. The Institute seeks to promote a more contextualised understanding of Asian realities today and pioneers new approaches to the study of Asia and the ‘Asian factor’ in a changing global environment. It does so through an array of activities in the realms of research, education, publications, dissemination, network development, institutional support, and services to the community inside and outside academia.

IIAS | P.O. Box 9500 | 2300 RA | Leiden | www.iias.asia | Contact

25/07/2023

The trend seems impossible to reverse.

Two out of three Korean men in their early 30s are still single, up from about 5..

27/03/2023

Lezing en rondetafelgesprek met drie Zuid-Koreaanse auteurs, twee Nederlandse auteurs en een Nederlandse vertaler op 28 maart 2003. Je kunt je hier opgeven: https://formdesk.com/universiteitleiden/Korean_Dutch_literature_night_2023

Met manonuphoff, Pyun Hye-young, Yun Ko-eun, JaapRobben, matthomandersloot en Lee Hong.

Waar: Vossiuszaal .leiden

Wanneer: 28 maart, 17.30-19.30

13/03/2023

De discussie over het BSA is losgebarsten. Vanochtend stond er een interview in de Telegraaf hierover. Vanochtend was ik ook hierover bij Spraakmakers. https://www.nporadio1.nl/nieuws/binnenland/e436c496-3c4a-46d1-8b72-071a93fabe69/hoogleraar-er-zitten-veel-teveel-studenten-op-de-universiteit

04/01/2023

"An over-500-year-old letter written in Hangeul will be designated as a treasure as it shows the use of the Korean alphabet in the late 15th century, only decades after its development, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Friday.
The administration announced its plan to designate the "Hangeul letter by Na Sin-geol," which is believed to be the oldest letter written in Hangeul, as an official treasure, meaning that it will be considered as a tangible cultural heritage of important value and will be given the second-highest level of heritage status following national treasure, which is the highest level.
The two-page letter was sent by Na (1461-1524), a military officer of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), to his wife Shin Chang-maeng. He is presumed to have written the letter in the 1490s while serving as a low-ranking officer in Hamgyeong Province ― currently located in North Korea ― considering that the letter used the word "Yeongando," the old name of Hamgyeong Province used between 1470 and 1498, and that he was posted to the region in the 1490s.
The letter, folded many times, was discovered in Shin's tomb in Daejeon in 2011, along with 40 other pieces of artifacts including clothes."

An over-500-year-old letter written in Hangeul will be designated as a treasure as it shows the use of the Korean alphabet in the late 15th century, only decades after its development, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Friday.

11/12/2022

"‘We are unknown, we knowers, ourselves to ourselves,’ wrote Friedrich Nietzsche at the beginning of On the Genealogy of Morals (1887). This seeking after ourselves, however, is not something that is lacking in Buddhist and Confucian traditions – especially not in the case of Korean philosophy. Self-cultivation, central to the tradition, underscores that the onus is on the individual to develop oneself, without recourse to the divine or the supernatural. Korean philosophy is practical, while remaining agnostic to a large degree: recognising the spirit realm but highlighting that we ourselves take charge of our lives by taking charge of our minds."

Practice is at the heart of Korean philosophy. In order to lead a good life, hone your daily rituals of self-cultivation

01/12/2022

"While Pak Kyongni is well known in Korea, especially for her masterpiece, Toji, a sixteen-volume epic written over twenty-five years, she doesn’t enjoy nearly the same familiarity in the West. The Age of Doubt is a new translation that aims to change this. It offers English readers a collection of seven works of fiction from various stages in Pak’s career, each by a different translator.
Among other reasons, Pak is famous for her claim that she would never have become a writer had she been happy, and unhappiness is the default state in this collection."

28/11/2022

"Yoichi Sai, a film director known for his realistic depictions of the stories of Koreans living in Japan in the 1993 film "All Under the Moon" and the 2004 film "Blood and Bones," died of bladder cancer at his home in Tokyo on Sunday, his family said. He was 73."

Yoichi Sai, a film director known for his realistic depictions of the stories of Koreans living in Japan in the 1993 film "All Under the Moon" and the 2004 film "Blood and Bones," died of bladder cancer at his home in Tokyo on Nov. 27, his family said. He was 73.

28/09/2022

"Korea will introduce the country's sixth supercomputing system, which is 32 times faster than the currently most advanced Nurion supercomputer, in 2023 as part of the country's efforts to promote the advancement of science and contribute to the national economy in terms of disease research, materials development necessary for high-tech industries and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, a state-run research institution said Tuesday.
"A supercomputer is a large-sized computing system that performs large-capacity operations. It is becoming important as a key infrastructure for utilizing AI technology and other technologies as well as computational science," Lee S*k, director general of the division of national supercomputing at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), said during a press conference in Seoul.
"The difference in the use of supercomputers compared to the past is that they were mostly used for basic science a lot, but now they are more utilized in studies that are more related to human lives and industries such as dementia and cancer research and development of materials for batteries and semiconductors.""

Korea will introduce the country's sixth supercomputing system, which is 32 times faster than the currently most advanced Nurion supercomputer, next year as part of the country's efforts to promote the advancement of science and contribute to the national economy in terms of disease research, materi...

26/09/2022

"K-pop may have centered South Korea in global pop culture in recent years, with its stars attracting legions of fans and becoming muses for some of luxury fashion’s leading labels, but the nation has had a long and rich history in fashion — regardless of whether the West was watching.
That’s what Lee Talbot, curator at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, wants the world to see with the “Korea Fashion: From Royal Court to Runway” exhibit open now through Dec. 22, 2022."

The exhibit is open now at the GW Textile Museum in D.C.

04/08/2022

"South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol, has been accused of trying to placate China by avoiding Nancy Pelosi, a day after she became the most senior US official to visit Taiwan for a quarter of a century and sparked a furious response from Beijing.
Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, will reportedly speak to Pelosi on the phone but will not meet her in person during her visit to Seoul on Thursday, South Korean media said.
Yoon had reportedly planned a summer holiday well in advance of the US House speaker’s decision to visit the region, which included a controversial stop in Taiwan on Wednesday that drew threats of retaliation from China. The South Korean leader is reportedly in Seoul."

Yoon Suk-yeol will not meet US House speaker in move critics say aims to avoid antagonising China as tensions in the Taiwan strait simmer

04/08/2022

"In 1980, the value of South Korea’s exports was US$17.5 billion, or just 13.4% of the US$130.4 billion recorded by Japan. Since then, the ratio has risen steadily to 35.9% as of 2000, 60.6% as of 2010, and 85.2% as of 2021. So far this year, it has exceeded 90%.
The difference in South Korea and Japan’s cumulative export value between the months of January and May grew from US$93.0 billion in 2011 to US$109.4 billion in 2012. After shrinking to US$55.7 billion last year, it was down to US$16.2 billion this year.
Despite the gap closing between them in export dollar value terms, analysts noted that there is still a large divide between South Korea and Japan in terms of overall economic strength.
“Japanese companies are far ahead of South Korea in venturing overseas, with many cases of them making direct local investments in other countries, so that even when they have a negative balance of trade, they’re earning a surplus in current accounts,” noted Sakong Mok, a research fellow in the international industry division of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade."

Despite growing trade numbers, Korea continues to post a trade deficit with Japan

20/07/2022

Podcast: "Growing up in Kobe, Park Hyangsu lived in a world apart from most of the Japanese people around her. At school, her teachers spoke Korean. In the classroom, portraits of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il hung on the walls. For educational field trips, students traveled to the DPRK.
This week, Park joins the NK News podcast to discuss her family’s life inside Chongryon, the pro-DPRK organization of ethnic Koreans in Japan that acts as Pyongyang’s de facto embassy to Tokyo. She shares about her experience receiving Juche ideological education in school, the tragic story of her uncle who moved to the DPRK, how her family distanced itself from the organization and how she now speaks up for people like her family members who have been imprisoned and tortured in North Korea."

Park Hyangsu shares how she left Chongryon and the tragic story of her family members in the DPRK

20/07/2022

"Investigations by Nara Prefectural Police have found that the mother's devotion to the FFWPU, formerly called the Unification Church, contributed to Yamagami's crime.
She joined the religious group in about 1998, according to the church. But the uncle denied this, saying she joined in 1991 after her husband's su***de.
The mother donated some 20 million yen to the FFWPU when she joined in 1991 and contributed an additional 30 million several days after the first donation, the uncle said. The donation was financed by her husband's life insurance money, he added.
Property registration and other documents show that she sold two land lots, inherited from her father, in 1999 and went into voluntary bankruptcy in 2002. Her donations to the religious group exceeded 100 million yen, according to the uncle.

Family 'impoverished' due to huge offering to Unification Church: suspect's uncle

20/07/2022

"The success of the drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has pulled up the stock price of its production company, AStory. The stock price has risen more than 70 percent since the premiere of the drama.
The legal drama centering on Woo Young-woo, a genius lawyer who is on the autism spectrum, is gaining huge popularity, topping Netflix's most-watched show list not only in Korea, but also in Taiwan and Vietnam. It ranked in the top two in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, and top three in Japan and Malaysia as of Monday, according to FlixPatrol.
AStory traded at 17,200 won when the drama premiered on June 29. But it continued its steep rise with the drama gaining viewership through word-of-mouth recommendations. The stock closed at 30,500 won on Tuesday, down 2.71 percent from the previous day and pausing six consecutive trading days' rise. But it has already risen over 70 percent since the premiere date of the drama."

The success of the drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has pulled up the stock price of its production company, AStory. The stock price has risen more than 70 percent since the premiere of the drama. The legal drama centering on Woo Young-woo, a genius lawyer who is on the autism spectrum, is gaining...

18/07/2022

"The slides revealed rare color photographs of life in South Korea as it began to rebuild after the Korean War, a brutal three-year conflict that killed some five million people, more than half of them civilians. The subjects of the photographer’s gaze were ordinary people, for the most part: a woman wearing a bright pink hanbok outside a city bus station; a young man with an oversized bale of hay on his back stopping to gaze at the camera. Mixed in with the images of everyday life are also up-close glimpses of the political demonstrations, military activities, and powerful figures that marked this period of drastic change."

Young and well-connected, Marie Ann Han Yoo made vivid images of a country rebuilding from war. And then she lost them.

14/07/2022

"Prosecutors raided South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Wednesday as part of investigations into the forced repatriation of two North Koreans and the DPRK’s killing of a ROK civil servant under the Moon administration.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ press office told NK News it seeks to uncover the role of the country’s main intelligence agency in the cases, raiding the main NIS office in south-central Seoul.
The move comes a day after newly released photos showed at least one of the two North Korean fishermen physically resisted his handover to North Korean authorities across the inter-Korean border."

Prosecutors raided South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Wednesday as part of investigations into the forced repatriation of two North Koreans and the DPRK’s killing of a ROK civil servant under the Moon administration. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ press office told N...

13/07/2022

"“Squid Game” has become the first Korean series to be nominated for outstanding drama series at the Emmy Awards. Lee Jung-jae, who starred in the series as Seong Gi-hun, was nominated for lead actor in a drama.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which administers the Emmy Awards, announced the nominations for the 74th Emmy Awards in a live broadcast on NBC at 12:30 am on Wednesday, Korea time.
“Squid Game,” an original Netflix series, became the first non-English-language drama to receive a nod at the Emmys."

The smash-hit Korean streaming show is competing for best drama series, with multiple cast members up for awards as well

12/07/2022

"Korean shipbuilders are upping their investment into green maritime technology and digitalization in a bid to gain an upper hand in competition with rivals in China and Japan. With harsher environmental regulations set to be in place from 2023, the major shipbuilders — Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries — are betting that demand for ammonia-powered vessels will soar.
Although it is still in its development stage, ammonia is receiving attention as a green fuel to replace fuel oil in the future because it does not emit any carbon dioxide during combustion. In comparison, one gallon of diesel emits 10,180 grams (22.44 pounds) of carbon dioxide when combusted, and shipping currently accounts for 3 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.
Companies are eager to invest in green technologies such as those related to ammonia fuels. Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced in May this year that it would spend 7 trillion won ($5.67 billion) on research and development for green technology, including ammonia fuel technologies. HHI plans to hire more than 5,000 new employees for their R&D sector to this end. "

Korean shipbuilders are upping their investment into green maritime technology and digitalization in a bid to gain an upper hand in competition with rivals in China and Japan. With harsher environmental regulations set to be in place from 2023...

12/07/2022

"Hiroshi Yamaguchi, the president of the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales — a team of lawyers who have brought suits for damages against the Unification Church — and a lawyer who wrote the expose concerning the church titled “The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification,” pinpointed Kishi and Ryoichi Sasakawa, a former member of the House of Representatives and a Class A war criminal, as key figures who helped the church gain political influence within the LDP during an interview with CBS.
Yamaguchi also said, “The Unification Church’s political empowerment began during the time of Kishi, Abe’s grandfather, with Sasakawa acting as a bridge.” He further claimed that “North Korea policies and anti-communist movements under conservative administrations were carried out through the help of the Unification Church’s IFVOC, and as there are barely any young election campaigners or party members in Japan, Japanese politicians probably could not refuse funds and campaigners systematically sent by the Unification Church.”"

The relationship between the Unification Church and Japanese political circles is being all the more highlighted due to the religious movement’s enormous success in Japan

03/07/2022

"A degree from a prestigious overseas university no longer simply attests to the holder being a “global talent” — it paves the way for them to become a member of South Korea’s elite. For evidence, we can look at the academic histories of the people employed in management at major corporations.
The Hankyoreh examined the 30 countries that ranked highest for market capitalization as of late December 2021. The results showed that 33 out of 86 executive directors (38.4%) had an overseas university degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral) as their highest level of academic attainment. That percentage has been steadily rising over the past few decades, with rates of 19.7% (26 out of 132) in 2001 and 33% (29 out of 88) in 2011.
The situation was no different for senior government officials. Newstapa found that of the 17 Cabinet ministers confirmed or nominated under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration as of May 16, 10 of them (58.5%) had received master’s or doctoral degrees overseas, while 12 out of their 31 adult children collectively (38.7%) had matriculated at an overseas university at the undergraduate or graduate level."

Part of the Hankyoreh’s series on the industry built off of affluent Koreans’ desire to join the class of global elites

02/07/2022

"North Korea has blamed its Covid-19 outbreak on balloons sent over its border with the South by groups of defectors, in an apparent attempt to shift the blame onto its neighbour.
After two years of insisting that it had not recorded a single case of the virus, the North admitted its first infections on 12 May, sparking fears of a public health disaster in the impoverished country.
On Friday, the country reported that 4,570 people were newly displaying fever symptoms, bringing the total caseload to 4.74 million. Health authorities refer to fever symptoms rather than Covid-19, apparently due to a shortage of testing kits. The North has reported only 73 deaths."

Experts sceptical of claim, as state media urge citizens to watch out for ‘alien things coming by wind’