International Institute of Korean Studies

News

In November 2020, Dr Sojin Lim’s article was published at the National Interest. See how she discussed the relationship between Kim Jong Un and new US President, Joe Biden here.

In October 2020, with France 24, TNT World TV in Turkey, and Deutsche Welle Television in Berlin, Dr Sojin Lim discussed the 75th anniversary of the Korea Workers’ Party and military parade in North Korea. Read Dr Sojin Lim's interview with France 24, here and for the original version in French click here.

In October 2020, Dr Jeong-Im Hyun had an interview with French magazine, Madame Le Figaro, about K-Pop and Blackpink in French. Read the interview here.

Dr Sojin Lim discussed over the incident in which a South Korean official was shot dead and burned by North Korea with the CNA TV Singapore on 24 September 2020. Watch her interview.

On 26 August 2020, Co-Director of IKSU, Dr Sojin Lim discussed COVID-19 situation in North Korea with the impact of Typhoon Bavi, with CNA TV Singapore. Watch her interview with CNA. Dr Sojin Lim also had two other interviews about increasing power of Kim Yo Jong in North Korea with the Deutsche Welle Television in Berlin and the Readaction Politics on 28 August 2020. Read Dr Sojin Lim's interviews with the Readaction Politics.

Dr Sojin Lim has discussed about Social Purification project in the 1980s in South Korea with BBC World Service News on 18 July 2020. You can hear it here.

In June, Co-Director of the IKSU, Dr Sojin Lim discussed who Kim Yo-jong is with BBC upon recently increasing conflict between North and South Korea. Watch Dr Sojin Lim's discussion here.

On 15 May 2020, Dr Sojin Lim’s discussion about US-North Korea future relations were published by the National Interest. You can find more in detail here. Prior to this, on 13 May 2020, she gave an online lecture about ‘the (Non) Traditional Security Situation in the Korean Peninsula’. Her lecture was delivered for diplomats who participated in the Leadership in International Security Course 2019-2020, Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

In May 2020, our final year student, Ms Samara Brown has one the “2020 Invitation Programme for Distinguished TOPIK Achievers”. This programme is hosted by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), Ministry of Education in South Korea (the Republic of Korea). In this year, only one individual was selected each from 15 different countries, for a total of 15 participants for the programme. This programme has been designed to provide its participants with an invaluable, enriching experience in Korea. Accordingly, Samara will travel to South Korea for 10 days in November 2020.

In April 2020, Professor Niki Alsford, who is also Co-Director of IKSU, published his new Conversation article about North Korea’s response to the COVID-19. Full details can be found here.

Grants

In May 2020, the MA North Korean Studies team (PI: Dr Sojin Lim) has been successful for the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) Core University Programme grant. Based on this, we will be able to enhance our postgraduate programme for the next five years with a number of MA scholarships and PhD studentships. The total value of the award is £630,000. More details can be found here.

News

Dr Sojin Lim, Deputy Director had an interview with Channel News Asia in Singapore to discuss what exactly Pyongyang meant when it said it would be ‘up to Washington to decide what Christmas gift comes at the end of the year’, on 3 December 2019.

We are glad to announce that Dr Niki Alsford (Director) and Dr Sojin Lim (Deputy Director) have become Routledge Research on Korea series editors as of October 2019. You can find more information here. 

We are glad to announce that our Director, Dr Niki Alsford has become Professor. His professorship is in effect from September 2019

Dr Sojin Lim had an interview with BBC World Service News about National Security Law in South Korea on 15 September 2019. 

In September 2019, Mr Gyuhwan Kim joined IKSU as a visiting researcher from the Ministry of Education in South Korea. He will conduct a research about “Lessons from Preston: Innovating University governance for enhancing public values of local community” between 2019 and 2021.

Dr Sojin Lim had an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) about escalating tensions between South Korea and Japan on 23 August 2019.

On 16 August 2019, Dr Sojin Lim, Deputy Director of the IKSU had two interviews (BBC News Channel and France 24) about North Korea’s another missile test by rejecting further dialogues with South Korean government. Her interview with BBC News can be seen here.

Dr Niki Alsford, Director of the Institute of Korean Studies, gave an interview with Forces Radio BFBS on North Korea and recent missile tests on 8 August 2019. Listen to his interview here.

On 30 June 2019, Dr Sojin Lim, Deputy Director of IKSU, made three appearances on BBC Breakfast discussing the meeting of US President Donald Trump and North Korea Leader Kim Jong-Un in the Korean demilitarised zone (DMZ). You can see her opinion during BBC Breakfast here, you will need your UCLan username and password to view this content. Dr Sojin Lim also discussed the implications of Trump-Kim meeting on DMZ throughout BC Radio 5 Live interview, which was broadcasted across BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music and over 31 regional BBC Radio programmes. Her interview continued to BBC News as well.

On 20 June 2019, Dr Sojin Lim, Deputy Director of IKSU, had an interview with ABC TV in Australia Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea. She discussed possible conversation between Xi and Kim about China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative over Korea Peninsula as a way to support North Korea’s economic development. Dr Lim also talked about the scenario which China offers North Korea to join the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is a part of master plan of China’s OBOR.

On 4 May and 10 May 2019, Dr Sojin Lim discussed the reasons why North Korea conducted recent missiles/projectiles tests, and what are the implications, at France 24 TV live news.

On 25 April 2019, Dr Sojin Lim provided her comments on Kim-Putin Summit held in Vladivostok at Euronews, France 24, and Russia Today. Her thought on this issue was also published at La Razón, a Spanish newspaper, on 26 April 2019.

In March 2019, Dr Sojin Lim had an interview with BBC Radio World about North Korea’s withdrawal of its personnel from the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong as a reaction of Hanoi Summit.

Dr Sojin Lim appeared on the BBC World Service twice giving her expert opinion on North Korea on 3 January 2019 about defection of North Korean acting Ambassador in Italy; and 8 January 2019 about Kim Jong-un’s visit to China before Kim-Trump second summit. She also wrote “North Korea: what latest defection tells us about hopes for peace on peninsula on Tuesday 8 January. Since then, this article has been read almost 3,500 times with more than 2,000 reads coming from the United States.

In January 2019, Dr Lim’s written evidence to the House of Lords EU External Affairs Sub-Committee Committee for the 'International Development Cooperation after Brexit Inquiry' has been published at Parliament website. Dr Lim is teaching economic development and effective institution modules in MA North Korean Studies based on her expertise in international development and North Korea.

Grants

In August 2019, Dr Sojin Lim was awarded a grant for the tenure-track Professorship in Korean Studies by the Korea Foundation, and successfully hired Dr Jeong-Im Hyun as Korea Foundation Lecturer (Assistant Professor). The fund will be provided to UCLan IKSU for the following five years.

News

In December 2018, Dr Niki Alsford, Reader in Asia Pacific Studies and Director of the IKSU, became a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute. Dr Alsford is a historical anthropologist/ethnohistorian by training and welcomes proposals for doctoral research on Asian Pacific history and society in particular he is interested in supervising a project on the role of the BBC on the Korean Peninsula and research on Pacific nations studies.

IKSU Employability Talk

Title: Working Holiday Visa in Korea
Speaker: Embassy of South Korea in the UK
Date: 16 November (Wednesday)
Time: 2 PM – 3.30 PM
Venue: ABLT3, UCLan

IKSU PG-led Roundtable

Title: Contested Sovereignty: Implications for Korean Peninsula
Date: 9 November (Wednesday)
Time: 2 PM – 4 PM
Venue: ABLT3, UCLan

Speakers will discuss cases of contested sovereignty and their implications for Korean peninsula.

• Sojin Lim (UCLan): Chair
• Dongjin Kim (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland): Case of Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Niki Alsford (UCLan): Case of China and Taiwan
• Katerina Antoniou (UCLan Cyprus): Case of Cyprus and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Steven Denny (Vienna University, Austria): Case of North and South Korea

Exhibition

Title: Haenyeo Exhibition – Experience the Value of Living Heritage of Jeju in South Korea
Exhibition: 3 - 30 November (10.00 AM - 4.00 PM), PR1 Gallery, UCLan
Haenyeo Talk*: 4 November (4.00 PM) & 5 November (2.00 PM), PR1 Gallery, UCLan
Gut Performance**: 4 November (5.00 PM), PR1 Gallery, UCLan
Korean Cultural Event: 10 & 11 November (2.00 PM - 5.00 PM), Adelphi Foyer, UCLan

* The Haenyeo are women of Jeju Island in South Korea whose job is to harvest seafood through a technique which involves diving without any apparatus, called muljil. UNESCO recognised the value of the culture of Jeju haenyeo in that the female divers dive undersea without any breathing apparatus. Two haenyeo from Jeju will provide talks about this culture at the exhibition.

** Haenyeo have passed down an expression describing their work as ‘earning from the other world to spend in this world'. It implies how dangerous a haenyeo’s muljil work can be. Accordingly, haenyeo always rely on yongwangshin [a divine sea dragon], which is believed to control the sea. Haenyeo often visits the haeshingdang [a shamanistic shrine] on the shore and holds gut [rituals] to pray for safety and a good catch. On the second day of the exhibition, Shamans from Jeju will perform the gut at the exhibition.

View more information on the Haenyeo Exhibition.

MoU with Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea

On 7 November 2022, UCLan and Ministry of Education in South Korea have signed a MoU which will enhance the partnership between two organisations. Based on the MoU, UCLan IKSU will conduct a project in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, including ‘Korean Language Teacher Training Programme in the UK’.

IKSU Book Talk

Title: South Korean Popular Culture in the Global Context – Beyond the Fandom (Routledge)
Date: 19 October 2022 (Wednesday)
Time: 2 PM – 4 PM
Venue: ABLT3, UCLan / or join online (register via https://IKSUBookTalkSeries.eventbrite.co.uk)

This book aims to provide a venue for redefining popular culture and its true power–beyond soft power–including discussion on how the pandemic and the use of online platforms have coincidently or effectively influenced recent phenomena surrounding Korean popular culture. In this, the edited volume deals with the wide scope of Korean popular culture based on the interdisciplinary approach, along with theoretical accounts. At the book talk, you will be able to hear from all of the seven contributing authors.

• Chapter 1. Introduction – Sojin Lim
• Chapter 2. BTS’s Soft Power and Public Diplomacy: Partnership with UNICEF – Hee Kyoung Chang
• Chapter 3. Stan Activism: Is K-Pop the New Punk? – Niki Alsford
• Chapter 4. Desiring Machines: Portrait of a K-Pop Fan – David Tizzard
• Chapter 5. Entertainment and Equity in the Era of “Octact” – Jenna Gibson and Tamar Herman
• Chapter 6. The Use of Culture and Cultural Products in Inter-Korean Relations – Marco Milani
• Chapter 7. Screening the Inter-Korean Conflict: The Politics of Crash Landing on You – Juliette Schwak and Sarah Son
  
  

IKSU Guest Talk

Title: Engaging and Educating North Koreans - The Work of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST)

Speaker: Colin McCulloch, Professor of PUST
Date: 14 October 2022 (Friday)
Time: 2 PM – 3.30 PM
Venue: BB438, UCLan

Professor McCulloch will introduce what he has been doing at PUST in the framework of the North Korean educational system, and speak about culture and the political and administrative situation in the country, together with some remarks about the purposes of education and the value of 'engagement'. This event is open to public members as well as UCLan students.

2022 IKSU Postgraduate Research Seminar Award In Korean Studies

Call for Submissions - 25 May 2022, Hybrid

The International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) annual postgraduate research seminar for both MA and PhD students in the UK was launched in 2021. Postgraduate students whose dissertation/thesis is related to Korea (both North and South) are invited to apply for the seminar.

Successful applicants will be invited to the seminar for presentations. A group of academic members from various universities will provide feedback on your research after the presentations. At the end of the seminar, we will select the best research as follows:

• First place: Award certificate, and £200 equivalent Waterstones book voucher (1 MA & 1 PhD)
• Second place: Award certificate, and £100 equivalent Waterstones book voucher (1 MA & 1 PhD)
• Third place: Award certificate, and £50 equivalent Waterstones book voucher (1 MA & 1 PhD)

Who can apply: students enrolled in MA/MSc/MPhil/MRes/MA by Research or PhD/DPhil programme in the UK with their dissertation/thesis topics related to Korea

How to apply:

• Brief Dissertation/Thesis: short version of your ongoing dissertation/thesis up to 4,000 words in MS word format (word count includes references).
  • Times New Roman, 12 font, single spaced
  • Harvard referencing system, with in-text citations

*Note: we do not accept submitted dissertation/theses, but ongoing research only.

• Dissertation/Thesis Submission Deadline: 10 April 2022 (submit to IKSU-AKS@uclan.ac.uk)
• Notice for Shortlisted Applicants: 10 May 2022
• Presentation file submission for shortlisted applicants: summary of your dissertation/thesis for 10-minute presentation in MS ppt format
• Presentation file Submission Deadline: 15 May 2022 (submit to IKSU-AKS@uclan.ac.uk)
• PG Research Seminar – Presentations for shortlisted applicants & Award ceremony: 25 May 2022

Call for Applications for the IKSU Field Study Trip to South Korea and Poster Exhibition

We are recruiting 20 students for the field study trip to South Korea and the following poster exhibition. Successful applicants are required to attend all activities, including producing posters for the exhibition.

• Field study trip to South Korea: 27 May – 9 June 2022 (subject to change due to the COVID-19 travel restriction)
• ‘Peace and Unification of Korea’ Poster exhibition at UCLan: 29 June – 3 July 2022

In order to apply, read the following details carefully.

Applicant Eligibility: While it would be an asset if you are enrolled in PhD Korean Studies, MA North Korean Studies, or BA Korean pathway, it is open to all UCLan students at all levels.

Application Submission Guideline:

1. Deadline: 3 January 2022, by 12pm
2. Where to submit: IKSUEnquiry@uclan.ac.uk
3. What to submit:

• 2-page MS-word by containing (1) your full name, course and subject title, student number, and email address, (2) the reason why you are applying, (3) your thoughts/opinions on the unification of Korea, and (4) names and contact details of two referees
• Copy of your passport

The International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) will cover following expenses:

• Partial flight fee (round trip, economy)
• Accommodation in South Korea
• PCR test fees in South Korea
• Cost for DMZ/JAS visit
• Fees for programme activities in South Korea, such as lectures and seminars
• Poster printing fee for the exhibition

Cost for successful applicants will be:

• GBP 350 as a part of flight cost (GBP 50 will be refunded once you submit a complete poster for the exhibition)
• Any remaining cost, including visa fee, PCR test fees in the UK, and meals and public transportation cost

Your Responsibility:

1. You must have a valid passport (at least 3 months left on your passport as of 27 May 2022)
2. You must obtain K-ETA in time. University will not be responsible for your visa.
3. You must be eligible for the quarantine exemption in South Korea. We are expected to be exempted once current temporary measures are lifted. However, this is subject to change based on the South Korean government’s guidelines for foreign travellers.
4. You must successfully submit all required documents for the trip to South Korea in time.
5. Any refund penalty or cancellation fees due to the failure of document submission or failure to travel shall be paid by you.
6. You must submit your interim poster and the final poster for the exhibition in time.

Result Announcement: 10 January 2022, via email (email will be sent to successful applicants only)

Induction: 12 January 2022 (if you fail to attend the induction, your place will be given to other shortlisted candidates)

Activities in Korea: visits to Ministry of Unification, UniKorea Foundation, North Korean defector community, National Institute for Unification Education, DMZ and JSA; and meeting with students at Ewha Womans University

2021 IKSU Korean Literature Review Contest Award Ceremony

Hear our award recipients give presentations on their essays/recordings about ‘One Left’, ‘Untold Night and Day’ or ‘At Dust’, and congratulations messages from the author of One Left, Kim Soom, and the LTI.

Date: 17 November 2021

Time: 4.00pm

Venue: Korea Corner at the University of Central Lancashire Library, or join via the Eventbrite link.

Award winners

• First place: Amy Rice (voice recording)
• Second place: Catherine Cinnamon; and Isabell Karlsson
• Third place: Devyani Narvekar; Molly Carr; and Queralt Boadella-prunell

This event is funded by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI).

Congratulatory message from Kim Soon

(Original in Korean)

안녕하세요. 저는 김숨입니다.

한국어로 소설을 쓰는 저를 비롯한 한국의 작가들에게 의미 있는 ‘해외독자 대상 한국문학 리뷰대회’에 참가해주신 모든 분들께 감사를 전합니다. 또한 『한명』을 읽고 식민지시대 전시성폭력 피해자인 일본군‘위안부’의 아픔에 공감해주신 분들께 특별한 감사를 전합니다.

이번 대회가 모쪼록 한국의 소설들이 영어권 독자들께 보다 가까이 다가갈 수 있는 시간이자 기회였기를 바라며, 수상자들께 진심 어린 축하의 박수를 보내 드립니다.

(Translated in English)

Hello, I am Kim Soom.

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who participated in the ‘Korean Literature Review Contest for Overseas Readers’, which is meaningful to Korean writers, including myself, who write novels in Korean. Also, I would like to express my special thanks to those who read 『One Left』 and sympathized with the pain of the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ who were victims of wartime sexual violence under Japanese colonial rule.

IKSU Korean Literature Review Contest

The International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is hosting the 2021 Korean Literature Review Contest in the UK.

The Korean Literature Review Contest is a new project that encourages readers outside Korea to share their reviews and thoughts on literary works by Korean authors. The reviews can be in text, video, audio, or performing arts of any kind.

The winners of the contest will have their reviews posted and featured online via the LTI Korea website, social media, and Seoul International Writers Festival (SIWF).

There will be awards for six places. The Awards Ceremony is expected to be held on 20 October 2021. The assessment panel will consist of academics in Korean Studies and/or professionals in Korean literature.

• First place (one place): a book voucher, value of £500
• Second place (two places): a book voucher, value of £300
• Third place (three places): a book voucher, value of £100

Read one of the following three books:

• • One Left – by Kim Soomo
  • At Dusk – by Hwang Sok-yongo
  • Untold Night and Day – by Bae Suah
    
    
• Review: Max. 2,000 words in MS word file (in English) or 10 minutes in video/audio length. You must include your full name, and a short bio including your affiliation, in your submission email.
• Deadline: 1 October 2021
• Where to submit: IKSUEnquiry@uclan.ac.uk

The results will be announced through IKSU website on 18 October 2021, and the winners will be contacted by email individually.

The Korean Literature Review Contest is funded by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), which is an affiliate to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

The UCLan IKSU Korean Literature Review Contest is open to public members in the UK.

IKSU Book Essay Contest

We’ve launched a Book Essay Contest to introduce Korean novels that are translated in English to overseas readers.

There will be Awards for five places. Award ceremony is expected to be held in late October 2020. Assessment panel will consist of academics in Korean Studies and professionals in Korean literature.

• First place (one place): a book voucher, value of £500
• Second place (one place): a book voucher, value of £300
• Third place (three places): a book voucher, value of £100 each

Read one of the three books and send an essay about the book to the email address below. Book to read (choose one): you can find following books at the online bookstores or Amazon.

• The Vegetarian: A Novel – by Han Kang (2015)
• Autobiography of Death – by Kim Hyesoon (2018)
• Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 – by Cho Nam-Joo (2020)

Essay: 2,000 words in MS word file (in English).

You must include your full name, a short bio, and your email address in your essay.

Deadline: 28 August 2020

Where to submit: IKSUEnquiry@uclan.ac.uk

The result will be announced through the IKSU website in October 2020 and the winners will be contacted by email individually.

The Book Essay Contest is funded by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), which is an affiliate organization to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and the IKSU.

While it is open to public, for UCLan students and staff, there will be free books available (10 for each book) on a first-come, first-served basis, funded by Prof Niki Alsford. For more information, email IKSUEnquiry@uclan.ac.uk with:

1. Your full name
2. Name of the book you want to write an essay about
3. Your address where the book can be posted

Social Sciences Korean Studies European Network (SoKEN) Workshop

Korea at the Crossroads: Economic Development, Political Dynamics, and Social Changes in the Contemporary Korean Peninsula

Date: 1–2 November 20019

Location: UCLan, Preston campus, UK

UK Secondary Education and Korea

Date: 16 October 2019 (Wednesday)
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: UCLan, Preston campus, UK

Speakers:

• Mr Aaron Wilkes, Author at Oxford University Press, History Teacher, St. James Academy
• Dr Ed Griffith, Principal Lecturer in Asia Pacific Studies, University of Central Lancashire
• Dr Michael Maddison, Independent Educational Consultant, Director of the Maddison Education Consultancy, Associate Vice President of the Historical Association, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and formerly Ofsted’s National Lead for history
• Dr Niki Alsford, Reader in Asia Pacific Studies, Director of International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire
• Dr Owen Miller, Lecturer in Korean Studies, SOAS, University of London
• Mr Richard McFahn, ITE History Lead Tutor, University of Sussex
• Students in Korean Studies

Any further questions regarding this event, please email Dr Sojin Lim: slim4@uclan.ac.uk

Lancashire Korea Festival

A daylong celebration hosted by IKSU of both traditional and modern aspects of Korean Culture. With a host of events and performances throughout the day including:

• Traditional Korean costume fashion show
• K-Pop performance run by the Korean Society
• Traditional Korean music concert
• Korean handicraft workshops

The Lancashire Korea Festival was hosted by the International Institute of Korean Studies and Supported by the Korean Cultural Centre UK.

The 8th Annual Korean Screen Cultures Conference (KSCC 2019)

The 8th Korean Screen Cultures Conference took place on 6th and 7 June, 2019, and was supported by the Korea Foundation. It built on the success of previous conferences at SOAS, the University of London (2012 & 2013), Sheffield Hallam University (2014), the University of Copenhagen (2015), King’s College (2016), Universität Hamburg (2017), and the University of Helsinki (2018).

The Korean Drama and Korean Television Symposium

On 5 June, 2019, we hosted the K-Drama and Korean TV Symposium, which was devoted to scholarship on South Korean TV dramas and other TV formats. The symposium critically engaged with some of the most important issues related to the production, forms, themes, and global circulation and reception of contemporary Korean television shows, including TV-dramas, reality TV, variety shows, chat shows and comedy, etc. Presenters were also invited to submit chapters to an edited collection.

Peacebuilding and local communities

In May, Dr Jeong-Im Hyun participated in a joint-conference, ‘Peacebuilding and Local Communities in Post-Conflict Societies: Challenges and Opportunities’, co-organized by Korean Institute National Unification (KINU) and The Trinity College of Dublin held in the Trinity College of Dublin.

First TOPIK exam at UCLan

In April, we held the first ever TOPIK exam at UCLan. These exams are held twice a year (April and November), and at only two locations in the UK: London, and Preston.

Launch of Korea Corner

On 8 April 2019, we launched Korea Corner, a Korean cultural space, funded by the Korea Foundation in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK.

Korea Corner has about 1,000 books on both South and North Koreas, in English and Korean, along with some Korean artefacts.

Roundtable at Chatham House

On 21 March 2019, Dr Sojin Lim participated in the roundtable on Prospects for Economic Normalisation with the DPRK at Chatham House in London.

Roundtable at LSE

On 27 February 2019, Dr Jeong-Im Hyun took a part in the ‘New Reconciliations: the two Koreas’ roundtable discussion at the LSE.

IKSU Korean taster session at secondary schools

In late January 2019, Jungmin Lee visited Formby High School for a Korean language taster session. She was assisted by one of our students, Sarah Lawson, a former student at Formby.

IKSU Lancashire Korea Festival

The IKSU Lancashire Korea Festival 2018 ran on 5–6 November 2018. The Festival included a study abroad fair, a talk on ‘Life in North Korea’, a talk from the Korean Ambassador to the UK and a Korean food experience.

‘The Beauty of Indigenous Power’ – Taiwan poster exhibition

We hosted the Indigenous Poster Design Competition held by the Shung Ye Museum and the Taiwan Poster Design Association, which ran between 29th October and 2nd November 2018.

The exhibition included a talk from Fu-Ning Hsu, winner of the Competition’s Gold Award, who spoke about her work and the role it has in bringing continuous efforts towards understanding of local cultural diversities and Taiwanese Indigenous Culture.

The Landscape of Taiwan Studies and Korean Studies

The ‘International Workshop on the Landscape of Taiwan Studies and Korean Studies’ was held on 25–26 June 2018. Prominent academics from across the world came to the workshop to discuss current state of research for global Taiwan Studies and Korean Studies. There was also a roundtable discussion on the similarities between the two fields and how each can learn from the other.

The workshop also included the official launch of the Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies (NorITS) and the Northern England Policy Centre for the Asia Pacific (NEPCAP).

Linking the Academic Research into Policy and Practice: North Korea and Beyond

The first roundtable series of the Northern England Policy Centre for the Asia Pacific was held at the UCLan on 2 July 2018. In its first session, participants discussed the role of stakeholders in North Korean development along with the future directions of the Korea Peninsula

Speakers:

• Benedict Rogers, Christian Solidarity Worldwide
• Ed Griffith, University of Central Lancashire
• Gabriel Jonsson, Stockholm University
• John Nilsson-Wright, Chatham House
• Mike Cowin, UK FCO
• Niki Alsford, University of Central Lancashire
• Robert Kelly, Pusan National University
• Sebastien Berger, AFP
• Sojin Lim, University of Central Lancashire
• Virginie Grzelczyk, Aston University

International conferences

In June, Dr Jihye Kim presented papers at the AEEAO International Conference in Malaga, Spain, and at the 2018 Migration Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Assessing the gesture politics of the DPRK

On 22 May 2018, Dr Niki Alsford gave a special talk on the DPRK in the post-Olympic period at National Chengchi University in Taiwan.

EPIK visits UCLan

On 1st May, the team for English Program in Korea (EPIK), under the Ministry of Education in South Korea, visited UCLan to introduce they programme for our students. EPIK is a programme that gives graduates a chance at full time teaching positions, in metropolitan and provincial locations, all the way from primary through to secondary schools.

Conference in Kent

On 12–14 April 2018, Dr Hae-Sung Jeon attended the Colloquium of the British Association of Academic Phoneticians, hosted at the University of Kent. She presented a paper ‘Usage-related factors in s-insertion in Korean’.

Student trip to South Korea

Between 27 March and 4 April 2018, ten students in Korean pathway under Asia Pacific Studies course, MOLA course and TESOL course, visited South Korea with Dr Niki Alsford (Director of IKSU) and Dr Sojin Lim (Deputy Director of IKSU), based on student bursary given by the School of Language and Global Studies. During the trip, students firstly went to Jeonju, West-South of South Korea, to visit traditional village, Han-ok Maul, and to learn the process and the meaning beyond of traditional wedding in Korea. After having a Temple stay at Geum-San Sa, they will move up to Seoul to have Kimchi making activity and K-Pop dance learning. Students also made a visit to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North Korea and South Korea. Apart from these activities, they also had chances to look around the campuses at two of our study abroad partner institutions, Chonbuk University and Dongguk University.

Delegation for Dialogue visit UCLan

On 9 March, the representatives of the Delegation for Dialogue (DFD) visited UCLan to introduce their programme and activities, and to see the opportunity to build up a collaboration between SOAS DFD and IKSU as a new DFD chapter.

Whose Olympics: Pyeongchang or Pyongyang?

On 21 March 2018, a dialogue session was held with four political commentators to take questions from students in Asia Pacific Studies and Korean pathway subjects on recent Pyeongchang Olympic and North Korea. The roundtable was moderated by the Director of IKSU, Dr Niki Alsford.

Maria Yoon, the Korean Bride

On 19 March, performance artist Maria Yoon visited Preston to give a talk on the findings of her travel around 50 states and Taiwan.

Korean speaking contest

On 28 February, the Korean Studies team at UCLan held its first Korean Speaking Contest, with support from IKSU, Korean Education Centre, and Asiana Airlines.

The winner, Ms Lauren Mumby won a round ticket to Korea as a prize. From this, there will be a regular Korean contest in the form of speaking contest or writing contest every year.

Hannes Mosler Visits UCLan

On the 29 January 2018, Dr Hannes Mosler gave a talk on ‘Unconventional youth? Political participation and the 2016–17 candlelight demonstrations in South Korea’. Dr Mosler is an Assistant Professor for Korean Politics at the Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS) and the Institute of Korean Studies (IKS) of Freie Universität Berlin. The talk was a huge success with about 100 students attending, and participating in questions.

International workshops

In September, Dr Sojin Lim gave a presentation on how to achieve North-East Asia partnership for implementing SDGs based on multi-stakeholder and multi-layered partnerships during the North-East Asia Development Cooperation Forum 2017 in Moscow, Russia.

Korean conference

In August 2017, PhD candidate Ms. Priscilla Kim participated in the Second Research Institute of Korean Studies Academy for Young Korean Studies Scholars. The academic workshop was hosted at the Korea University, Seoul, South Korea. At this conference, Priscilla presented her research on the Track II diplomatic activity of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, a non-profit policy organization.

European Association of Korean Studies workshop

Between 30 June and 1 July 2017, Dr Sojin Lim participated in the workshop convened to establish the European Association for Korean Studies Scholars in the Social Sciences at the University of Turku, Finland.

Ambassador visits UCLan.

In March, Republic of Korea Ambassador Joonkuuk Hwang came to Preston to talk to Korean studies students about the current situation on the Korean peninsula and how the international community can work together to address issues around North Korea.

Guest lecture

On 17 March 2017, Dr James Person, Director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Centre for Korean History and Public Policy gave a special talk on US Policy towards North Korea.

Seminar at Lancaster University

On 15 March 2017, Dr Hae-Sung Jeon gave an invited talk on the ‘Effects of rhythm and phrasing on word spotting in Korean’ at the Phonetics Research Group, Lancaster University

Presentation on PhD research field trip

In February, PhD student Ms Priscilla Kim, presented on her field trip, that took place from October to December 2016. The places she visited include Honolulu, Hawaii; New York, New York; Palo Alto, California; and Washington, D.C. The purpose of her trip was to gain necessary data for her thesis. Her research questions is ‘why organizers of Track II diplomacy initiated and pursued Track II diplomacy during the Bush administration’. S

PhD fieldwork in Korea

In January, PhD student Gianluca Spezza presented on his field trip that took place from October to December 2016. His fieldwork travel was covered by an UCLan doctoral allowance, while IFES offered accommodation and access to all their research facilities, including the library for North Korean documents, as well as their electronic resources, as part of the SSPK scholarship program.

IKSU student accepted into Young Leaders Program

In December 2016, UCLan PhD student Priscilla Jung Kim was accepted into the 2016 cohort of the Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Young Leaders Programme.

Grant from the British Korean Society

In November, Dr Dimitris Stamatellos, Guild Research Fellow in Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLan received a £1,000 grant from the British Korean Society to visit South Korea to carry out his research.

Student shares his research

From 21–25 September, IKSU PhD student Gianluca Spezza participated in the 2016 edition of the Korean Studies Graduate Conference (KSGSC), returning from his research trip to Thailand.

This research was carried out from 5–21 September at the UN-ESCAP library located in Bangkok, Thailand. The library is the central repository of documents and primary sources related to the work of UN agencies in Asia-Pacific. The documents held at ESCAP are accessible only on site, and researchers stay within the premises to work on them during the day.

Korean Educators Abroad

In August, Jungmin Lee attended the 14th International Conference of Korean Educators Abroad, organised by the Korean Ministry of Education and the National Institute for International Education. She presented a workshop on teaching methods and classroom activities. She also led a group of colleagues from around Eurasia to develop a workshop on strategic plans to expand Korean language and culture to university curriculum abroad.

IKSU students win Korea fellowships

In June, UCLan students Kirsty Doughty and Lauren Mumby won DUO-Korea fellowship awards worth 4,000 Euros each, to cover time spend abroad studying at a partner institution.

UCLan students win study abroad bursaries

In May, three undergraduate students at UCLan were awarded the highly competitive British Korean Veterans’ Association bursaries of £1,666 each to support them in their year abroad in Korea. Meanwhile, PhD student Priscilla Kim was also awarded a British Korea Society bursary of £1,000 to support a field trip to the United States.

Phonetics research at Lancaster

In March–April 2016, Dr Hae-Sung Jeon, subject leader Korean language, and her research partner Professor Amalia Arvaniti of the University of Kent, gave a paper entitled ‘Rhythmic Grouping in English, Greek and Korean: testing the iambic-trochaic law’, at the British Association of Academic Phoneticians Colloquium, Lancaster.

Guest lecture on Korean music

In February, Dr Haekyung Um of the University of Liverpool gave a guest lecture titled: ‘Korean Music Reality Shows: Nostalgia, Canonization and Media Transnationalism’.

IKSU student wins first place

In January 2016, UCLan PhD student Priscilla Jung Kim won first place in the Global Korean Studies Competition, for her research into North Korea.

UCLan awards honorary doctorate to former US Ambassador to Korea

In December 2015, the University presented an honorary doctorate to former US Ambassador to Korea, Ambassador Donald P. Gregg in honour of his long public service in support of peace and conflict resolution on the Korean peninsula. Ambassador Gregg, along with Professor Fred Carriere of Syracuse University, also gave the annual IKSU International Lecture to students and staff on the subject of the ‘US and East Asia: Past, present and future’.

Rhythm in Korean verse

In August, Dr Hae-Sung Jeon presented a paper entitled ‘Rhythm in Korean Verse, Sico’ at the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, at the University of Glasgow.

Ambassadors visit UCLan

In June, the Republic of Korea Ambassador to the UK HE Sung-nam Lim, and UK Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, HE Charles Hay visited UCLan to meet with students and tour the campus.

International conference on North Korea

On 23 June, Gianluca Spezza, PhD student at IKSU, participated in the international conference organized by the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at the University of North Korean studies and Kyungnam University, in Seoul. His paper was titled: ‘The Evolution of Education in the DPRK since 2000: International Cooperation, Elite Training and the Role of IT’.

Dean of Pusan National University visits UCLan

On 14 May, the Dean of Pusan National University (PNU), Professor Hongchan Chun, visited UCLan and IKSU, meeting with Professor Robin Pollard, Vice-President, UCLan Group and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International). The two parties signed an MoU as well as an exchange agreement. PNU is now the second academic partner for IKSU – together with Inje University – from the city of Pusan, South Korea's second largest.

Study trip to South Korea

In May 2015, a group of UCLan staff and students visited South Korea. During the 8-day tour, the group viewed Seoul's main cultural attractions as well as the UK embassy in the Republic of Korea. The delegation also visited the campuses and offices of two IKSU partner Institutions (EWHA University and Sookimyung University) as well as The Korea Development Institute, a major think tank and research institute in South Korea.

IKSU delegates visit South Korea

Between 21 and 27 February 2015, a group of delegates visited Seoul to strength ties with partner institutions in South Korea’s major cities of Seoul and Busan. The delegation met representatives of several high profile educational Institutions, as well as sir Charles Hay, UK Ambassador to South Korea, the staff at the British Embassy in South Korea, and the British Council in Seoul.

South Korea and the Winter Olympics

In January, Dr Jung Woo Lee of The University of Edinburgh spoke at the UCLan International Research Institute for Sport Studies. His lecture was ‘The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games and Sports Mega-Event Scepticism in South Korea’.

International conference on Korean security

On 15–18 October 2014, we hosted a conference on Korean security at our Preston campus. This conference had a direct impact on the policy arena worldwide given the participation and input from senior officials and policy advisors to the UK government, the US Government, the South Korean and Chinese governments as well as journalists that reach global opinion formers.

The plenary speakers were:

• Lord David Alton, Chair of the House of Lords All-Party Group on Korea
• Ambassador Donald Gregg, former National Security advisor to George Bush and US Ambassador to South Korea,
• Richard Morris, Head of the Asia-Pacific Division of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Professor Kim Yong-ho, Yonsei University, Seoul

Professor presents at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy

In October 2014, Professor Zou presented at the ‘Foundation for Development of International Law in Asia’, held in Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

Senior Lecturer visits South Korea

In the summer of 2014, Sunny Liu, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Language and Studies, visited South Korea at the invitation of the Confucius Institute in Seoul, and also visited Woosong University to carry out research on China's cultural diplomacy towards South Korea.

Professor Zou at Seoul National University

In May 2014, Professor Keyuan Zou was an invited speaker at a conference held at Seoul National University, organised by the Korea Maritime Organization and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, on the topic of the East China Sea: Conflict and Cooperation.

Collaborative project on risk in East Asia

In March 2014, Dr Ra Mason participated in a collaborative project about 'Risk in East Asia', with contributions from Professor Glenn Hook (University of Sheffield) and Professor Paul O’Shea (Aarhus University). Mason examined the role of Japan’s post-Cold War perceptions of and responses to North Korea as a function of risk re-calibration within regional international relations.