Category: Event Summaries

On October 9, 2020, the GW Institute of Korean Studies hosted a book talk with Korea Foundation and Kim-Renaud Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture Studies, Dr. Immanuel Kim, who was joined by Dong Hoon Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Cinema Studies at the University of Oregon to discuss two of his recently published books reflecting on the cultural influences of North Korean Comedy Films on the North Korean people and the wider world audience.

To begin, Dr. Immanuel Kim provided an introduction detailing the rise of North Korean art through the use of comedy films and literature which become a preliminary exposure to North Korean life and culture to those outside the DPRK. His first book, “Friends,” is an english translation of a novel written in 1988 by North Korean author Paek Namnyoung that went on to be republished in South Korea four years later before gaining its first international release in a number of western languages starting with French since 2011. “Friends” grew to popularity not just in North Korea but eventually outside the northern part of the peninsula by embodying characteristics that go against perceptions of the North Korean culture.

The novel itself steps away from traditional themes found within North Korean literature and film, such as representing the party and elements of strong nationalism and instead walks the reader through the life and challenges of a strong female lead living in North Korea. The breakout of “Friends” embodied many of the diversity in trends to come out of the 70’s and 80’s in North Korea storytelling, which goes beyond the political ideology to focus more on reflecting the lifestyle of North Korea through a comedic lens while also parodying popular tropes that came out of the west in Hollywood.

Such diversity would be heavily explored in Dr. Kim’s second book, “Laughing North Koreans: The Culture of Comedy Films,” where he also reflects on how these films hold such a cultural influence on the North Korean people not just through storytelling but the actors themselves. Many of the standout actors working in these films become popularize representations of people that many North Koreans want to replicate themselves, much like in the west. From the haircuts to their mannerisms and comedic moments, these actors portray what North Koreans are from all walks of life, but as Dr. Immanuel Kim would note later in the session, these actors are also individualized and very open about their careers within North Korean film culture, not just another piece in the propaganda machine.

In taking away these attribute Dr. Immanuel Kim, encourages the audience to not ignore the political ideologies that remain present in these films but challenges them to look at these films through different perspectives and layers to better understand how the culture surrounding these works of art have shaped North Korean culture as a whole and provide a new insight for outsiders of what North Korean life looks like.

On September 10 – 11, 2020, the GW Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS), the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management co-hosted a virtual international conference in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. During the two-day conference, recognized experts revisited and presented new approaches to the history of the Korean War.

The event started off with congratulatory remarks from Iliana Feldman, the Interim Dean of the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, Jong-Il You, the Dean of the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, and Soo Hyuck Lee, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the US, highlighting the importance of international cooperation. Professor Keun-Sik Jung from the Seoul National University analyzed the conditions for peace by taking a multi-lateral approach, suggesting that East Asia needs a mutually recognizing peace – including the normalization of the intra-Korea relationship and also between the US and North Korea.

Following the introductory session, was ‘The Korean War and Its Impact on Civilians’ session. Moderated by Gregg Brazinsky, Professor of History and International Affairs at GW, three professors from Canada, South Korea, and the US presented their insights into the war, going beyond the military and political aspects, and focusing on the lives of Korean people who had to endure through the war. All three speakers spoke in relation to the structure of power. Assistant Professor Jeongmin Kim from the University of Manitoba, elaborated on the creation of a black market in the exchange of the US Military Payment Certificates and Korean/Japanese sexual labor, while also analyzing the government’s deliberate ignorance on the issue. Professor Janice Kim from York University introduced her research on what the Korean War meant to the regional people. Lastly, Professor Hak Jae Kim from the Seoul National University emphasized the importance of common commemoration effort and the continuation of a peacemaking endeavor under the structure of the international power hierarchy.

On the second day, Professor William Stueck from the University of Georgia moderated the ‘New Approaches to Studying the Roles of Foreign Powers and POW’s’ session. Professor Avram Agov from Langara College shared his research on the impact of the Korean War on socialist countries and socialist countries’ humanitarian aid to North Korea. David Chang from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology focused his presentation on his book ‘The Hijacked War,’ arguing that the Chinese prisoners of war (POWs) hijacked the Korean War.

The conference concluded with a roundtable discussion pondering on the outlook of the peace process in the Korean Peninsula. Panelists pinpointed the significance of overcoming different narratives of the war, the economic gap, and the psychological warfare. They also discussed the role of feminism in the negotiation process, the US and its approach tactics and ideologies in Asian politics, and the danger of falling into binary identities. The discussion ended with many agreeing that it is important to actually have both South Korea and North Korea come together to reach a peace settlement.

On May 8th, 2019,  Korea Peace Network, Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia, and the GW Institute for Korean Studies co-sponsored a lecture with Mr. Lee Taeho, Chair of Policy Committee of People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy on “Audacious Imagination for Peace – Key to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia”. Moderated by Professor Linda Yarr, Director of Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA), and assisted by his translator Jenny Jeong, Mr. Lee began by introducing himself as an NGO activist. The topic of his talk was on how civil society can make peace and how peace can be a solution to issues on the Korean Peninsula. Mr. Lee read the script he prepared along with his presentation. He explained that as South Korea had successfully addressed social challenges in a peaceful and democratic way, as shown from the example of the candlelight revolution that impeached the former president, Park Geun-hye, challenges in inter-Korean relations can be handled peacefully as well. The Panmunjeom Declaration announced as a result of the first inter-Korean Summit not only gave hope for a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, but also served as a communication channel for North-South Koreas and U.S. – North Korea. Calling for “a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearization”, the Panmunjeom Declaration aimed to establish a permanent and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, the Singapore Joint Statement between U.S. and North Korea clarified that new and improved U.S.-North Korea relations and security assurance of the North Korean regime must be established in order  to achieve complete denuclearization. In other words, both U.S. and South Korea took a peaceful and mutually trusting approach to facilitate denuclearization of North Korea. Unlike the previous negotiations among North Korea, South Korea and U.S., the three countries are working together to build trust and mutually corresponding relationship. South Korea and U.S. decided to put of Joint military exercises, one of many obstacles in resolving conflicts with North Korea. North Korea agreed to seize nuclear tests and dismantle the Punggyre-ri Nuclear Test Site.

Despite the efforts of the leaders of North and South Korea and the U.S., there remains much more obstacles in tackling issues with North Korea. The second North Korea- U.S. Summit in Hanoi ended without reaching further agreements on North Korean nuclear weapons, and raised mutual mistrust between the two countries. Mr. Lee argued that in order for the ongoing negotiations to lead to the establishment of relations among two Koreas and other neighboring countries, the following perception and approaches should be faithfully maintained. South Korea and U.S. must recognize that their military superiority is overwhelming and threatening in the eyes of North Korea. Thus, South Korea and U.S. should initiate military and threat reduction plan in order to ease tension. Second, there needs to be an all-corresponding consensus on transitioning Northeast Asia into  a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone through joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Third, U.S. and the United Nations should take active steps to life some of their harsh sanctions imposed on North Korea. Such draconian economic sanctions only serve as obstacles in implementing inter-Korean agreements as well as inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation. Fourth, Northeast Asian maritime territorial disputes must be resolved in order to alleviate military tensions and resolve conflicts on the Korean Peninsula. Lastly, we must deviate from the stereotypes and taboos of the confrontational Cold War Era and gear toward a more optimistic and peace-oriented approach. Such approach has been proven to be more effective than the previous antagonistic, distrusting military confrontations. This shift toward peaceful means of conflict resolution has been detected not only on the Korean Peninsula, but in South China Sea as well. Mr. Lee explained that governments and citizens of concerned countries should initiate peaceful measures to make this seemingly “unrealistic” scenario a reality.