Keimyung University Commemorates 125th Anniversary with International Conference on Korean Studies
-Keimyung University Holds International Conference on Korean Studies in the Digital Era: Sources, Tools, and Methods from May 3 to May 4
-Domestic and foreign scholars gathered to discuss the new challenges of Korean studies in the digital humanities era.
Keimyung University commemorated its 125th anniversary with an international conference themed 'Korean Studies in the Digital Era: Sources, Tools, and Methods.
The conference was held from May 3 to May 4, during which 30 domestic and foreign scholars gathered to exchange views on redefining the academic resources of Korean studies and reconstructing academic frameworks using various tools and methodologies in the digital age. The conference was divided into five sessions, with 20 speakers participating.
Synn Ilhi, president of Keimyung University, stated in his welcoming speech, 'Keimyung University has been systematically and continuously collecting and excavating classic literature for over 50 years. With its collected cultural-grade materials, we have been making efforts to share valuable Korean cultural heritage through original texts, press release services, and various publication plans via our library's website.' 'We expect this international conference to greatly contribute to revitalizing the discovery and discussion of Korean studies materials, restoring and analyzing various cultural resources and enhancing them as new insights.'
Park Jin-Ho, a professor for the Department of Korean Language Literature at Seoul National University gave a keynote speech under the theme of ‘Text Mining for Korean Studies.’ In his speech, Professor Park said, 'A variety of technologies that are rapidly developing under the name of artificial intelligence, data science, and text mining are driving change around us. Knowing the various techniques related to artificial intelligence that are developing day by day will help you ask new questions in the humanities world and find plausible answers to those questions.'
In the first session, three professors from three different universities took the spotlight to present. Mark E. Caprio, honorary professor at Rikkyo University, carried out the theme 'New Horizons of Digitalized Data Research Methodology in the 21st Century: Positive and Negative.' This was followed by Richard McBride, Professor of Korean and Buddhist Studies at Brigham Young University, presenting on “From Scriptures to Prints and Manuscripts: The Impact of Technology on Access to Buddhist Research,” and Maya Stiller, Associate Professor of Korean Art History at the University of Kansas, discussing “Digital Methodology for Researching Graffiti Sites at Kumgangsan.”
The second session was led by Seo Hye-Eun, Associate Professor of the Department of Korean Language & Literature at Kyungpook University, titled 'Exploring the Study Methodology of Korean Classical Novels in the Digital Era.' Kim Paek-Chol, Associate Professor of the Department of History at Keimyung University, presented on 'Analyzing the Monarchical Characteristics of the Joseon Dynasty and History Education Methodologies: Perspectives on the People, the State, and Modern Korea.' Choe Keysook, Head Professor of Korean Studies at Yonsei University, discussed “Division of Motherhood and Technology, Networks, and New Ethics.”
The third session was conducted by Joshua Van Lieu, Associate Professor in the Department of History at Keimyung University, with his presentation 'Adopting Digital Humanities: Insights from Reading, Reflection, and Practice'; Ro Sang-Ho, Associate Professor in the Department of Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, with his presentation 'Exploring Hypertextuality in Korean Original Texts: A New Perspective on the Digital Era'; and Yoo Jung-Min, Assistant Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Yonsei University, with her presentation 'Building an Intertextual Ontology for Korean Classical Literature Texts.'
The fourth session was conducted by Kenichiro Okayama, honorary professor at Tenri University, on the topic 'Assessing the Accessibility of Korean Studies Resources at Tenri University Library.' Following that, Jang Jae-Yong, Librarian at the University of California, Berkeley, presented “The Current State of Ancient Korean Literature in North America and the Future of Korean Studies.” Jung Jin-suk, Curator at the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Seoul National University, spoke on 'Classification and Organization of Gyujanggak Collections: Enhancing Future Data Management with Digital Services.' Lee Sang-Ho, Senior Research Engineer at the Korean Studies Institute, discussed 'Digital Preservation and Utilization of Traditional Records: Utilizing the Korean Studies Institute as a Representative Case.' Finally, Choi Kyung-Hoon, Librarian at Keimyung University, presented 'How to Utilize Keimyung University's Dongsan Library for Ancient Korean Literature.'
The last session started with 'The Study on Digital Utilization of Korean Buddhist Records and Cultural Heritages' by Park In-Seok, Professor of Buddhist Thought & Culture at Dongguk University, and Seo So-Ri, Researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies. Ryu In-Tae, Professor at Chonnam National University, presented 'Analyzing the Life of a 19th-Century Nobleman Through Data: A Focused Study on the Inspection and Memoirs of the Shin Daewoo Family,' along with Research Assistant Professors at KAIST, Kim Byung-Jun and Jeon June, who presented 'Diversification of Korean Studies, Past and Present: A History of Digital Intelligence 2000-2023.”
Keimyung University has been hosting international academic conferences on various topics related to Korean studies, attracting researchers from around the world. These conferences facilitate interactions among scholars in the field, fostering the development of Korean studies as a universal area of inquiry. In line with this mission, Keimyung University’s Academia Koreana has been organizing the Keimyung International Conference on Korean Studies (KICKS) annually since 2001.