Koreanizing America?!: An Event Analyzing the Spread of Literature and Culture from the Korean Peninsula

Global Studies Panel Flyer. Image by Soovin Ahn.

With the Marist University liberal arts department, assistant professor of english Sang-Keun Yoo will be hosting a one-day academic conference dedicated to discussing various aspects of Korean culture, literature and arts. The event, titled “KOREANIZING AMERICA?!: Transnational Flows of SF and Popular Culture from South and North Korea” aims to explore facets of the country’s growing influence. This conference will be held during activity hour in the Henry Hudson Room on April 30, 2025.

Upon receiving a major research grant of $20,000 from the National Research Foundation of Korea, Dr. Yoo was inspired to organize an event regarding Korean culture. The grant was awarded for a collaborative project written with Professor Noh Dae-won from Jeju National University, titled “Internationational Mobility Research.” In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Dr. Yoo aims to use the conference to “raise the visibility of people of color [on] the campus and support student understanding [of] popular culture and global studies.”

Dr. Yoo hopes for attendees to learn more about their topics of interest as well as gain an understanding of other ways in which Korea has impacted popular culture. During the event, Marist will welcome scholars from around the world to share their insight on topics concerning Korean culture’s past, current, and future influence on America and the world at large. This is an opportunity for the Marist community to embrace diverse perspectives and ideas. 

During the first panel, K-pop expert Dr. Wonseok Lee from Yale University will explore the globalization of K-pop as a whole, after which a SUNY New Paltz professor, Dr. Dasol Kim, will introduce a discourse on Korean beauty standards through her emerging book. A Marist professor and fashion designer, DooRi Chung, will then reveal how her cultural background influenced her creation of a dress for Michelle Obama. 

Following the first panel, attendees will be offered a complimentary Korean lunch, giving them another opportunity to enjoy aspects of Korean culture they may not be familiar with. 

The following session will focus on North Korean digital media and women’s literature. The speakers in this panel will address the younger generation of the world’s most secretive country and how they engage in digital culture and feminist literature under an oppressive regime. 

The final panel will involve three speakers who will explore various aspects of Korean Science Fiction in the past, present and future. These scholars have dedicated their academic careers to research and analysis of the topic, representing a typically underappreciated aspect of the speculative fiction genre. They will discuss the origins of science fiction in colonial Korea, its development and AI and the current climate crisis as seen in contemporary Korean speculative fiction.

As the organizer of the event, Dr. Yoo will also moderate a roundtable discussion at the close of the conference, where all of the panelists will further discuss and answer pressing questions about their presentations.

A day promising insightful experiences, this global studies conference will provide a great opportunity for many students and faculty in the Marist community to encounter an educational and unique discussion.