Decolonizing Korean Studies Collective

BOOK PUBLICATION IN KOREAN STUDIES WORKSHOP November 12 (Wed) 3:30- 5PM (EST) PANELISTS Bohyeong Kim (Vanderbilt) David Krolikoski (Hawai'i) Jinwon Kim (Smith)

DKSC 📖 Publication Workshop | November 12 (Wed), 3:30-5PM EST

Panelists will share insights on turning dissertations into books and navigating editorial and disciplinary expectations in the context of Korean studies.

Sign up here: bit.ly/dkscbookwork...

DKSC 에서 ”페미니즘 리부트“ 이후 10년 간의 북미와 한국의 한국학/연구에서의 페미니스트/퀴어 정치, 운동, 연구를 함께 돌아보는 라운드테이블을 준비했습니다. 한국시간으로 9/27 (토) 오전 9시이고, 행사는 한국어로 진행될 예정입니다. 신청 링크: bit.ly/46jg871

DKSC presents a roundtable discussion on the 10th anniversary of “Feminism Reboot,” on 9/26 (Fri) at 8PM EST. We will reflect on a decade of feminist and queer politics, activism, and scholarship in Korean Studies in both North America and South Korea. Register here: bit.ly/46jg871

The Decolonizing Korean Studies Collective (DKSC) is a community of scholars, activists, and community organizers united by a shared commitment to challenging the colonial, racialized, and heteronormative foundations of Korean studies. As a field largely institutionalized within US academia during the Cold War, Korean studies has long operated as a knowledge project that served the strategic and ideological interests of the US empire. The production of academic knowledge about Korea was never neutral; it was embedded in a larger apparatus of military, political, economic, and cultural domination that continues to shape the field’s practices.

We come together to address the harms perpetuated by this legacy, including the ongoing marginalization of voices from Korean, diasporic, and other communities silenced by colonial, racialized, and heteronormative structures of power. We stand in solidarity with those who have experienced violence, erasure, or exploitation within the academy and beyond—particularly early-career scholars made vulnerable by institutionalized white supremacy, settler colonialism, and academic gatekeeping—while also recognizing the complicity of Korean and Korean American scholars who uphold or benefit from these systems.

We seek to change how Korean studies is practiced: what we study, how we study, and for whom. For us, decolonizing Korean studies is not a metaphor. It is a deliberate and ongoing process that demands structural change, collective care, and new imagination. This involves challenging institutional norms, confronting exploitative research practices, and promoting collaborative scholarship and pedagogy. We are deeply committed to the ethos of community building—an ideal too often appropriated or overlooked within academia’s hierarchical systems. We strive to cultivate a space rooted in radical trust where our shared knowledge and responsibility foster growth and repair.

Since our formation in 2023, we have actively organized public events, roundtable workshops, and mentorship programs to foster dialogue, support early-career scholars, and create spaces for solidarity across disciplines and communities. We are dedicated to deepening this work as we envision Korean studies grounded in justice, equity, and collective liberation.

We’ve updated our mission statement on our webpage in both English and Korean:

dkscollective.com/dks-collecti...

DKSC 에서 대학원생 및 박사후연구원을 대상으로 논문 출간 멘토링 워크샵을 엽니다. 영어 논문 출간을 준비 중인 인문사회과학 분야 연구자분들의 많은 관심과 신청을 바랍니다.

워크샵은 2025년 6월 6일에 열리며, 참가자는 초청을 통해 선정됩니다. 논문 원고는 영어로 제출해야 하며, 멘토링은 영어 혹은 한국어로 진행됩니다. 신청 마감은 5월 9일 자정 (미 동부시간 기준) 입니다. 자세한 내용과 제출요건은 CFP 를 참고해 주세요.

Reminder: The application deadline for the Publication Mentoring Workshop is in one week, by May 9 at midnight EST.

This workshop for graduate students and postdocs will be held on June 6, 2025. See the CFP for details and submission guidelines.

Link to apply:
forms.gle/fb6B2KMgnZGh...

Call for Papers: DKSC Publication Mentoring Workshop DKSC is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for the Publication Mentoring Workshop, scheduled for June 2025. This workshop provides graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in all humanities and qualitative social science disciplines, working on a broad range of topics concerning Korea, with an opportunity to receive feedback on manuscripts intended for journal publication. Designed to guide participants through the academic publishing process, the workshop will pair selected students and postdoctoral scholars with critical experts in Korean studies from various disciplines, including history, film, media, and ethnography. We welcome applications from PhD students and postdoctoral scholars researching Korea and the Korean diaspora across all disciplinary backgrounds. We especially encourage junior scholars who have attended previous DKSC mentoring workshops, roundtables, or events to submit works in progress. Eligibility Open to current PhD students and postdoctoral scholars who have not yet secured a tenure-track academic appointment and have an article-length manuscript (8,000-10,000 words) that is near submission. Submission Details • Workshop Date: Friday, June 6, 2025 (held virtually) • Deadline: May 9, 2025 (midnight EST) • How to Apply: Submit your information and your full manuscript via the Google Form: https://forms.gle/fb6B2KMgnZGhFwRE8 • Selection & Notification: Manuscripts nearing completion and ready for constructive feedback are strongly encouraged. Successful applicants will be notified by May 16, 2025. If you have any inquiries, please contact dkscollective2023@gmail.com

We will be holding a Publication Mentoring Workshop (invite only) for grads/postdocs in June 2025. Please see the CFP for details, eligibility and submission guidelines. Application due May 9 Midnight EST.

Link to apply via google form: forms.gle/fb6B2KMgnZGh...

DKSC에서는 제주 4.3 관련 군사재판에 연루된 다섯 명의 여성 민간인 생존자들의 이야기를 담은 다큐멘터리 <돌들이 말할 때까지> (2023) 의 온라인 상영회를 개최합니다. 상영 후 영화를 연출한 김경만 감독님과의 Q&A 시간이 마련될 예정입니다. 영화상영을 비롯한 행사는 한국어로 진행될 예정입니다 (영어 자막 제공).

참가신청:

The film will be presented in Korean with English subtitles, and the conversation with the director will be conducted in Korean. The screening will be followed by a discussion on the film’s themes and its contemporary significance.

Registration link:

With hopes of chaos caused by the martial law being resolved, today marks the 77th anniversary of the Jeju 4.3 massacre in South Korea. Just a quick reminder of our online film screening event put together in recognition of the stories far to often erased and forgotten.

DKSC에서는 제주 4.3 관련 군사재판에 연루된 다섯 명의 여성 민간인 생존자들의 이야기를 담은 다큐멘터리 <돌들이 말할 때까지> (2023) 의 온라인 상영회를 개최합니다. 상영 후 영화를 연출한 김경만 감독님과의 Q&A시간이 마련될 예정입니다. 행사는 한국어로 진행됩니다.

YouTube video by [주]디스테이션 [돌들이 말할 때까지] 메인 예고편

The film will be presented in Korean with English subtitles, and the conversation with the director will be conducted in Korean. Film Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNK0...

Join us for a special screening of Until the Stones Speak (2023) on April 11, 6 pm EST. Directed by Kim Kyung-man, this film follows the lives of five women who lived through the devastating turmoil of Jeju 4.3. luc.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

“28 Hours at Namtaeryeong: I felt ashamed of my country. But I also saw its future in these women.” Image Credit: IKP News Translators’ Note: From December 16 to 21, 2024, the “Jeon Bong-jun Struggle Group,” a coalition of eight agricultural and food-related organizations, drove tractors and othe…

DKSC shares Kang Kwang-seok’s firsthand account of the Namtaeryeong protest where farmers and citizens united against corruption in December 2024. This alliance between rural activists and urban youth reshaped Korean social movements.

dkscollective.com/2025/02/21/2...

Run, do not walk, to listen to their eloquent response to multiple forces that have destroyed democracy: "We are all part of this shared struggle."

“We are all part of this shared struggle” Image Credit: Emergency Coalition for Yoon Suk-yeol’s Immediate Resignation and Social Reform (윤석열즉각퇴진·사회대개혁 비상행동) Translators’ Note: On December 31, 2024, a district court in Seoul ordered t…

DKSC translates a powerful speech by a Korean pro-democratic protester calling for a new vision of democracy as a form of living-with-others. This speech was delivered during a mass demonstration on January 3, 2025, in response to the failed attempt to arrest the recently impeached president Yoon.

Our panel—Dr. Ga Young Chung, Dr. Stephen Cho Suh, and Dr. Carolyn Areum Choi—will share their experiences navigating Korean Studies and Korean American Studies. Moderated in English, the event is also open to Korean speakers. Please register here: luc.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Join us for our DKSC workshop, “Bridging Korean and Korean American Studies,” on Fri, Feb 21. Where does Korean American Studies fit within different disciplines? Is it part of Korean Studies' efforts to globalize the field? We invite three interdisciplinary scholars to explore these questions.

Page 4 – DKS Collective Resources Decolonizing Korean Studies Collective aims to provide a timely compilation of articles, books, films, documentaries, and other materials on specific topics. Korean Queer Documentaries Re…

웹페이지에 “팔레스타인을 번역하기” 섹션을 새롭게 추가했습니다. 이 섹션은 나크바 이후 이스라엘의 정착민 식민주의와 서구 제국주의의 공모를 젠더화, 성애화, 인종화된 폭력과 재생산 정의의 관점에서 다룬 여러 글들을 한국어로 번역해 싣고 있습니다. 이 작업은 Korean Feminists for Palestine 과의 협업으로 이뤄졌고, 앞으로도 번역 작업을 지속적으로 이어갈 예정입니다. dkscollective.com/resources/4/

These writings shed light on the interconnections between the genocide in Gaza and issues of gender, sexuality, and reproductive justice. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with this initiative to bring more translations in the near future.

Page 4 – DKS Collective Resources Decolonizing Korean Studies Collective aims to provide a timely compilation of articles, books, films, documentaries, and other materials on specific topics. Korean Queer Documentaries Re…

We have added a new section to our Resources page, “Translating Palestine.” It includes articles and statements translated into Korean in collaboration with Korean Feminists for Palestine. They are authored by feminist and queer activists and scholars from, in, and in solidarity with Palestine.

Register here!

Please join us for our first "DKSC Reads" to discuss together Minwoo Jung's "Queer Korea Impossible." Links to the article in both Korean/Eng. will be sent upon registration participants are encouraged to read the article beforehand. The event will also be in both Korean/Eng.

Resources Decolonizing Korean Studies Collective aims to provide a timely compilation of articles, books, films, documentaries, and other materials on specific topics. Korean Queer Documentaries Read Rethink…

With President Yoon impeached by the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court must now certify the decision. In this moment, we’re sharing a preliminary list of English-language monographs and Korean documentaries to critically understand South Korean democracies: dkscollective.com/resources/3/

Looking ahead, we’re curating resources for students, researchers, educators, and organizers to rethink South Korean democracies, centering feminist, queer, and decolonial perspectives. Meanwhile, join us for DKSC Reads, our reading club, on January 24 at 7PM EST. More details to come—stay tuned!

Many participants also shared experiences of organizing in their own institutions, highlighting how we each grapple with the microcosm of broader political dynamics shaping the way we define/enact democracy. We deeply thank everyone who joined, fostering a sense of community and critical dialogue.

At yesterday’s DKSC emergency roundtable, we explored feminist/queer perspectives on protests, the politics of remembering/forgetting, and the positionality of US-based Korean scholars, rethinking democracy beyond US-centric Cold War frameworks while interrogating heteropatriarchal nationalism.

DKSC는 현재 한국의 계엄령과 탄핵 정국을 주제로 긴급 시국 집담회를 엽니다. “K-민주주의”의 성취와 위기에 대한 지배적인 담론에 문제를 제기하며, 헤테로내셔널리즘과 한국 예외주의, “위기”의 불균등한 분배와 경험, 위기 담론의 효과와 미 제국주의, 집회 공간에서의 차별과 배제, 그리고 광주에서 세월호, 이태원, 팔레스타인까지 이어지는 사회적 기억을 통한 연대와 민주주의의 가능성을 논의하고자 합니다. 이 행사는 한국어로 주로 진행되며, 영어 사용자도 참여 가능합니다. 참가신청: bit.ly/DKSCEmergency

Join us for an emergency roundtable on “K-democracy.” We’ll critically examine the heteronationalist and exceptionalist narratives of Korean democracy, the varied experiences of national “crisis” across communities, and the linkages between Korean exceptionalism and US empire. bit.ly/DKSCEmergency