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Call for Application

Democracy in Korea: A Transpacific Perspective

While democracy turned 250 in the United States in 2026, the year 2027 will mark the 40th anniversary of South Korea’s political democratization in 1987. Celebrating this milestone while also reflecting on the current era, this conference will bring together researchers in history and cultural studies who are invested in the study of the past, present, and future of democracy in Korea. We particularly welcome proposals that adopt a transpacific perspective, taking into account not just the developments on the Korean peninsula, but also the historical contributions that Korean American communities and individuals have made to the cause of a democratic Korea. Conversely, we are also interested in how the South Korean democratic experience has resonated across the Pacific, informing the political movements and intellectual development of Korean communities in the United States.

Scholars and researchers from all academic ranks and geographical locations are invited to apply. Potential thematic areas include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ideological Circulations in the Pacific: The mutual exchange and adaptation of democratic ideals, political philosophies, and human rights discourses between Korea, the United States, and neighboring Pacific Rim countries.
• Literature as Democratic Imaginary: The role of poetry, fiction, and play in articulating visions of democratic society.
• Transpacific Networks of Democratic Movements: Cross-border activism and international solidarities between Korea and other Pacific Rim countries such as Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan as well as the Korean diaspora in the United States.
• Marginalized Subjectivities and Democratic Expansion: Historical and contemporary analyses of how ethnic and political minorities, disability communities, and gender rights advocates have shaped and sustained democratic progress.
• Digital Democracy: The role of technoculture and digital media in the production and circulation of information, misinformation, and political discourse.

Submissions should include the following:

• Title of the paper.
• Abstract: A 300-word summary outlining the paper’s central argument, methodology, and significance. Proposals for panels of 2 or more papers should include a 300-word panel abstract along with the abstract of each paper.
• Bio: A brief biography (150-200 words) including the author’s institutional affiliation, if applicable.

Please send your abstract to ksiconference@usc.edu by December 1, 2026. Notification of acceptance will be sent by late December. Accepted presenters will be required to submit a 15-minute presentation paper by April 5, 2027. Please note that the official language of this conference is English; both abstracts and presentation papers must be submitted in English only.

The conference will take place at the University of Southern California (USC) on April 23-24, 2027. The USC Korean Studies Institute will provide accommodations for all presenters during the conference period, and all efforts will be made to defray the cost of travel for accepted presenters.

The conference is organized by Sunyoung Park (Director, USC Korean Studies Institute), Junghwan Cheon (Director, BK 21 Education and Research Group of Korean Language and Literature, Sungkyunkwan University), and Dillon Sung (Ph.D. Candidate, USC Department of American Studies and Ethnicity). For any inquiries, please contact local organizer Dillon Sung at dillon.sung@usc.edu. 

Generously sponsored by USC Dornsife College, the Academy of Korean Studies, and BK 21 Education and Research Group of Korean Language and Literature, Sungkyunkwan University.