International Korean Studies Conference concludes

Nov 15, 2004

A three-day conference hosted by UOW’s Faculty of Arts was held last week (Wednesday 10 November – Friday 12 November), bringing together a variety of distinguished participants from around the world including the Vice-President of POSCO, the world’s largest steel company, and the Korean Ambassador.

The conference theme was ‘The Park Era: A Reassessment After 25 Years’, a reflection on some of the key questions examined by academics and other commentators on the legacy of South Korea’s long serving President, Park Chung Hee, who was assassinated 25 years ago.

The conference speakers analysed and discussed Korean affairs, Korean culture, psychology, democracy, how Korea’s national infrastructure has come to be what it is today and how the Park era still holds a position of great importance in South Korea’s development as a nation.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Andrew Wells, said that the Park regime was a central player and agent in the political, economic and social conflicts that mark the period and drew much of the world’s attention to the peninsula. “It is essential to our understanding of South Korea as a modern democracy and economic powerhouse that we reassess this administration,” he said.

Speakers included the Presidential Former Senior Economic Secretary (1971-79), O Won-Ch’ol; the Vice President of POSCO (the world’s largest steel company for the third consecutive year), Seok-Man Yoon; the Russian Consulate General, Mr Gregory Toloraya; the Korean Ambassador, Mr Cho Sang-Hoon, and a number of academics from institutions including the University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, University of Washington, University of California and the University of Hawaii.

Professor Wells and Professor Adrian Vickers from UOW chaired two of the sessions and Dr Kim-Hyung-A from the Faculty of Arts spoke on South Korea’s Homeland Security Measures.

**Watch this space: additional images from the conference will be available over the next few days

**To obtain paper abstracts contact Renee Pearce on (02) 4221 3290

-RP