CEFIA News

We are pleased to announce the Call for Essays for the Understanding Korea Contest 2025. Please review the guidelines outlined below and ensure to adhere them when submitting your essay. Hosted by the Center for International Affair at AKS, the Understanding Korea Project aims to rectify misconceptions and enhance the quality of content about Korea in international textbooks.

Essay Topics	● International Images of Korea
	- Images of Korea as presented in international instruction materials (international textbooks, internet sites, etc.)   - Proposals on how to improve the image of Korea ● Notable Applications of Understanding Korea Materials   - Notable applications of Understanding Korea materials (Korean Cuisine, Hangeul, etc.)   - Proposals for new Understanding Korea materials
Eligibility	Foreigners, Koreans living abroad
Submission	Submit via the official website of the Academy of Korean Studies
	- Language: Korean or English   - Essay Length: Approximately 3 pages in A4 format   ※ Download the application form from information bulletins on the Center's website and submit.      (Only the official form will be accepted.)   ※ Applications can be submitted using either Theme 1 or Theme 2 or both.
Prizes	● Grand Prize: 2 (Awarded by the Minister (MOFA & MOE) Prize worth 600,000 won)
	● Excellence Prize: 4 (Awarded by AKS President Prize worth 400,000 won) ● Participation Prize: 6 (Awarded by the Center Director Prize worth 200,000 won)
Application Period	June 1 - July 31, 2025, 18:00
	※ Applications arrived after the deadline (Korea Standard Time) will not be received..
Announcement	September 25, 2025
	※ The result of the contest will be posted on the Center's website and all winners will be     notified individually.
Contact	The Center for International Affairs, Division of Understanding Korea Project
	- Email: highspirit@aks.ac.kr ※ All inquiries about the contest must be made by email.

The Academy of Korean Studies runs the 'AKS Fellowship for Korean Studies' program, aiming to offer international scholars the opportunity to conduct their research(or dissertation research) in Korea. Following the guidelines provided below, the AKS is currently accepting applications for its 2026 AKS Fellowship for Korean Studies program.

1. Eligibility : Foreign scholars of foreign university in the humanities and social sciences
2. Fellowship Period
   The fellowship should take place between January 1 st and December 31 st , 2026.
   Applicants can apply for minimum two months to maximum six months support.
3. Fellowship Grant
  (1) Airfare: Economy-class round trip airfare(Only offered to overseas awardees)
  (2) Monthly stipend: KRW 2,000,000
  (3) Access to the facilities of AKS including the library
  (4) Up to 50% discount of AKS Guesthouse charges
4. Required Documents: Application form, Curriculum Vitae, Certificate of Employment (Registration),
   Extra documents for Ph. D. candidate
5. Application Period: June 9, 2025 (Mon.) 10:00AM ~ July 25, 2025 (Fri.) 5:00PM (Korea Standard Time)
6. Submission Method: Online submission at the Academy of Korean Studies' Website
7. Result Notification: The result of your application will be notified individually in September, 2025.
8. Contacts : Division of International Support for Korean Studies (fellowship@aks.ac.kr)

1The Division of Understanding Korea Project held the “Textbook Seminar for Educators of Uruguay” from Sunday, May 11, to Saturday, May 17, 2025. Participants in the seminary included specialists associated with key textbook publishers in Uruguay.

Through the seminar, Korean presenters, including researchers in the Division of Understanding Korea Project, and Uruguayan textbook specialists were able to discuss the educational curricula and textbook systems in both Korea and Uruguay, the Uruguayan people’s interest in Korea, the content on Korea currently included in Uruguayan textbooks, and information on Korea that could be introduced in Uruguayan textbooks. Through lectures on “Korean History through Cultural Heritage,” “Korean Language and Culture,” and “Korean Geography,” participants were given the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of Korean history, culture, and geography.

Participants were also taken to Gyeongju to visit sites such as Cheonmachong Tomb, Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, and the Gyeongju National Museum, allowing them to personally experience the Buddhist culture and architectural forms of the Silla kingdom. Furthermore, visits to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, Insadong, and the COEX Starfield Library allowed participants to see how tradition and modernity coexist in Seoul by directly participating in Korean culture and heritage.

Through the seminar, the participating textbook experts from Uruguay developed a greater interest in Korean education, history, and culture and expressed that their intentions to engage in sustained efforts to promote mutual understanding between Korean and Uruguayan students through textbooks and Understanding Korea materials going forward.

The Division of Understanding Korea Project held the “Textbook Seminar for Educators of Italy” from Monday, May 19, to Sunday, May 25, 2025.

This seminar focused on requesting changes to Korea-related content in Italian textbooks, proposing new Korea-related content for Italian textbooks, and offering opportunities for Italian textbook specialists to directly experience and better understand contemporary Korea.

During the seminar, discussions were held on Korea’s image as presented in Italian textbooks, as well as on detailed cooperation measures to enrich Korea-related content in Italian textbooks going forward. During a meeting with the AKS president, participants exchanged thoughts on the similarities between Italy and Korea and on sustainable values and cooperation going forward. Furthermore, participants visited the AKS Archives of International Textbooks to browse textbooks from across the globe and visited Jangseogak Archives to observe the preservation of Korea’s documentary heritage.

In addition, Korean Studies lectures allowed participants to learn in depth about Korea’s economic development, as well as Korea’s view on the unification of the Korean Peninsula and the North-South Korean relationship within a global society. Through visits to historic UNESCO Heritage Sites in Gyeongju, such as Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, and tours of key areas in Seoul, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village, as well as the Cheonggyecheon Museum, participants had an opportunity to better understand and experience Korean history, culture, and geography.

Through the seminar’s diverse Korean culture experiences, the Italian textbook specialists came to express an increased interest in Korea and promised continued exchange and cooperation going forward.

The Division of International Support for Korean Studies held the 104th Societas Koreana Lecture Meeting on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Westin Josun Seoul Hotel. Dr. Hyunhee Park (Associate Professor of History at the City University of New York, John Jay College and the CUNY Graduate Center) spoke on the topic of “Soju in a Global Historical Context: Cross-Cultural Exchanges and the Trajectory of Korea’s Distilled Liquor,” examining the historical and cultural context behind how Korean soju has recently established itself in the global market.

In her talk, Dr. Park provided a comprehensive look at the transformation of soju over time, from the introduction of distillation technology in the Goryeo period to the localization of soju in the Joseon period and the globalization of soju in the contemporary period. Attendees showed great interest in the unique nature of Korean soju, asking questions about soju’s symbolic meaning and regional differences in characteristics and production methods during the post-lecture Q&A session, thus demonstrating their great curiosity regarding the process of Korean soju’s historical and cultural development.

A video of the lecture will be made available on the Societas Koreana YouTube channel in the future.