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.