The Division of International Support for Korean Studies held the 191st Colloquium on Korean Studies Abroad on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Grand Conference Room of Munhyeongwan Hall. The recipients of the 2025 AKS Fellowship, Dr. Ed Pulford (Professor, University of Manchester), and Dr. Tuemei Tian (Professor, Tianjin Normal University), presented the findings of their fellowship research.

Based on literature research and ethnographic surveys conducted in Seoul, Dr. Pilford analyzed how the Joseonjok community forms its identity and seeks out opportunities within a multilayered reality. In particular, he discussed the socioeconomic transformations of local society is places like Daerim-dong and Garibong-dong, the sociopolitical flow of Korean society in general, and how international relations between Seoul and Beijing affect the lives and identities of Joseonjok. Dr. Pilford emphasized how the transnational experience of Joseokjok can serve as an important case study within the broader context of “Global China,” drew significant interest from the audience.

In his research, Dr. Tian analyzed the diverse works left by the civil official Kim Yun-sin, who went to Tianjin, China, in 1881 as a special envoy (yeongseonsa), taking with him 69 students and craftsmen. Kim’s works, such as Yeonseon ilgi, Cheonjin damcho, Unyangjip, and Sugeum cheonsa, reveal Tianjin's literary significance as a modern city through their depictions of its natural and cultural landscapes, while exploring the changing perceptions of China and the internal transitions experienced by Korean intellectuals during the period of upheaval marked by the dissolution of the traditional East Asian order. By offering new implications not only on the literary significance of Kim Yun-sik’s works, but also for research on exchange between China and Korea in the modern era, Dr. Tian’s presentation attracted the audience’s attention.

Many researchers and graduate students attended the colloquium, sharing diverse opinions. The Division of International Support for Korean Studies will continue to provide such opportunities for communication between researchers from Korea and abroad