The Division of International Support for Korean Studies at the Center for International Affairs of the Academy of Korean Studies held the 181st Colloquium on Korean Studies Abroad on April 25, 2024, at the Munhyeonggwan Grand Conference Room. This colloquium was designed to present the research findings of our fellowship recipients, Prof. Hyeonjeong Ji (University of California, Los Angeles) and Prof. Suseon Yu (University of California, Berkeley).

Dr. Ji's presentation, titled “Managing the Distressed in an Age of Anxiety: Psychiatrists and the Debates on Neurosis in South Korea, 1960s-1970s,” analyzed how socio-cultural changes in South Korea during the 1960s and 1970s, following liberation and the Korean War, affected neurosis in the country. She discussed how modernization, urbanization, and Westernized thinking significantly contributed to the spread of neurosis in Korea, which in turn facilitated the establishment of the mental health field in the country.

Prof. Suseon Yu's presentation, “The Unintended Consequences of Demographic Policies on Women's Empowerment,” explored the causes of the backlash against women in Korean society. She argued that patriarchal social norms combined with authoritarian government policies created a restrictive marriage market, which subsequently led to a backlash against women.

The colloquiums drew many researchers and graduate students, who shared their opinions. The Division of International Support for Korean Studies will continue to organize events to promote communication among local and foreign researchers.