The UP Asian Center in collaboration with the INHA Center for International Studies, UP Korea Research Center, and the UP Center for International Studies will host the special lecture, "Korean Studies in the Global South | A Special Lecture" on 29 August 2025, 3 PM to 5 PM (GMT+8), at the Seminar Room, Asian Center, UP Diliman. The event is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register online.
ABOUT THE LECTURE
The special lecture explores the development and diffusion of Korean Studies in relation to the Global South, situating Korea’s academic and cultural engagements within broader debates on public diplomacy, identity politics, and international relations. Beginning with a historical overview of the field, the talk examines how global power dynamics have shaped the production and dissemination of knowledge about Korea. It also introduces ongoing initiatives supported by the Academy of Korean Studies, including the creation of online courses that expand access to Korean Studies across disciplines and regions, with particular attention to politics, public diplomacy, and identity. By connecting historical trajectories with present challenges, the presentation calls for a more inclusive, globally attuned framework for Korean Studies that critically engages with South-South relations.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
KIM Suweon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Dr. KIM Suweon writes on food, animals, and films in light of development cooperation and public diplomacy with a specialization in Afro-Asia relations. Having completed her MSocSc and Ph.D. in Cape Town, South Africa, funded by the government of Korea, she went on to teach at the Accra campus of Webster University. In 2020, she joined Hankuk University of Foreign Studies faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Studies of the Graduate School of International and Area Studies. Her recent article, "Almost South-South solidarity: The frustration of K-pop fans (but not true fans) in South Africa" illuminates the contours of digitalization in a less-studied light of emotion. She is currently engaged in a trilateral research collaboration of Korea-Canada-Uganda to understand the political economy of the international assistance on rice production.
ABOUT THE DISCUSSANTS
KYUNG MIN BAE, Ph.D.
Director, UP Korea Research Center
Dr. Kyung Min Bae is an Assistant Professorial Fellow in the Department of Linguistics at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where she has been teaching Korean language since 2010. Since 1 September 2023, she has served as the Director of the UP Korea Research Center, following her tenure as Officer-in-Charge from 2021 to 2023. Dr. Bae earned her Ph.D. in Language Education from the UP College of Education in July 2020. Her dissertation, titled “Professional Identity of Non-native Teachers of Korean as a Foreign Language as Basis for a KFL Teacher Education Program Framework,” underscores her commitment to developing Korean language education in the Philippines. Through her leadership at the UP Korea Research Center, she continues to forge academic initiatives that promote Korean Studies and foster institutional collaborations between the Philippines and Korea.
MICHELLE R. PALUMBARIT, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, UP Asian Center
Dr. Michelle Palumbarit obtained her doctoral degree in Political Science from Yonsei University, Seoul in 2016, and her Master's degree in Korean Studies in 2012 from the same university. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman. Her research interests and areas of expertise include Korean Studies, Filipino migration to Korea, Environmental politics, and Korean and Southeast Asia issues. Currently, she serves as the Director of UP CIFAL Philippines.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
This special lecture is organized by the UP Asian Center in collaboration with the INHA Center for International Studies, UP Korea Research Center, and the UP Center for International Studies.
For inquiries, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 891-8500 loc. 3586.
