Royal Asiatic Society Korea

[Lecture] 'Wars in the Middle East and Korea'

2026년 4월 21일 19:20 KST

서울시공익활동지원센터 Seoul Public Activities Center, 용산베르디움프렌즈 101동 지하1층 (삼각지역 도보3분), Seoul, KR

LECTURE TITLE:
'Wars in the Middle East and Korea'

SPEAKER: Kim Hyun-Myung, Former Korean Ambassador to Iraq

DATE: Tuesday, April 21, 2026. 7:20PM (Seoul)

VENUE: Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터). ‘다목적홀’

(ADDRESS: Basement Floor, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan Verdium Friends(용산베르디움프렌즈) #101, Yongsan-gu, Seoul), 2-3 minutes walking from Exit 8 of Samgakji-Station (Line 6 & Line 4)

ADMISSION (Online & In-person): Free for RAS Korea Lifetime and Annual Members; W10,000 for Non-members; W5,000 for Non-member students (Student ID requested)

If you would like to attend online Zoom,
RSVP by April 20 (Monday).
Zoom Link Request ☞ https://forms.gle/v4kTySo4qdW1zaxTA
We will email you the link on the morning of the lecture day.

For Non-member, payment to be remitted to the following account:
SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)

To attend in-person, RSVP is not required.

The lecture will be conducted in English & Korean.

DESCRIPTION:

The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Lecture titled “Wars in the Middle East & Korea” explores the parallels and contrasts between two regions shaped by conflict, diplomacy, and reconstruction. Presented by Kim Hyun-Myung, former Korean Ambassador to Iraq, the talk examines how historical, cultural, and geopolitical forces have influenced warfare and peacebuilding efforts in both areas. Through firsthand diplomatic insight, the lecture offers a nuanced look at Korea’s experiences in relation to the Middle East’s ongoing struggles, encouraging reflection on global security and international cooperation.

It’s the kind of event that blends history, politics, and personal perspective — ideal for anyone interested in how nations navigate war and reconciliation.

BIO:

Kim Hyun-Myung is a seasoned South Korean diplomat best known for serving as the country’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iraq, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening bilateral relations during a period of regional instability. His distinguished career spans postings in Japan, Vietnam, the Netherlands, and the United States, reflecting his broad international experience.

Within Korea’s government, he has held senior positions including Director of the Intelligence Analysis Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director-General of the Office of International Training and Cooperation at the Ministry of Public Administration & Security.

Ambassador Kim is recognized for his ability to navigate complex diplomatic environments and maintain constructive dialogue with counterparts in challenging contexts. His tenure in Iraq highlighted Korea’s broader commitment to contributing to global stability and development beyond East Asia. He holds a BA in French Education from Seoul National University.

VENUE:

The Seoul Public Activities Center(SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터) is located at Yongsan Verdium Friends #101 (용산베르디움프렌즈 101동) B1, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Walk 2-3 minutes from ‘Exit 8’ of Samgakji Station (LINE 6 & 4) and take the elevator down to the B1 Floor.

[Colloquium] 'Between curiosity and colonial ambition'

2026년 4월 23일 18:00 KST

korea university, Anam-ro Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, KR

Seoul Colloquium in Korean Studies
(the Seoul Center of EFEO)

FULL TITLE:
'Between curiosity and colonial ambition: Self-image, strategies and contemporary perception of German research and collection expeditions to late Choson'

SPEAKER: Lars F. Köppen

The April 2026 session of the “Seoul Colloquium in Korean Studies” organized by the Seoul Center of the EFEO will be held as an in-person event on Thursday April 23th in the Grand Conference Room (Room number 310), of the Asiatic Research Institute, Korea University, beginning at 6:00 pm.
All who wish to participate must register in advance by sending an email to efeoseoul@hotmail.com

DATE: Thursday. April 23, 2024. 6:00PM

VENUE: Grand Conference Room (#310), of the Asiatic Research Institute, Korea University

Take Exit 1 from Korea University subway station, turn right onto the footpath leading up onto the campus. Walk straight up the road past LG Posco Hall, the Business School and Main Library (all on the right hand side). The Asiatic Research Institute (ARI) is the building next after the Main Library (Campus Map)

After 6 PM the front door of the Institute may be locked. If the door is locked, phone to the EFEO Seoul Center (02-921-4526) so that we can let you into the building.

[Image: Advertisement for artwork from China, Japan and Korea in a German local newspaper. (© Lübeck City Library)]

SUMMARY:

Between the first bilateral Korean-German treaty in 1883 and the outbreak of the First World War, a few dozen Germans entered Korea and brought back home a wide collection of ethnographic objects and scientific samples. How did they collaborate? How did they interpret their roles and how were they perceived by others? How did the collections and publications shape the image Germans had of Korea? The overarching question is who generated knowledge about Korea in the 19th and early 20th century and with which purpose they did it.

BIO:

Lars F. Köppen earned a master’s degree from Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg with a thesis on workplace conflicts under socialism in East Germany in 2017. Since then, he has worked in several museums and archives across Northern Germany, currently at the Hanseatic City Archive in Lübeck. In 2023, he joined the Korean-German Forum for Comparative History (한독비교사포럼) and completed the Kyujanggak Korean Studies Summer Workshop at Seoul National University. He is enrolled as a PhD candidate at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.

[Cultural Excursion] 'Old and Modern Gangnam Style'

2026년 4월 25일 13:00 KST

Seolleung station, Meet at Seolleung station, exit 5, Seoul, KR

TITLE: 'Old and Modern Gangnam Style'

LEADER: Jun Y.G. SHIN

DATE: Saturday, April 25, 2026. 1:00pm to 5:00pm

DESTINATION: Seolleung Royal Tombs, Bongeun-sa Temple and COEX at Samsung-dong, Gangnam

Cost: KRW 25,000 for Members; KRW 30,000 for Non-members (Admission to Seolleung Royal Tombs is included in the excursion fee)

MEETING POINT: At the top of Exit 10 of Seolleung Station (선릉역, Green Line (LINE 2) & Suin-Bundang Line). At 1:00PM.

REGISTRATION: RSVP by April 23 (Thursday) with payment of the fee via bank transfer. Please register one RSVP at a time.

RSVP: https://forms.gle/852QoriWQh6a6RFSA

☞Payment to be remitted to the following account:
SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)

*Reservation is not confirmed until payment has been received by RAS Korea in advance of the event.

DESCRIPTION:

Since the runaway success of a satirical song by a rotund Korean rapper PSY, the phrase ‘Gangnam Style’ has earned worldwide fame. There is, however, another side to Gangnam. Amid the hustle and bustle of the sleekest, most modern part of Seoul, lie quiet corners, lush greenery, and traces of the Korea’s past.

Join us for a walking excursion that explores both the old and the new sides of Gangnam. Our route includes Seolleung Royal Tombs, a serene green space that preserves important royal tombs from the Joseon Dynasty; COEX (Korea Convention and Exhibition Center), a landmark of modern Seoul; and Bongeunsa Temple, one of the city’s largest and most vibrant Buddhist temples.

The two historic sites on our excursion—Seolleung Royal Tombs and Bongeunsa Temple—are deeply connected to Confucianism and Buddhism, the two belief systems that have shaped Korean life and thought more than any other religions. At Seolleung, we will examine the main structures and overall layout of the royal tomb complex. At Bongeunsa, a temple with more than a thousand years of history, participants will gain insight into Korean Buddhist history and culture while viewing a rich variety of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Arhat statues, as well as temple buildings, paintings, and ritual instruments.

On our way from Seolleung Royal Tombs to Bongeunsa Temple, we will stop by COEX, one of the most iconic symbols of modern Gangnam and a showcase of Korea’s contemporary consumer culture. There, we’ll take photos under the famous Gangnam Style statue, look up at the massive outdoor advertisements reminiscent of New York’s Times Square, and explore the Starfield Library located at the center of COEX’s main plaza.

There will be a considerable amount of walking, so please wear appropriate footwear. The excursion will proceed as scheduled even if it rains – just put on your rain gear and bring your umbrella!

Jun Y. G. SHIN is a life member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea and serves on its council.

[LECTURE] 'Compassionate Dragon-King'

2026년 4월 28일 19:20 KST

서울시공익활동지원센터 Seoul Public Activities Center, 용산베르디움프렌즈 101동 지하1층 (삼각지역 도보3분), Seoul, KR

LECTURE TITLE:
Compassionate Dragon-King: The Relationship Between Korea's Yong-wang and Gwaneum

SPEAKER: David Mason

DATE: Tuesday, April 28, 2026. 7:20PM (Seoul)

VENUE: Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터). ‘다목적홀’

(ADDRESS: Basement Floor, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan Verdium Friends(용산베르디움프렌즈) #101, Yongsan-gu, Seoul),
2-3 minutes walking from Exit 8 of Samgakji-Station (Line 6 & Line 4)

ADMISSION (Online & In-person): Free for RAS Korea Lifetime and Annual Members; W10,000 for Non-members; W5,000 for Non-member students (Student ID requested)

If you would like to attend online Zoom, RSVP by April 27 (Monday).
Zoom Link Request ☞ https://forms.gle/Scv6sPXPw2vUYEB58

We will email you the link on the morning of the lecture day.

For Non-member, payment to be remitted to the following account:
SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)

To attend in-person, RSVP is not required.

SUMMARY:

One does not usually think of dragons been associated with mercy, sympathy, empathy and love — but there is a very old tradition in Korea’s Buddhist artworks of the Yong-wang Dragon-King appearing as a key figure in popular formal icons of Gwanse-eum Bosal, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and also of that bodhisattva being depicted as riding upon a dragon. Professor Mason will explain the complex relationship at work here, in a way that deepens our understanding of how Korean Buddhist iconography developed as an integration of Shamanic/Daoist folk-deities into it, and will attempt to enhance our spiritual inspiration that can be derived from viewing these artworks. He is publishing a landmark new book this spring: K-Dragons: DaeHanYong — Korea’s Dragon Traditions and their Yong-wang Monarchs. This lecture is based upon one of its many chapters, and the book will be introduced at the event and made available for order.

BIO:

David A. Mason has recently retired as Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism at Seoul universities, and researcher on the religious characteristics of Korea’s mountains and the pilgrimage traditions associated with them. Prior to this 18-year professorship, he spent five years as a Consultant for the national Ministry of Culture and Tourism, assisting development of the famous TempleStay program, and 15 years before that in academic work. He has authored ten books on Korean culture and tourism, including Spirit of the Mountains: Korea’s San-shin and Traditions of Mountain-Worship, Lonely Planet’s 1997 Korea Travel-Guide, Solitary Sage, and the official Encyclopedia of Korean Buddhism. He has extensive experience of exploring and tour-guiding Korean sites, and is a skilled lecturer on their interesting aspects both in-person and online. He was born & raised in Michigan in the USA. This is his 18th lecture for RAS Korea.