Date: January 10, 2025 (Friday)

Time: 15:30-17:30

Venue: Ritsumeikan University, Soshikan Hall 401 (SO401)

Format: Hybrid [https://shorturl.at/pa4s8]

Language: English

Co-organizer: Institute of Humanities, Human and Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University

This seminar examines the lived experiences of ethnic Koreans from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Japan, focusing on their socio-cultural dynamics, identity negotiations, and the historical trajectories that shaped their realities in host countries. These presentations explore strategies employed by ethnic Koreans to preserve their cultural heritage while adapting to shifting socio-political landscapes, the contestation and construction of diasporic memory spaces, and the processes of identity renegotiation in diasporic contexts. By integrating perspectives from diverse geographic and cultural settings, this seminar provides an understanding of the challenges, resilience, and contributions of ethnic Korean minorities within the global diaspora. Participants will gain insights into how diasporic communities influence and interact with their host societies while maintaining their cultural identities.

Speakers:

Dr. Yem Natalya, Al Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan)

    Experiences, and Social Dynamics of Ethnic Koreans in Kazakhstan

Dr. Igor Saveliev, Nagoya University (Japan)

    Renegotiating Identity in Diasporic Spaces: The Encounters of Central Asian and Sakhalin Koreans in South Korea and Russia

Dr. Jackie J. Kim-Wachutka, Ritsumeikan University (Japan)

    Narrating "Zainichi" -- Contesting Erasure: On the Threshold of Lieux and Milieu de Memoire of Diasporic Koreans in Japan

Moderator: Dr. Viktoriya Kim, Ritsumeikan University (Japan)