Invitation

The organizing committee warmly invites and welcomes you to the workshop; “Global Capitalism and Culture in East Asia”, organized by Seoul National University Asia Center.

East Asia, once the leading example of economic growth for developing countries, has confronted in the late 1990s with sudden economic crisis, following the world-wide tide of globalization and subsequent onslaught of neoliberal economic ideology. This raises questions about the unique East Asian model(s) of economic development and of capitalism and poses serious challenges to the existing formula for the relationship between capitalist development and Asian culture. This workshop is an attempt to reconsider the capitalism-culture nexus in this context. It specifically focuses on either changes occurred in the national or local culture due to the onslaught of neoliberal and/or global capitalism, or varieties of capitalism and their adjustment to, or being embedded in, national or local culture. Papers to be presented in this workshop deal with diverse aspects of this topic.

This workshop is conceived to be a forum for international scholars with diverse disciplinary and national backgrounds to present and discuss their current research on this topic and to exchange criticisms and suggestions in an informal but intense environment. The workshop does not expect to produce some definite answers or solutions to the problems and challenges; rather it is intended to raise new questions and suggestions for further study. We also want to provide an opportunity for scholarly, and possibly on-going, collaboration among East Asian researchers.

Again you are heartfully welcome and invited to join us for better understanding of this important issue and to engage in serious debates for better future of East Asia.

Sincerely,

The Organizing Committee of the Workshop “Global Capitalism and Culture in East Asia”

• Hyun-Chin Lim (Professor Emeritus, SNU and Founding Director, SNUAC)
• Myungkoo Kang (Professor of Communication, SNU and Director, SNUAC)
• Hyuk-Rae Kim (Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University)
• Usic Kim (Professor, Department of Sociology, Ewha Woman’s University))
• Sug-in Kwon (Professor, Department of Anthropology, Seoul National University)
• Ho-Yeong Lee (Senior Researcher, Korea Information Society Development Institute)
• Suk-Ki Kong (Senior Researcher, SNUAC)
• Jonghoe Yang (Professor Emeritus, Sungkyunkwan Uniersity and Workshop Coordinator)