• Date: September 17th, Thursday, 2026, 16:00 – 18:00
• Location: Community Center, Koryoin Village

Gwangju Koryoin Village is a prominent migrant community established by ethnic Koreans from Central Asia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, who have built new lives there while developing ties with the local community. More than simply a residential area, the village demonstrates the possibilities of forming a new type of community encompassing education, healthcare, media, culture, religion, and other spheres of social life. This academic seminar has been organized to examine the formation and development of Gwangju Koryoin Village and to discuss the historical and social significance of the return and resettlement experiences of Koryoin. In particular, it will explore the present state of the community from multiple perspectives, focusing on the return and resettlement of Koryoin refugees following the war in Ukraine, the transnational identities and networks formed through GBS Koryo Broadcasting, and the medical and theological practices of the Gwangju Clinic for Koryoin. Through these discussions, the seminar seeks to move beyond viewing Koryoin simply as migrants or recipients of policy support and instead understand them as active agents who create new social relations and local communities. It also aims to establish a foundation for academic and practical collaboration among universities, research institutions, Gwangju Koryoin Village, and the local community by facilitating the exchange of research findings and field-based experiences, with the broader goal of supporting the stable settlement of Koryoin and fostering mutually beneficial coexistence.