Round-table “Actual problems of modern and contemporary history of Korea”

On April 7, the School of Asian Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs hosted a student round-table on the development of Korean society in modern and contemporary times (the second half of the 19th – early 21st centuries).

The event was attended by undergraduate and graduate students from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University, Novosibirsk State University, NArFU (Arkhangelsk), St. Petersburg State University. Terekhin N. and Khatanzeyskaya V. spoke on the topic of the national liberation movement of Korea in the era of Japanese occupation. Terekhin N. spoke about the programs of national construction of various factions of the Korean communists, and Khatanzeyskaya V. analyzed the materials of the Freedom Conference held in 1942 in the USA. Aksentiev D. presented a report on the Juche ideology in the DPRK and its differences with Marxism-Leninism. Bredikhina V., based on the theory of international relations, proposed calling the DPRK a "great small power" as an alternative to its position in the world. Useinova E., Chernetsky F. and Butko E. made presentations on the problems of socio-economic, political development of the Republic of Korea. In the report of Ivanov E., a proposal was made to combine constructivism and realism in explaining the behavior of the Republic of Korea within the military-political alliance with the United States. Bayramova G. in her speech raised the issues of Japanese-Korean cultural ties and the role of K-pop in establishing a dialogue between countries. Mrachkovskaya A. presented a report on the construction of the first mosque in Seoul, considering it in the context of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the states of the Middle East in the 1960s-1970s.

The Round Table on the Problems of Modern and Contemporary History is a regular inter-university event held at the School of Oriental Studies since 2015. Every year more and more students from leading Russian universities take part in it.

Text: Natalia Kim