Humanities Special Lecture on the Essence of Bukhak Thought Dreaming of an Open Society by Park Jega and Others

Exploring the Lives of Modern Intellectuals: Jongno-gu Humanities Lectures from June to September

Jongno-gu to hold humanities lectures every Tuesday at 7:30 PM from June 13 to September 26 at Woorisori Library

'A New Perspective on the Inner World and Lives of Modern Intellectuals' Humanities Lecture Series

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Munheon) will operate a humanities lecture series titled 'A New Perspective on the Inner World and Lives of Modern Intellectuals' every Tuesday at 7:30 PM from June 13 to September 26 at Woorisori Library.

The program is designed to deeply examine the lives and thoughts of figures who strived for spontaneous modernization in the 19th century, aiming to cultivate a balanced historical perspective and the ability to insightfully understand a rapidly changing era.

Participants can join not only on-site at Woorisori Library but also online via Zoom. To enhance participants' understanding of the educational content, experts will lead each session.

This lecture series consists of 15 sessions: ▲ Sessions 1-2: Park Jega, the essence of Northern Learning philosophy dreaming of an open society (Professor Ahn Daehwa, Sungkyunkwan University) ▲ Sessions 3-4: Hong Dae-yong, who deconstructed Western science to advocate the Earth-Heliocentric theory (Professor Moon Jungyang, Seoul National University) ▲ Sessions 5-6: Park Gyusu, who connected Silhak (Practical Learning) to enlightenment thought (Professor Kim Yongtae, Sungkyunkwan University) ▲ Session 7: Kim Okgyun, who dreamed of Joseon’s modernization (Professor Kim Heungsu, Hongik University) ▲ Sessions 8-9: Lee Sangjae, a dynamic leader of the transitional era (Curator Kim Jeongkwon, National Museum of Korean Contemporary History) ▲ Sessions 10-11: Choi Han-gi, a bridge between Silhak thought and enlightenment thought (Professor Kim Yongheon, Hanyang University) ▲ Sessions 12-13: Yun Ch’i-ho, a living witness of modern history (Professor Kim Sangtae, Seoul National University Hospital Medical History and Culture Institute) ▲ Sessions 14-15: Park Eunsik, a modern Korean thinker and historian (Associate Professor Noh Gwanbeom, Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Seoul National University).

The lectures are free of charge, and on-site participation is limited to the first 40 applicants. For registration and further details, please visit the Jongno Cultural Foundation website or contact Woorisori Library.

This lecture series was planned following the selection of the Jongno Cultural Foundation as the executing agency for the ‘2023 Reading Academy Public Project,’ hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency.

A Jongno-gu official stated, “This series will explore the paradigm of modern acceptance and transformation, a key trend of the 19th century, providing in-depth explanations to help understand our modern history,” and added, “We hope many interested individuals will participate.”