Busan National University Women's Research Institute Holds Regular Academic Conference "Talking about Migration and Refugees"

On the 14th, at the campus Humanities Building: "Gender, Mobility, and the (Im)possibility of Coexistence"

The “2024 Pusan National University Women’s Research Institute Annual Academic Conference,” hosted by the Women’s Research Institute of Pusan National University (President Choi Jae-won), will be held on the 14th at 10 a.m. in the Humanities Building on campus under the theme “Gender, Mobility, and the (Im)possibility of Coexistence.”

The Women’s Research Institute at Pusan National University has held an annual academic conference since 1989 focusing on gender and gender equality issues in Korean society. This year’s conference is organized as part of the on-campus PNU Startup-10 project to support research facilities.

This year’s theme, “Gender, Mobility, and the (Im)possibility of Coexistence,” asks the question, “How are we accepting migration in this era of global migration?”

Since the first overseas migration to Hawaii in 1903, Korea, once a “sending country” of migrants, has rapidly transformed into a “destination country” over the past 30 years with a sharp increase in foreign inflows. In 2024, the number of foreign residents living in Korea reached 2.46 million, accounting for 4.8% of the total population, setting a new record (Ministry of the Interior and Safety, data as of October 24, 2024). Migration is no longer “their” issue but a pressing matter that “we” must confront.

The Women’s Research Institute at Pusan National University planned this conference to explore migration and refugee issues from a feminist perspective and to create a space for theory and practice. The discussions will move beyond viewing migrants merely as labor forces to respecting them as human beings and seeking a world where we can live together. In particular, issues such as female migrant workers, marriage migrants, undocumented migrant children, and refugees will be addressed, exploring the possibilities of hospitality and coexistence toward others.

The conference will consist of four sessions, including presentations by the next generation of scholars, a keynote lecture, and thematic presentations by researchers and activists.

The first session in the morning features presentations by graduate students studying women’s studies in the Busan area. Topics include “Why Did Vegan Come to Suyeong-gu?” (Master’s course completion, Pusan National University Women’s Studies Cooperative Program), “Living as Queer in Busan” (Song Min-seok, Master’s student, Pusan National University Women’s Studies Cooperative Program), and “Perceptions of Old-age Preparation and Self-Agency among Aging Marriage Migrants: A Case Study of Marriage Migrants in Y City, Gyeongsangnam-do” (Adachi Hiromi, Master’s student, Pusan National University Women’s Studies Cooperative Program). Discussions will follow with panelists including Lee Su-jin (Kyungsung University Department of Glocal Culture), Bae Hye-jung (Pusan National University Department of History), and Choi Yeon-sook (Pusan National University Women’s Studies Cooperative Program).

The second session features a keynote lecture by Professor Kim Hyun-mi of Yonsei University, a leading feminist cultural anthropologist and global migration and refugee researcher. She will speak on “Living Against Multilayered Insecurities: The Gendered Trajectories of Migrant Women,” addressing the feminization of global migration.

The third session includes thematic presentations by researchers on topics such as “Social Perception Differences between Mother and Daughter Refugee Migrants: Based on the Case of Afghan Settlement” (Lee Su-jeong, Sogang University Euromena Research Institute), “Structures and Cases of Sexual Exploitation of Migrant Women in Korea” (Kim Tae-jung, Pyeongtaek Women’s Human Rights Counseling Center Poom), and “Gendered Migration of Korean Women: Focusing on Oral Histories of Undocumented Migrant Women Living in Japan in the 2000s” (Lee Hye-jin, Gyeongnam Research Institute). Discussants include Yuk Ju-won (Kyungpook National University Department of Sociology), Yoo Hyun-mi (National Changwon University Social Science Research Institute), and Lee Han-sook (Migration and Human Rights Research Institute).

The fourth session features thematic presentations by activists. Kim Na-hyun, director of the Migrant Interpretation and Translation Center Link Center, will present “Voices of Migrants: Challenges, Adaptation, and the Future,” and Kim Sa-gang, an activist from the Migration and Human Rights Research Institute, will discuss “Activities and Challenges for Protecting the Human Rights of Migrant Children.” The session will conclude with a discussion led by Kim Cheol-hyo (Gyeongsang National University Department of Sociology), sharing the lives and reflections of local migrant organization activists.