Kim Yong-gu, a Pioneer in International Politics and Diplomatic History, Passes Away at 88
Devoted His Life to Research and Education at Seoul National University
Authored Landmark Works Including "World Diplomatic History"
Remembered for Critiquing Eurocentrism and Advancing Korean Diplomatic Studies
Kim Yong-gu, a senior scholar who laid the foundation for the study of international politics and diplomatic history, and professor emeritus at Seoul National University, passed away on the 23rd at the age of 88.
He graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Seoul National University and earned his master's and doctoral degrees in international politics from the same university's graduate school.
Starting as a full-time lecturer at his alma mater, Seoul National University, in 1969, he taught there until 2002. He later served as the Dean of Student Affairs at Seoul National University, President of the Korean Association of International Politics, and Dean of the College of Social Sciences at Seoul National University. He also held key positions such as member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea, founding director of the Hanlim Science Academy at Hallym University, and chairman of the Committee for the Compilation of Modern Korean Diplomatic Documents.
His representative work, World Diplomatic History, is regarded as the first diplomatic history book written by a Korean. The length of the book increased from about 3,000 sheets of 200-character manuscript paper in the 1989?1990 edition to over 5,500 sheets in the 2006 edition.
The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea praised him for "criticizing Eurocentric diplomatic history and great power-centered international relations history, and objectively yet subjectively researching late Joseon diplomatic theory and international relations theory."
He also devoted himself to the study of international relations during the modern transition period, authoring a five-part series on 19th-century Korean diplomatic history. His works include Clash of Worldviews and Korean Diplomatic History (1866?1882), The Imo Incident and the Gapsin Coup: Transformation of the Tributary Order and Korean Diplomatic History (2004), Geomundo and Vladivostok: The Dysfunctional Globalization Process of the Korean Peninsula in the 19th Century (2009), Predatory Imperialism and the Korean Peninsula: The French and American Expeditions in the Flow of World Diplomatic History (2013), and Russia’s Manchuria and Korean Peninsula Policy, 17th?19th Century (2018).
In 2020, he generously donated 100 million KRW to Seoul National University to support the development of the diplomatic studies major, hoping that future scholars would respond to globalization and remain diligent in their studies and research as proactive agents.
The funeral hall is set up in Room 3 of the Gangwon National University Hospital Funeral Hall in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The funeral procession will take place at 6 a.m. on the 25th. (033)254-5611
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