Dong-Eui University East Asia Research Institute Holds 30th Academic Seminar

‘East Asian Minority Societies and Representations of the Times’

On June 27, the East Asia Research Institute at Dong-Eui University held its 30th academic seminar at the Humanities Building 2 under the theme "East Asian Minority Societies and Representations of the Times."

Dong-Eui University East Asia Research Institute is holding the 30th academic seminar and taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Dong-Eui University

In the first presentation, Choi Nakjin, a professor at Jeju National University, discussed "Mother Schools in Kyoto Higashikujo and Discriminated Buraku Communities." He introduced cases in which Korean women residing in Japan, who faced discrimination due to their inability to read and write Japanese, pioneered new lives through mother schools. He particularly highlighted how Japanese youth and university students voluntarily served as teachers, demonstrating the potential for solidarity and harmony that transcends nationality and culture.

In the next presentation, Park Mia, a research professor at the Institute of Humanities at Sogang University, spoke on "The Gray Zone in Postwar Japan: Zainichi Koreans and the Black Market." She criticized the tendency of existing studies to simply identify Zainichi Koreans as the main agents of black market economic activity. She pointed out the structural context that compelled Zainichi Koreans to participate in the black market during the postwar turmoil, and emphasized that the actual main agents were Japanese, arguing for a more nuanced understanding.

Moon Min, director of Seoul International Academy, presented "Thirty Years in Korea, Fifteen Years in Daerim: The Life of a Third-Generation Joseonjok Return Migrant," sharing his own life story as a case study.

He described the cultural and identity confusion he experienced while settling in Korea as a member of the Joseonjok community, and explained that he has continually questioned the boundaries of identity between "ethnicity," "Joseonjok," and "Korean."

As the final event of the day, Lee Yehyung, a fourth-year student in the Department of Film at Dong-Eui University, screened her independently planned and produced documentary film "Song of Ishinagu." The film sheds light on the traces of Okinawa, which bears the pain and history of colonization, and was created with the aim of reviving forgotten memories. Lee Yehyung stated, "Through the shared history of colonization between Joseon and Okinawa, I wanted to share memories with the audience."

Concluding the seminar, Lee Kyungkyu, director of the institute, emphasized, "Research on minority issues should begin not with a single grand narrative, but with attempts to closely analyze and understand the specific problems faced by each minority group."