News

Introducing Our 2025–26 Graduate and Undergraduate Fellows

October 15, 2025

The James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies is pleased to announce our 2025–26 Graduate and Undergraduate Fellows.

We warmly congratulate the new cohort of fellows, whose outstanding academic achievements and dedication to Korean Studies have distinguished them among their peers. Their projects represent innovative research and creative work that advance a deeper understanding of Korea and its global connections.

Call for Papers: 5th Korean Studies Young Scholars (KSYS) Graduate Student Conference

October 14, 2025

The James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is pleased to announce the 5th KSYS Graduate Student Conference to be held on March 6th–7th, 2026 at Penn. The conference is all day March 6th, 2026 and half the day March 7, ending with the conference lunch.

This international and multi-disciplinary conference welcomes submissions from graduate students across various academic disciplines in humanities and social sciences with a scholarly interest in Korea.  

Korean Studies Fall 2025 Colloquium Series

August 16, 2025

The Kim Center is pleased to announce the following talks for our Fall 2025 Colloquium series. All talks will take place at 12:00pm EST in the Kim Center office (3600 Market Street, Suite 310, Philadelphia, PA 19104).

Graduate Student Research Support Award

August 15, 2025

The James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies is pleased to announce the Graduate Student Research Support Award. Supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2023-OLU-2250002), the award is given in recognition of research conducted by a University of Pennsylvania graduate student in good standing. The recipient will receive a $2,000 (before taxes) prize to support their work.

James Joo-Jin Kim Center Executive Committee Update

August 10, 2025

We are pleased to share that Haewon Cho, Director of the Korean Language Program, has joined the Kim Center for Korean Studies as a member of the Executive Committee. With her extensive career and experience in Korean Studies and deep engagement in the Penn community, we look forward to the valuable insights and contributions she will bring to the Kim Center. 

Please join us in giving her a warm welcome!

NOW ACCEPTING 2025-26 KIM CENTER UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW APPLICATIONS

August 5, 2025

The James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies seeks applications for Undergraduate Fellows, aimed at students who are involved in the study of Korea and interested in active participation in the university’s Korean Studies program. The Kim Center will recruit up to five (5) Undergraduate Students for the 2025–2026 academic year. Students will be selected based on academic merit and demonstrated interest in Korean Studies.

Undergraduate benefits include:

NOW ACCEPTING 2025-26 KIM CENTER GRADUATE FELLOW APPLICATIONS

August 5, 2025

The James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies seeks applications for Graduate Fellows, aimed at students who are involved in the study of Korea and interested in active participation in the university’s Korean studies program across disciplines. Students will be selected based on academic merit and demonstrated interest in Korean studies. Applicants should be full-time graduate students, including MA and Ph.D students.

Congratulations to Dr. Yoonbin Cho on Her New Appointment

June 21, 2025

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that Dr. Yoonbin Cho, who was a graduate student in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory and served as a Graduate Fellow at the Kim Center for Korean Studies during the 2021–22 academic year, has accepted a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Korean Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago.

She will begin her new role this fall semester.

James Joo-Jin Kim Center Executive Committee Update

June 21, 2025

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Christopher Atwood (EALC) and Assistant Professor So-Rim Lee for their dedicated service as members of the Executive Committee for the Kim Center for Korean Studies. Their insight, leadership, and commitment have been invaluable to the Center’s growth and programming.

Congratulations to Dr. Juyoung Lee on Her New Appointment

June 19, 2025

We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Dr. Juyoung Lee, our 2024–25 Moon Family Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kim Center for Korean Studies, has accepted a new position as Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica. She will begin this prestigious role on August 1, 2025.