We are pleased to share that Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures Dafna Zur, a faculty affiliate with APARC and the Korea Program, is the recipient of the Order of Culture Merit, the highest recognition bestowed by the government of the Republic of Korea, for her promotion of the Korean language and its writing system, Hangeul.

The Order of Cultural Merit recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Korean culture and arts, advancing national development. At Stanford, Zur teaches courses on Korean literature, cinema, and popular culture. She is the author of Figuring Korean Futures: Children’s Literature in Modern Korea (Stanford University Press, 2017), and has published articles on the Korean War in North and South Korean children’s literature, childhood in cinema, and Korean popular culture. Her new project examines moral education in science and literary youth magazines in postwar North and South Korea.

Congratulations to Professor Zur for this incredible honor! The Korea Program at APARC is enriched by Professor Zur’s important contributions to Korean Studies.

Watch the recording of the award ceremony held on Hangeul Day, October 9, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea.

In the Media

The Korea Herald >
KBS World Global Koreanists >

Stanford University seeks candidates for three faculty positions in Asian Studies. All three appointments will be at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and affiliated with the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC). The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2024. Read on for more information about each position. Candidates should submit their applications via the Stanford Faculty Positions website.

Faculty Appointment in Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy

Stanford University seeks candidates for a new faculty position in the politics and foreign policy of Japan. The successful candidate will have expertise in politics, policy studies, diplomacy, security studies, international relations, or global affairs relating to Japan and the Indo-Pacific region, and will be expected to advance research and education on Japanese politics and foreign policy, in the Japan Program of APARC. This is an open-rank search.

The new faculty member will be appointed as a Senior Fellow or Center Fellow in FSI, affiliated with APARC. Senior Fellows at Stanford University are full members of the Professoriate and Academic Council, with a rank equivalent to tenured associate or full professor. Center Fellows at Stanford University are also members of the Professoriate and the Academic Council, with a rank equivalent to tenure-track assistant professor. Center Fellows are appointed for a fixed term of years with the possibility of promotion to Senior Fellow.

For more information and to apply, view the job posting on the Stanford Faculty Positions website > 

Faculty Appointment in Korean Studies

Stanford University seeks candidates for a faculty position in Korean Studies. The successful candidate will be expected to advance research and education on Korea, in the Korea Program of APARC.

The new faculty member will be appointed as Center Fellow in FSI, affiliated with APARC. Center Fellows at Stanford University are the equivalent rank of tenure-track assistant professor. They are members of the Professoriate and the Academic Council, eligible to serve as principal investigators, and accrue sabbatical. Center Fellows are appointed for a fixed term of years with the possibility of promotion to Senior Fellow.

For more information and to apply, view the job posting on the Stanford Faculty Positions website >

Faculty Appointment in Taiwan Studies

Stanford University seeks candidates for a new faculty position on Taiwan. The successful candidate will have expertise in policy studies, social sciences, international relations, or global affairs relating to Taiwan, and will be expected to advance research and education on Taiwan studies, in the newly established Taiwan Program of APARC. This is an open-rank search.

The new faculty member will be appointed as a Senior Fellow or Center Fellow in FSI, affiliated with APARC. Senior Fellows at Stanford University are full members of the Professoriate and Academic Council, with a rank equivalent to tenured associate or full professor. Center Fellows at Stanford University are also members of the Professoriate and the Academic Council, with a rank equivalent to tenure-track assistant professor. Center Fellows are appointed for a fixed term of years with the possibility of promotion to Senior Fellow.

For more information and to apply, view the job posting on the Stanford Faculty Positions website >

We are pleased to share that Jiwon Bang (MA '24, East Asian Studies) and Jong Beom "JB" Lim (MS '25 Computer Science; BAS '24 International Relations and Mathematical  Computational Science) are the co-recipients of the 13th Annual Korea Program Prize for Writing in Korean Studies. Bang is recognized for her thesis, "Multidimensional Diplomacy: The Evolution of the Pacific Pact and the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea, 1948-1953." Lim is recognized for his thesis "Navigating Asymmetry: Leadership Preferences and Foreign Policy Outcomes in U.S. Security Allies."

"Jiwon meticulously examines the historical origins and evolution of the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK), says Gi-Wook Shin, Professor of Sociology and William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea. "Disputing the conventional view that the Treaty was a direct response to the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-1953), she uncovers its roots and complex processes extending back to pre-war discussions in 1948. Her study provides a nuanced understanding of the early Cold War security dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region and has contemporary relevance. By drawing on lessons from the Pacific Pact's failure, her thesis offers insights for contemporary regional security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region." 

"JB marshals detailed comparative case studies of policy debates over the last two decades in South Korea and the Philippines, augmented by semi-structured interviews of several dozen elites involved in foreign policymaking in the two countries," says Kenneth Schultz, William Bennett Munro Professor of Political Science. "The cases show how alternation in power between leaders from different parties fundamentally altered the tenor of bargaining with the United States and the approach to dealing with domestic opposition. The result is a compelling argument, elegantly and persuasively written. Not only does [this thesis] present an incisive analysis of a key dilemma facing South Korean leaders, but it situates this case in a comparative context alongside the Philippines. It also provides timely insights into the challenges of alliance management and makes a nuanced contribution to the scholarly literature on domestic politics and international bargaining."

View more information about Jiwon Bang's paper.
For more information about JB Lim's paper.

Sponsored by the Korea Program and the Center for East Asian Studies, the writing prize recognizes and rewards outstanding examples of writing by Stanford students in an essay, term paper, or thesis produced during the current academic year in any discipline within the area of Korean studies, broadly defined. The competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Past Recipients:

12th Annual Prize (2023)
11th Annual Prize (2022)
10th Annual Prize (2021)
9th Annual Prize (2020)
8th Annual Prize (2019)
7th Annual Prize (2018)
6th Annual Prize (2017)
5th Annual Prize (2016)
4th Annual Prize (2015)
3rd Annual Prize (2014)
2nd Annual Prize (2013)
1st Annual Prize (2012)

"Gender has emerged as a force of political polarization in South Korea in the recent decade and Yoojung’s thesis explores the reasons for its emergence," notes Gi-Wook Shin, Director, Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea and Professor, Department of Sociology. "It is an important scholarly contribution, as in it, Yoojung illuminates how the case of South Korea challenges conventional scholarly wisdom, which posits that women are primarily responsible for gender gaps in electoral behavior as modernization has led to liberal attitudes among women. Yoojung instead investigates the male experience – ironically understudied in discussions on gender – and demonstrates that instead of women, in South Korea, it is men that drive the gender gap."

Lee contextualizes her thesis: "On May 10, 2022, Yoon Seok-yeol was inaugurated as the 20th president of South Korea. His victory, however, was hardly a landslide: the conservative candidate won by a mere margin of 0.73% after securing core support among young male voters. Meanwhile, most young female voters opted for the Democratic candidate Lee Jae-myung.

Many salient explanations about the origin of gender differences in voting currently exist in literature. The review of the literature suggests that variations in the electoral gender gap over time have been a direct product of changes in female political judgements. However, such an interpretation underplays the role and viewpoints of men.”

Lee further elaborates, “my thesis attends to the overlooked male experience. It uses the Korean General Social Survey (2003 – 2021) to determine whether 1) Korean men have become more conservative in their partisan preferences and 2) these right-leaning tendencies are correlated with higher unemployment. The results of my logistic regression ultimately demonstrated that the belief in an enduring modern gender gap by virtue of female progressivism is misplaced, since Korean men, markedly disaffected by their economic conditions, have been giving more support to the conservative parties. In light of these findings, it would certainly be interesting to look at whether unemployment is a salient source of gender cleavage in other countries."

Sponsored by the Korea Program and the Center for East Asian Studies, the writing prize recognizes and rewards outstanding examples of writing by Stanford students in an essay, term paper, or thesis produced during the current academic year in any discipline within the area of Korean studies, broadly defined. The competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Past Recipients:
11th Annual Prize (2022)
10th Annual Prize (2021)
9th Annual Prize (2020)
8th Annual Prize (2019)
7th Annual Prize (2018)
6th Annual Prize (2017)
5th Annual Prize (2016)
4th Annual Prize (2015)
3rd Annual Prize (2014)
2nd Annual Prize (2013)
1st Annual Prize (2012)