[KS] CfP History Museums in South Korea and Beyond (Kyoto University)

[Patrick Vierthaler]

Dear list members,
I am happy to share a call for papers for a workshop to be held at my university.
Call for PapersWorkshop: HistoryMuseums in South Korea and BeyondSeptember7, 2026 / Kyoto, Japan (*)Kyoto University,Institute for Research in Humanities / Hakubi Center
2026marks eighty years since the trusteeship struggle and the Autumn HarvestUprising, two events that set the trajectory for the establishment of the SouthKorean state in 1948. More broadly speaking, a little over a century has passedsince the Peace Preservation Law under Japanese colonial rule (1925), eight decadessince the liberation period that ended in division, war, and anti-communistdictatorship (1945–50), and almost four decades since the June DemocraticStruggle (1987) paved the way for the democratization of South Korea. However,as political scientist Choi Jang-jip emphasized in the early 1990s, the three entangledlegacies of colonialism, civil war, and dictatorship have left fundamentalcleavages in South Korean debates over history and (collective) memory.

Collectivememory has been described by scholars as socially constructed, and closelyrelated to myth and hegemony. In Cold War South Korea, victim’s perspectiveshave long been suppressed against statist claims over historical legitimacy.Only in the 1990s did a bottom-up historical fact-finding process gradually leadto a process of “unforgetting.” Although a state-led Truth and ReconciliationCommission was eventually established in 2005, this triggered a backlash fromthe former ruling elite. South Korea since has been described as a society in a“psycho-historical fragmentation” (Kim Mikyoung) undergoing “history wars” (KimChŏng-in).

Todate, taboos, myth, and collective forgetting remain in South Koreancommemorative culture. This workshop seeks to examine the history museum inSouth Korea (and beyond) as a manifestation of collective memory, and a spacein which historiographic research, memory making, and political agendas are entangled.A special focus is laid on topics related to modern nationalism, colonialism,and the Cold War.

PossibleTopics

Scholarsfrom various disciplines (such as history, memory studies, heritage studies orsociology) are invited to investigate topics related to history museums andmemorials halls that include, but are not limited to: 

·        How has historical fact-finding andhistoriographic scholarship been reflected? 

·        How are memories and heritage (re-) constructed?

·        Are myth or nationalism overemphasized comparedto empirical facts? 

·        Have political or ideological motivations playeda role in planning / remodeling?

·        Are there major discrepancies between national,local, and private museums? 

·        How is (South) Korean history depicted in majorhistory museums abroad?

Thecentral aim of this workshop is to publish an edited volume with a majorEnglish-language publisher (such as Palgrave or Routledge) on “HistoryMuseums in South Korea” (working title) to be released in 2027.

SubmissionGuidelines

Pleasesubmit your abstract (300–500 words) along with a short bio by 15 May to vierthaler.patrick.7a at kyoto-u.ac.jp.The workshop language will be English. Please kindly also state whether youare attending the AKS World Congress, and for presenters from outside Asia, whetheryou are in need of travel support (see below).

Pleasenote: Accepted presenters are asked to provide a full paper manuscript(6,000–10,000 words) to be finished by early September. Accepted presenterswill be asked to sign a pledge to commit to the edited volume. Based onfeedback from the workshop, presenters are asked to revise their drafts before submittingthem to the publisher. 

Traveland Accommodation

* The workshop will take place at Kyoto University, Japan, one dayafter the World Congress of Korean Studies at Ritsumeikan University, alsoin Kyoto, Japan. 

Foraccepted presenters (depending on necessity), we are able to provide two nightsof accommodation in a hotel near the venue. However, if your institution orresearch grant can cover accommodation / travel fees, please state so on yourapplication. Due to funding reasons, participants of the AKS World Congressand scholars based in East Asia are unfortunately not considered forinternational travel fee imbursement. For scholars unavailable to travel toKyoto, the organizers are considering a hybrid format.

Contact:For inquiries, please contact vierthaler.patrick.7a at kyoto-u.ac.jp
Please see the attached file.
--------Patrick VIERTHALER Assistant Professor (Contemporary History)
Institute for Research in Humanities / Hakubi Project
 Kyoto University 606-8501 Kyoto JAPAN
京都大学　特定助教（現代史）人文科学研究所／白眉センター

Tel.: +81 - 75 - 753 - 6947HP: pvierthaler.com
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