Call for Applications for the 2026 Korean Literary
The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) invites applications for the 2026 Korean Literary Research and Academic Exchange Grant, aimed at strengthening Korean literature as world literature.

Funding Areas: Projects related to Korean literature or the translation of Korean literature, including: Authorship and translation in local languages; Academic exchange and scholarly events; Research material collection

Eligible Applicants: Organizations and individuals (regardless of nationality or language); Scholars, translators, and graduate students (Master’s level or above); Overseas universities, libraries, and research institutions with Korean Studies or related programs

Application Schedule

1st Round: Application period: March 1 – April 15, 2026
Results announced: End of May 2026

2nd Round: Application period: June 1 – July 15, 2026
Results announced: End of August 2026

Application Method: Submit the completed application by email to: academic_grant@klti.or.kr
Korean announcement: https://url.kr/fob3rs; English announcement: https://url.kr/tkx8xp
Contact:  academic_grant@klti.or.kr

Title:

2026 – 5·18 Research Paper Grant

Organizer:
The May 18 Foundation

Application Period

• Jan 26 – Feb 8, 2026

• Deadline: 12:00 PM (noon)

Submission

• Email: zero@518.org

• Tel: +82-62-360-0577

• Application Form 01; Application Form 02

Korean with English subtitles.
Introduced by You Jae Lee, followed by a talk with Inuk Hwang.

A historical reckoning with state violence: 1980 Sabuk documents the suppressed coal miners' uprising in South Korea through extensive research and multi-perspectival interviews. Honoring forgotten stories of grassroots solidarity, You Jae Lee and Inuk Hwang draw on their extensive research to highlight transnational links to the simultaneous struggle of Korean guest workers in the Ruhr region.

”The Developmental State and Women Workers in South Korea"

Ju-Young Lee
Korean School Erlangen-Nürnberg
January 28th, 2026

Bio. Ju-Young Lee is a lecturer of Korean at the Volkshochschule Erlangen and a consultant of the Korean School Erlangen-Nürnberg. She holds an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Essex. Her doctoral research focused on the restructuring of women’s employment during the 1997 economic crisis in South Korea, with particular attention to the role of the state and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). She taught at the University of Essex and Ewha Women’s University and worked with Korean women’s NGOs. Currently, she teaches Korean as a foreign and heritage language in Germany.

Abstract. Throughout Korea’s development process, women workers remained largely invisible in state development policies, despite their significant contributions to economic growth. This invisibility resurfaced after the East Asian economic crisis of late 1997, as women workers were marginalized in official unemployment and non-standard employment statistics, academic analyses of the crisis, and the male-dominated labour movement. In this context, the Korean state played a central role in the neoliberal restructuring of women’s employment by legalizing layoffs and the worker dispatch system, expanding non-standard female employment in the public sector, and failing to establish systematic vocational training for women. In this lecture, Dr. Ju-Young Lee examines how the Korean developmental state perceived women workers during both the economic crisis and earlier phases of development, and analyzes how women’s employment was subsequently restructured.

“Korean Philosophy in the Global Age”

January 14, 2025

So-Jeong Park
Sungkyunkwan University

Bio. So-Jeong Park is a Professor of Korean Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University and serves as the Director of the Institute of Korean Philosophy and Culture, where she leads the K-Academic Expansion Project. She has taught Chinese philosophy and cross-cultural philosophy in Singapore and Hong Kong. Her current research interests include Korean philosophy, comparative philosophy, and the philosophy of music. Her Coursera courses include Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture, Origins of Korean Philosophy, Modernity and Korean Philosophy, Korean Neo-Confucianism, and Korean Music, as well as collaborative courses such as Philosophical Exploration and Emotions.

Abstract. Korean philosophy, often regarded as a regional tradition, reveals a sustained pursuit of wisdom. Throughout Korean history, it has offered fresh perspectives on the self, morality, and the balance between emotion and intellect—resources that help modern individuals better understand themselves and connect with others. Drawing on my experience leading the five-year K-Academic Expansion Project (KAEP), I will present examples of philosophical ideas that link tradition and modernity and that have influenced both domestic and global academic communities. The online courses I have developed have attracted over 30,000 learners worldwide, demonstrating that philosophy can be both accessible and relevant. This talk explores how the universal dimensions of philosophy and Korea’s particular traditions enrich one another, contributing to the growth of Korean Studies from a regional field into a discipline of global relevance.

“Youth climate movement in South Korea and beyond: discourse and networks”

Yi Hyun Kang
Lund University

December 17th, 2025

Bio. Yi Hyun Kang is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. She previously worked at UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles, Belgium, as a postdoctoral researcher, and earned her PhD at the Technical University of Munich. Her research explores the role of civil society and technology in environmental politics and governance. Her research interests have
Abstract. Youth climate activism has grown fast in South Korea (Korea), especially after the Fridays for Future (FFF) movement spread worldwide. Youth 4 Climate Action, a Korean branch of FFF, filed a lawsuit in 2020, arguing that inadequate Korean governmental climate action violates constitutional rights. Four years later, the Constitutional Court ruled that the government’s policy is partly unconstitutional for failing to set long-term emissions-reduction targets, underscoring the impact of a youth climate movement in Korea. In this lecture, I will first present an overview of major youth climate organizations active in Korea. Also, their horizontal and international, regional, and local network-building strategies will be introduced. Finally, I will explain the particularity of Korean youth climate activism in the broader context of global youth climate movements. Her research interests have been shaped by professional experiences in journalism (PRESSian, Korean online newspaper), international development (International Labour Organization), and applied research (Korea Environment Institute). Website: http://yihyunkang.com/

Abstract. Youth climate activism has grown fast in South Korea (Korea), especially after the Fridays for Future (FFF) movement spread worldwide. Youth 4 Climate Action, a Korean branch of FFF, filed a lawsuit in 2020, arguing that inadequate Korean governmental climate action violates constitutional rights. Four years later, the Constitutional Court ruled that the government’s policy is partly unconstitutional for failing to set long-term emissions reduction targets, showing the impact of the youth climate movement in Korea. In this lecture, I will first present an overview of major youth climate organizations active in Korea. Also, their horizontal network-building as well as their international, regional and local network-building strategies will be introduced. Finally, I will explain the particularity of Korean youth climate activism in the broader context of global youth climate movements.

“Fake News and Free Speech in South Korea: Legal Challenges in a Polarized Democracy”

December 3rd, 2025

Bio. Ahran Park is an Associate Professor in the College of Media & Communication at Korea University. Her research focuses on media law, platform governance, and digital journalism. She has published extensively on issues related to Internet law and regulation. She received her B.A and M.A. from Seoul National University and her Ph.D. from the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon.

Abstract. South Korea offers a distinctive and revealing case of how democracies struggle to regulate disinformation while safeguarding freedom of expression. This presentation examines the evolution of Korean legislative efforts to combat disinformation—from authoritarian-era controls on “rumor-mongering” to contemporary debates over platform responsibility and press accountability. Drawing on my chapter in Disinformation, Misinformation, and Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2025), I analyze major regulatory strategies that have emerged since 2017. This presentation show how political polarization, historical sensitivities over state censorship, and Korea’s platform-dominated news ecosystem complicate these efforts. The presentation argues that while the demand for stronger tools against harmful disinformation is growing, regulatory attempts risk chilling legitimate expression unless narrowly tailored and accompanied by clear procedural safeguards. South Korea’s ongoing debate illustrates the broader global challenge of balancing democratic free-speech values with the urgent need to limit the harms of false information in the digital age.

"Economic Development and Child Stunting in South Korea" 

November 26th, 2025 

Bio. Young-Jun Cho is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. His research focuses on Korean and East Asian economic history from the late Chosŏn period to the modern era. Drawing on historical documents and quantitative data, his work explores how economic structures, trade networks, and nutrition patterns evolved over time. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Seoul National University, where he now teaches courses in economic history and other topics. His recent research investigates long-term trends in nutrition, height, and economic development in Korea, contributing to a deeper understanding of how socioeconomic and public health changes shape human well-being across generations. 

Abstract. This study explores the long-term relationship between economic development and child stunting in South Korea, showing how rapid gains in living standards and public health eradicated stunting within a single generation. Using historical data on children’s height and weight, per capita GDP, and nutrition, it empirically examines the links between growth, nutrition, and health. In the early 20th century, stunting exceeded 70% due to poverty, malnutrition, and disease, and conditions worsened under colonial rule and war. From the 1960s to 1980s, however, South Korea achieved one of the world’s fastest stunting declines through rapid growth, better diets, sanitation, and maternal-child healthcare. By the 1980s, stunting had virtually vanished, and Korea became a model of public health success. The findings show that child stunting is socially and economically reversible, underscoring that sustained growth and investment in nutrition, education, and health are vital for improving child well-being in developing nations.

 "Czechoslovakia and DPRK: Cultural Policy of the 1950s"

Miriam Lowensteinová
Charles University, Prague

November 19th, 2025

Bio. Miriam Löwensteinová is a professor of Korean Literature at Charles University, Prague, and Director of its Center for Korean Studies. Her research focuses on pre-modern Korean literature, including chronicles, historical prose, diaries, and the p’aesŏl genre. She has translated over 20 volumes of classical and modern Korean literature and authored numerous studies on Korean cultural tradition. Co-editor of The Lives and Legacy of Kim Sisŭp (1435–1493): Dissent and Creativity in Chosŏn Korea (Brill, 2024). Recipient of several awards, including the Best Translation Award (2013), Hangeul Development Award (2014), and Charles University Medal (2018).

Abstract. After the 1948 coup, Czechoslovakia aligned with the USSR and pursued a pro–North Korean policy. Though not militarily involved in the Korean War, it participated in the Neutral States Supervision and Repatriation Commissions and provided extensive aid—building hospitals, supplying machinery, and sending experts. Cultural and humanitarian assistance included support for Korean film, hosting orphans, and education programs.During the 1950s, cultural exchanges and visits flourished, notably dancer Ch’oe Sǔnghǔi’s 1956 performance. Relations later declined as the DPRK distanced itself from the Soviet bloc, focusing on the Third World. By the 1980s, economic crises and political shifts reduced ties to a minimal, symbolic level after 1989.