OCTOBER WEBINAR
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 7 PM - 8 PM (CDT)

The MAKING OF MODERN KOREAN & THE FUTURE OF THE LANGUAGE IN A DIVIDED LAND

In October, Koreans celebrate Han'gul Day, a day which commemorates the proclamation of the Korean alphabet in 1444 by the benevolent King Sejong the Great. In honor of this day, October's webinar examines the evolution of writing in Korea, from pre-alphabetic modes of writing to the invention of han'gul and the controversy surrounding it, as well as the emergence of various vernacular forms of literature over the centuries. We then delve into the rise of language and script nationalism in the late 19th century as various Korean language reformers sought to champion the once disparaged script as a symbol of a proud, independent, and modern Korea. The webinar concludes with a consideration of the increasingly divergent North and South Korean language varieties, and the implications for possible reunification.

Speaker: Dr. Daniel Pieper

This webinar will be presented by Dr. Daniel Pieper, a Lecturer in the East Asian Languages and Literatures Department at Washington University. He received his PhD in Asian Studies in 2017 from the University of British Columbia and his Master's Degree in East Asian Studies from WashU. His current research focuses on the emergence of Korean language education as a discrete subject in turn-of-the-century modern schools, the textual differentiation process between cosmopolitan Hanmun and vernacular Korean, and the role of language ideology in directing language reform and linguistic modernity.

Moderator: Dr. Taewoong Kim

Dr. Kim is a Lecturer in East Asian Languages and Cultures at WashU. He teaches second and fourth year modern Korean.