Presented by the University of Idaho’s Habib Institute for Asian Studies, AsiaPOP! is underway. This year’s theme is “Korean Wave,” highlighting the surge of Korean popular culture that has swept its way abroad. The guest speaker portion of the event will commence on Sept. 11 and conclude on Sept. 12.
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Mijo Park, the Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, will speak on the past and current state of U.S.-Korean relations. The discussion will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in Admin 204.
Shortly afterward, at 12:30 p.m., Korean indie-punk band God of Universe will speak on the Seoul music scene in the Haddock Performance Hall at the Lionel Hampton School of Music.
God of Universe is made up of three members: Dongjin, the guitarist and vocalist; Namyoung, the bass player; and Yongpyo, the drummer. They perform year-round in Seoul and other major cities in Korea. With inspiration from both Korean punk bands and American grunge groups, God of Universe’s panel will be a great stop for music fans.
Later, at 2:30 p.m., Jungmin Kwon from Portland State University will be sharing her speech, “K(Q)ueer-pop: Queer (In)Visibility in Korean Popular Culture,” at the Clearwater Room in the ISUB.
Kwon is an associate professor of digital culture and film studies in the School of Film at PSU. She studies gender and sexuality, the media industry and fans, and Korean pop culture within digital culture and film. She is the author of “Straight Korean Female Fans and Their Gay Fantasies,” which Iowa State Press describes as “about ardent Korean female fans of gay representation in the media… and, above all, their contribution to reshaping the Korean media’s portrayal of gay people.”
Kwon’s presentation will be related to her upcoming second book, titled “Between (In)Visibility: Queer Media Cultures in Contemporary South Korea.”
On Thursday, Sept. 12, at 2 p.m., Ji-yoon An from the University of British Columbia (UBC) will be speaking on “The Evolution of K-Drama Romances” in the Clearwater Room in the ISUB.
An is a scholar of Korean Studies with an interest in cultural trends and flows who is also trained in film studies. After earning her PhD in East Asian Studies from the University of Cambridge, she is now an assistant professor of modern Korean popular culture at UBC.
Writer, director, and actor Justin Chon will give the final guest speech, “Exploring Honesty in Representation,” at 4 p.m. in the Summit Room in the ISUB.
Chon recently directed the Gotham Award-winning series “Pachinko,” one of Apple TV’s most successful television series to date. As a prolific writer and director, his films “Blue Bayou” and “The Twilight Saga” have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival, respectively. According to his bio on the AsiaPOP! Site, “he is currently directing the new Jason Momoa-led Apple TV+ series ‘Chief of War.’”
For more details on the AsiaPOP! Symposium, visit its website.
Victoria Kingsmore can be reached at [email protected].