University of Sheffield celebrates 40 years of Korean Studies

8th March 2019

The University of Sheffield's School of East Asian Studies is celebrating 40 years of Korean Studies teaching Korea Day will be held on 10 March 2019 as part of the anniversary celebrations, hosted by the University of Sheffield's Korea Society and K-pop Dance Society in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre Events include a live carving of a traditional Korean totem pole by artist Jinsik Kim A day of events celebrating Korean culture will be hosted by the University of Sheffield one of Europe's leading academic centres for research and teaching on Korea.

The second annual Korea Day organised by students from the Korean Society in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre will take place at the Octagon Centre on Sunday 10 March 2019, to celebrate 40 years of Korean Studies teaching at the University of Sheffield's School of East Asian Studies. A highlight of the day will be a display of traditional totem pole carvings by Korean artist Jinsik Kim. There will be a procession of the totem poles to the outside of Corporate Information and Computing Services, where they will become a permanent feature of the University's campus. Other events include performances of traditional Korean music and dance, taekwondo and a K-pop cover singing competition. Inside the Octagon Centre there will be stalls selling Korean food, including kimchi and bubble tea, a professional Korean make-up artist and traditional Korean costumes. Dr Markus Bell, Lecturer in Korean and Japanese studies at the University of Sheffield, said: -Korea is now a cultural, economic, and technological powerhouse. Korean pop, music, drama and film is huge but there's so much more to the country and people than these things. The food, for example, is amazing and the traditional dance and song of Korea is quite distinct from its neighbours. -Korea Day gives people the chance to get to know Korea beyond the superficial. It provides our students with a platform to show the public what they do and what they're passionate about, and show there are chances to engage with subject matter in ways that go far beyond the lecture theatre. Activities, performances and demonstrations will take place throughout the day and are suitable for all ages and anyone interested in finding out more about Korea. Tickets are £5 and can either be bought online or on the door. Dr Deokhyo Choi, Lecturer in Korean Studies, added: -Our Korea Day offers a fascinating opportunity to experience first-hand both new and old elements of Korean culture and expand our curiosity. Despite growing interest in Korea in the UK, there have been very few Korea-related cultural events held outside London. With a history dating back to 1963, the University of Sheffield's School of East Asian Studies is one of Europe's leading centres of academic excellence for the study of contemporary East Asia, with research and teaching covering China, Japan and Korea. Its main focus is the business, politics, societies, cultures, economies and history of modern and contemporary East Asia. To find out more about Korea Day and buy tickets, visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/seas/about/korean-anniversary-cultural-events For more information about the School of East Asian Studies, visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/seas/home