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Recalling Korea Past: An Oral History of the 1950s to the 1980s

At the BAKS Korean War study day at Asia House in November last year one of the valuable sessions was provided by veterans from the war providing contemporary eye-witness recollections. So this year, BAKS have extended this idea to cover personal experiences from the post-war period. Highly recommended. Open to all.

British Association for Korean Studies Symposium, 2011

Recalling Korea Past: An Oral History of the 1950s to the 1980s

BAKS logoDate: Saturday, 26 November, 2011.
Time: 10AM to 5PM.
Venue: Korean Cultural Centre, London.
Tel: 0207 004 2600

This symposium will be a unique opportunity to hear about the first-hand experiences of British citizens who lived and worked in south Korea during the critical period from the 1950s to the 1980s. Diplomats, journalists, scholars, and missionaries will discuss the rapidly changing social, political, cultural and religious circumstances of Korea from the destitution of the immediate post-Korean War era to the time it emerged as a major player on the world stage as a significant industrial and trading nation.

All members of the public are invited to attend.

Registration fees: £5 for members and for students, £10 for non-members.

10 AM – Welcome by Symposium Organiser – Dr. James E. Hoare (SOAS)
10:05 – HE Ambassador of the ROK – Opening Remarks on the Theme.

10:20 – 11:40 – Diplomatic Recollections
10:20 – Ambassador Sir Michael Pike – ‘A Diplomat’s View of the 1950s’.
11:00 – Ambassador Warwick Morris – ‘A Diplomat’s View of the 1970s’.

11:40 – 11:50 Break

11:50 – 12:10 – AGM

12:10 – 1:30 Lunch

1:30 – 2:50 Recollections of Social and Cultural Change
1:30 – Prof. Keith Howard (SOAS), ‘A Kwangdae in Training: Fieldwork in 1980s Rural and Urban Korea’.
2:10 – Em. Prof. James H. Grayson (Sheffield) – ‘From Workcamper to Missionary:  A View of Korea from 1965 to 1987’.  

2:50 – 3:15 Tea and Coffee

3:15 – 4:35 Recollections of Journalists
3:15 – John Owen Davies – ‘1979 – Days of Rage and President Park’s Assassination’.
3:55 – William Horsley – ‘A Correspondent’s View of the Eighties: Korea’s Tipping Point to Democracy’.

4:35 – 5:00 – Roundtable Discussion with All Presenters.

The British Association for Korean Studies gratefully acknowledges the support for this symposium given by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and the Korean Culture Centre.

2 thoughts on “Recalling Korea Past: An Oral History of the 1950s to the 1980s

  1. Yes it was a really good day. I’m glad I went to this rather than the day at the LSE. I hope I’ll get around to writing it up soon. We are promised that all the talks will be published as part of the BAKS papers vol 14 next year.

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