This conference examines the role and impact of Korean art and artefacts in the formulation of soft power and development of UK-South Korea relations. The conference questions how acquisitions and displays of Korean artefacts in museums in Korea and Britain are influenced by and in turn shape UK-South Korea public diplomacy and soft power agendas. The event draws from an interdisciplinary network of established and early career academics, museum professionals, and policymakers working in the fields of art history, cultural heritage studies, and museum management in the UK and South Korea. Eight academics and museum professionals based in Korea and the UK will present their research.
The conference is an open event that forms part of an ESRC-funded research project titled “Art and Soft Power in the UK and South Korea – examining the role and impact of Korean artefacts in museum settings,” led by Charlotte Horlyck. The event is supported by the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and in collaboration with Ewha Womans University, Seoul.
Programme
| Time | Session | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30-11:00 | Arrival, registration, tea and coffee | |
| 11:00-11:20 | Opening remarks | Junghee Kim (Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation) Charlotte Horlyck (Head of School of Arts, SOAS) |
| 11:20-11:40 | (Presentation 1) Overseas Cultural Heritage Policies and Soft Power | Yeonsoo Kim (National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage) |
| 11:40-12:00 | (Presentation 2) Korean art galleries in UK Museums: Their design and display | Charlotte Horlyck (SOAS) |
| 12:00-12:20 | (Presentation 3) The National Museum of Korea’s Overseas Exhibitions and Soft Power | Sangdeok Yoon (National Museum of Korea) |
| 12:20-12:35 | Q+A | |
| 12:35-13:30 | Lunch | |
| 13:30-13:50 | (Presentation 4) Challenges of representing Korean culture in European and British museums | Rosalie Kim (V+A) |
| 13:50-14:10 | (Presentation 5) British understandings of Korean ceramics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries | Namwon Jang (Ewha Womans University) |
| 14:10-14:30 | (Presentation 6) Korea on display: the case of the British Museum | Sangah Kim (British Museum) |
| 14:30-14:45 | Q+A | |
| 14:45-15:15 | Tea and coffee | |
| 15:15-15:35 | (Presentation 7) Colonial museums and soft power: International Affairs of the Joseon Government-General Museum | Youngchan Oh (Ewha Womans University) |
| 15:35-15:55 | (Presentation 8) Portrait images of Gojong and their political applications | Jess Son (SOAS) |
| 15:55-16:10 | Q+A | |
| 16:10 | Closing remarks and wrap up | Charlotte Horlyck (SOAS) |