05/19/2026
Faustino Rodriguez has received Honorable Mention recognition for the Liberal Arts Honors Outstanding Thesis Award. His thesis, "Exporting People, Building the Nation: Human Commodification and South Korea’s Postwar Growth," examines Korea's remarkable economic, political, and cultural rise in the years following the Korean War. By delving into the strategic commodification of soldiers, adoptees, and K-pop stars, Faustino shows that—and more importantly how—successive South Korean governments made effective use of the actual bodies of its citizens as one of its main exports. Going beyond the mere numbers of economic impact, Faustino delves into the lives and self-expression of Koreans who experienced the commodification of their bodies in this period. Please join us in congratulating Faustino on his outstanding work.
