UCI Center for Critical Korean Studies

01/28/2026

Riding the Hallyu
Since its inception almost a decade ago, the Center for Critical Korean Studies has earned an international reputation as an interdisciplinary powerhouse.

In less than a decade, the campus’s Center for Critical Korean Studies has earned a reputation for excellence at home and abroad

09/12/2025

Poetry Class with Oh Eun

CCKS and KCCLA are delighted to host a special poetry class with Oh Eun, one of South Korea’s most beloved emerging poets. Join us for an inspiring workshop to explore the creative journey behind his new collection From Being to Being, discover insights into the art of writing poetry, and experience the joys of translation through an engaging workshop.

Thursday, October 23, 11:00 am
UC Irvine Humanities Gateway 1030

Please register below.
https://www.kccla.org/events/view/?eid=7398

09/09/2025

Korean 1A Fundamental

Start your journey into the Korean language and culture! This course introduces the fundamentals of Korean, focusing on Hangul (the Korean alphabet), pronunciation, basic grammar, vocabulary, and everyday conversation skills.

For inquiries about this course, contact Hyunyoung Hyun, Korean Language Program Coordinator, at [email protected].
Department of East Asian Studies, UCI

12/09/2022

Dear Friends of CCKS,

I am writing to you all with the very sad news. Our fellow council member, Mary Broude, passed away on November 8.

Mary was an enthusiastic supporter of CCKS. She regularly attended events and was never shy about offering her opinions about how to improve the center and advance its mission.

Her advocacy came from a caring place. She really loved Korea. She first developed this love while serving in the Peace Corps in Korea as a young woman, but this love only grew as she got older. Many of you that knew her will remember that she referred to Korea as 우리 나라 (u-ri nara). Literally meaning "our land," this is the way most Koreans refer to our country. It is also what Peace Corps volunteers of her generation came to call Korea even after they left their years of service, adopting the local phrase as a way to signify their own affection for the country in which they served.

I remember Mary speaking at a Korea Foundation event a few years ago where she told the audience about the importance of this phrase to her and her fellow Peace Corps volunteers. She talked about a care package that the Korea Foundation had sent her full of KN-94 masks and other items to help her through the pandemic. She was deeply moved by the gesture, and I remember her words vividly. "At a time when my own country was failing miserably with the pandemic response," she said, "우리 나라 came through in my time of greatest need."

I will miss Mary's spirit and intelligence. She really cared about Korea and its people. Please join me in remembering her today for all of her lovely qualities.

I wish you all the happiest of holidays. I hope we can take this time to hold our loved ones even closer than usual.

With my warmest regards,
Joseph Jeon
Director of UCI Center for Critical Korean Studies
Professor of English | Director of Graduate Studies, English Department

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OCPCA Holiday Celebration and Opportunity to Pay our Respects to Mary Broude

Saturday December 10th, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
NPI Services, Inc.: 1580 Corporate Drive, Suite 124, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Parking: In the front or rear of the building; we will gather on the back patio
What to Bring: Appetizer or Dessert & Preferred Beverage. We will have coffee, tea, filtered water, and ice compliments of NPI.

OCPCA - Optional Holiday Charitable Donation Drive to Support:

Wound Walk Unhoused Friends with medical first aid supplies: suggestion $5 or more or log onto their website for a list of needed supplies you can purchase and we will delivery to Wound Walk
https://woundwalk.org/

AISS Achievement Institute of STEM Scholars: this is in Honor of one of Mary’s favorite charities supporting local 1st generation college bound High School students
https://www.aissfoundation.org/

NPCA’s tribute to Mary https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/articles/in-memoriam-mary-broude

11/01/2022

Processing Itaewon
Thursday · November 3 · 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Zoom Meeting Register: bit.ly/itaewon1029

Join us for this Zoom event about the recent tragedy in Itaewon, in which at least 156 people were killed and many injured during a Halloween celebration. We will have a journalist, an educator, and a counselor to offer a range of perspectives on the tragedy and its aftermath.

Panelists

Kelly Kasulis Cho is a reporter and editor at The Washington Post who has covered North and South Korea as a freelance correspondent for more than four years. She previously worked at The New York Times and with Bloomberg Industry. She has been covering the tragic incident in Itaewon since the night it happened.

Hyungji Park is Professor of English Literature in the Department of English Language and Literature at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Her primary fields of research and teaching include Victorian literature, Korean popular culture, Asian American literature, and contemporary fiction, with a focus on post-colonial and gender issues. She is a lifelong resident of Seoul and works closely with young people in her capacity as an educator.

Grace S. Kim is a Clinical Associate Professor in the department of Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development at Boston University, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Kim was trained in clinical psychology and researches Social Justice Education and Asian American Psychology. She explores how students understand the meanings of diversity, how to teach diversity and social justice effectively, how to train future professionals to be more culturally humble and responsive. She also focuses on resilience and the mental health of Asian Americans, centering their struggles for liberation, social agency, and solidarity with other marginalized groups.


Sponsored by UCI Center for Critical Korean Studies and UCI Center for Medical Humanities.
For any questions, please contact [email protected].

10/21/2022

Korean American & Asian American Studies
Curriculum Conference

Saturday, November 19, 2022 (Pacific Time)
Hybrid Conference
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
(Space is limited so please register early.)

In-Person: UCI Humanities Gateway 1030
Register: bit.ly/CCKS2023

Online: Zoom Webinar
Register: bit.ly/CCKS1119

The Korean American & Asian American Studies Curriculum Conference for teachers, scholars, educators, and administrators will be held in Humanities Gateway 1030, Saturday, November 19, 8:30 am – 3 pm (Pacific Time). A Mini-Conference Promoting Korean American Studies Curriculum and collaboration with other Asian American Studies Curriculum. Registration is required and parking and lunch will be provided for confirmed in-person attendees.

For any questions, please contact at [email protected]

11/17/2021

Please check out the Korean Corner at UCI Library!
https://guides.lib.uci.edu/asian_studies/kCorner
The direct link to the list.
https://bit.ly/32dnX0D

The Korea Corner provides people, who want to learn about Korea, with easy access to books and DVDs on Korean popular culture, language, literature, history, media, art, and society. Located on the 1st floor of Langson Library on the Outer Ring Road side of the building, it has additional study seating for UCI's growing student population.

11/17/2021

Emotive Subjects and Background Stimuli: K-pop and Commercials

Thursday, November 18, 2 PM (PST)

Zoom Webinar & Facebook Live
Click the link below to register!

https://uci.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZuRGGnvzSwOVRH0jQgH1sA

11/05/2021

21st Century Korean/American Formations: Media, Diaspora, Environment

Hybrid Symposium (In-Person and Online)
Friday, November 12, 2021
FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Click bit.ly/ProgramCCKS to find out more information and registration details!

10/29/2021

Our event was featured in an article in the LA Times, Daily Pilot. Please read the whole story below.

The event was the brainchild of Jerry Won Lee, director of UCI’s Program in Global Languages and Communication.

10/25/2021

Please join us for the CCKS Welcome Reception this Friday!
The reception will be held at Humanities Gateway Patio.

10/25/2021

Squid Game @ UCI

We invite all students, faculty, and staff to attend Squid Game @ UCI. The event, which will take place tomorrow, will feature a short talk and Q&A session from UCI’s Professor Kyung Hyun Kim, who is internationally renowned for his research on Korean media and popular culture. The second part of the event will feature games inspired by the series. All students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate and win a small prize because, after all, according to the Front Man, “Everyone is equal while they play this game. Here, the players get to play a fair game under the same conditions.” Come for both events or just drop by for a quick game and chance to win a prize!