[Citizen College Season 8] Lecture5. Nationalism and Immigration policy

South Korea is one of the countries where nationalist ideology has a strong influence.
Nevertheless, empirical data and theories to analyze and understand Korean nationalism are not easy to come by.

The equivalence of ethnic and political units is the minimum consensus that defines nationalism in political science, but the debate over it has developed in various forms.
There are views that ethnicity is real and views that ethnicity is only a modern concept.

Based on the debate on theories of nationalism, this lecture empirically presented the specificity of Korean nationalism.

According to Professor Ko, Korea has adhered to an exclusive and closed form of nationalist ideology through the experience of colonization and the Korean War.
However, with the experience of democratization and globalization, the exclusivity is showing signs of change, albeit weakly. In particular, the increase in the number of foreigners living in Korea and the overhaul of institutions to improve the treatment and protection of migrant workers and multicultural families since the 2000s are examples of the need to reconceptualize Korean nationalism.

After the lecture, the participants discussed their thoughts on ethnicity, nationalism, and Korean nationalism.

 

Date and Time : 23th, May, 2024. 14:00 ~ 16:00pm
Venue : room 201, Political Science and Economics Building
Speaker : Professor, Ji Young Ko (PSIR, Korea Univ.)