Join the Korean Studies Research Network (KoRN) for a virtual lecture by sociologist Dr. Junghyun Nam exploring the relationship between protesters and police during South Korea's 2016-17 Candlelight Protests.

Although these protests have been widely celebrated for their peaceful, civic, and democratic character, particularly the harmonious relationship between protesters and police, the process through which this cooperation emerged remains underexplored. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and supplementary sources, Nam examines how protesters came to perceive police as allies rather than adversaries. She explores how cultural understandings of police legitimacy, knowledge of the auxiliary police system, and collective memories of past repression helped shape cooperation between protesters and law enforcement.

About the Speaker

Dr. Junghyun Nam is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and a research affiliate at the Movement Engaged Hub, both at George Mason University. She is currently working on a book project that examines the emergence of civility as a normative-regulatory system and its influence on boundary-work within protest events. She is also coordinating a collaborative working paper project on data center development and community resistance in the United States. Her work has been published in Mobilization: An International Quarterly.

The Korean Studies Research Network aims to bring together scholars whose research focuses on Korea-related topics and to provide mentoring to emerging scholars. It serves as a platform for collaborative and interdisciplinary research among scholars and graduate students at the University of Iowa and other institutions across the Midwest through seminars, speaker series, and workshops.

This event is made possible through generous support from the Stanley University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization and International Programs.