Paris Barraza, Iowa City Press-Citizen
When Hyaeweol Choi joined the University of Iowa faculty in 2018, she saw an opportunity to bring together scholars whose disciplines related to Korean studies.
What emerged was something that would serve scholars beyond UI.
The Korean Studies Research Network, or KoRN — an acronym fit for Iowa — is a research hub where students throughout the Midwest can learn about a nation whose influence is growing significantly, through seminars, speaker series and workshops.
Choi is the C. Maxwell and Elizabeth M. Stanley Family and Korea Foundation Chair in Korean Studies. The Korea Foundation is an organization that promotes that nation globally.
In creating KoRN, Choi felt that Iowa could play a leadership role in the Midwest, specifically in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri that do not have a separate research institute for Korean studies.