The "Humanites Korea (HK) Project" of Peace Studies at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS) has begun to hold regular irenology seminars starting from June 7, 2011.

Irenology is an interdisciplinary study which aims at prevention, de-escalation and solution of conflicts by peaceful means.

Professor PARK Myoung Kyu, the director of IPUS, presided over the first seminar entitled “The Establishment of a New Irenology for the 21st Century: The Context of the Korean Peninsula and Its Theoretical Tasks.” Referring to Johan Galtung’s theories, various issues concerning the Korean peninsula were debated in this seminar.

Later on June 15, 2011, the second seminar was held at SNU under the title of “Structure and Contents of Kant’s Perpetual Peace Theory”. The title was suggested by Professor LEE Han Gu of Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Philosophy who was also the chairperson of the seminar. Professors and students from diverse departments attended the seminar and had an active question and answer session.

The third HK irenology seminar was hosted at the IPUS researchers’ seminar room on June 29, 2011. Professor LEE Jeong Hoon of SNU’s Department of Chinese Language and Literature presided over the seminar entitled “Angry China: The Present Situation of China.”

Through the hosting of seminars with professionals from both within and outside of SNU, IPUS aims to provide opportunities for scholastic explorations over various aspects of peace in Korean society. IPUS plans to make continuous efforts to organize such forums at which many can discuss a variety of peace-related issues concerning the Korean peninsula. Further schedules will be posted on IPUS’s homepage (http://tongil.snu.ac.kr).

Written by LEE Tae Joon, SNU English Editor, leetjoon@hanmail.net   ?
Proofread by Brett Johnson, SNU English Editor