Dr. Sojin Lim: Korean Development and Altruism | Korea Deconstructed #021

Dr. Sojin Lim is a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Course Leader for both MA North Korean Studies and MA Asia Pacific Studies, and Co-Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) at the University of Central Lancashire. She works as Co-Editor of the ‘Routledge Research on Korea’ series and is also one of the Editors-in-Chief at Asia Pacific Viewpoint (Wiley). She is the author of articles and book chapters on sustainable development, public policy and political economy. She recently published a co-edited book Routledge Handbook of Contemporary South Korea (2021). She frequently discusses changes in the Korea Peninsula in media interviews, such as appearing on BBC.

Our conversation was about South Korea’s economic and societal development. It was enriched by Sojin’s many personal recollections of growing up in a country that was fighting authoritarian rule. We discussed what “the miracle on the Han River” actually means and how the “new village movement” affected the people of South Korea. We looked at foreign aid and the effectiveness of neo-liberal policies. We also questioned the role of culture in all of this. More broadly we explored the idea of altruism, aid, and gift-giving. We then discussed North Korea and whether aid or sanctions are the most effective policies for what Sojin sees as a fragile state. Finally, we looked at the field of Korean Studies more broadly and how the discipline is changing over time.

Dr. Sojin Lim’s Recent Publications

Website: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/academics/dr-sojin-lim

 “South korean Popular Culture in the Global Context: Beyond the Fandom,” Routledge (edited) (2022)

“Routledge Handbook of Contemporary South Korea”, Routledge (co-edited) (2021)

 “Assessing the Landscape of Taiwan and Korean Studies in Comparison,” BRILL (co-edited) (2021)

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