March 25, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m | Doheny Memorial Library, Friends Lecture Hall (DML 240), with hybrid access available for those outside of LA.

This conference seeks to broaden and integrate existing historical accounts of colonial Korea (1910–1945) with an understanding of Korean diasporic experiences in countries such as the United States, China, and Japan. Bringing together leading scholars of both colonial Korea and early Korean America, the gathering will provoke reflection on personal experiences in the era of global imperialism on both sides of the Pacific. Inspired in part by the publication of Kim San and Nym Wales’ Song of Arirang, conference speakers will address a diverse range of topics, including the transpacific critical reimagining of Korean history, the contributions of diasporic activism to the domestic independence movement, and the effects of colonization on the development of a Korean American identity.

This event marks the inaugural MARCH FIRST SYMPOSIUM ON HISTORY AND DEMOCRACY. The popular uprisings on the Korean peninsula of March 1, 1919, represent a foundational moment in the history of both South Korea and North Korea. The University of Southern California and its Korean Studies Institute have special ties to this event. The KSI is housed in the family residence of March First leader AHN CHANG HO, while USC’S KOREAN HERITAGE LIBRARY preserves the historical archives of the Korean National Association (1909–1988). The conference will include an exhibition of selected documents from these archives.

The conference is organized by SUNYOUNG PARK (EALC, USC) and JUNGEUN HONG (USC Libraries). Event sponsors include the USC KOREAN STUDIES INSTITUTE, the USC KOREAN HERITAGE LIBRARY, and the SHINSO ITO CENTER FOR JAPANESE RELIGIONS AND CULTURE.

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