The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

7

May

Disrupted Histories, Contested Futures: Korean Adoption, Politics, and Activism in Europe

7 May 2026 15:00 to 8 May 2026 16:30 | Conference
decorative image
A still from "The Woman, The Orphan, and The Tiger" (2010), Jane Jin Kaisen & Guston Sondin-Kung

In recent years, transnational adoption has come under increasing scrutiny, with both sending and receiving countries reassessing its contested past. South Korea, the largest and most enduring sending country, has often been examined primarily through a U.S. framework, particularly in relation to U.S. empire and U.S.–ROK relations.

This two-day conference shifts the focus to Europe, not only as a major receiving region but also as a vital site of critical adoption discourses and practices. Bringing together earlier and newer generations of scholars and activists, the conference will examine adoption histories across Europe, reflect on community-building and activism among adoptees, and consider the implications of state-led investigations for the future of critical debates on transnational adoption.

See this website for more information, including programme and list of speakers.

The conference is open to all, with registration required. Registration will open 2 March, 2026.

 

logos

The event is jointly sponsored by the Academy of Korean Studies’ Strategic Research Institute, the Centre for Korean Studies at Tübingen, and the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies at Lund. 

About the event

Location:

Asia Library, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Sölvegatan 18 B, Lund

Contact:

Youngeun [dot] koo [at] ace [dot] lu [dot] se