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DTSTAMP:20260911T120057
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260917T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260917T160000
SUMMARY:Conference / Symposium:For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy
DESCRIPTION:Description:\nPresented as part of the University of Michigan’s Democracy Week\, this symposium explores the enduring legacy of the May 18\, 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the role of visual media in shaping South Korea’s democratic consciousness. Organized in conjunction with an exhibition of 90 curated images from the Gwangju 5·18 Archives on campus\, the event bridges historical analysis with living memory. Survivors and eyewitnesses will share their reflections alongside scholars to examine how images and personal testimony break through censorship and serve as vital tools for historical justice—connecting Gwangju’s struggle to global conversations on human rights.\n\nThis event is organized by Nam Center for Korean Studies and co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, the Donia Human Rights Center\, and Asia Library.\n\nOfficial event poster: https://myumi.ch/G7Ge1\n\nParking information: https://myumi.ch/WDpNd \n\nProgram\n1:00 - 1:05 / Opening Remarks \nJuhn Ahn / University of Michigan \n\n1:05 - 1:15 / May 18 Gwangju: Brief Historical Overview \nJi Yeon Hong / University of Michigan \n\n1:15 - 2:15 / Witnessing and Documenting Gwangju \nDavid Dolinger / Former Peace Corps Volunteer \n“Called by Another Name – Gwangju’s Impact on a Life”\n\nNa Kyung-taek / Former Jeonnam Daily Photojournalist \n“A Reporter's Eyewitness Account of the Command to Open Fire” \n\nQ & A\n\n2:30 - 3:10 / O-IL-PAL: South Korean Democracy as Performance and Event\nHayana Kim / Ohio State University \n\"The Gwangju Uprising and the Performativity of South Korean Democracy\" \n\nSohl Lee / Stony Brook University \n\"The Photographs of Gwangju in 1980: Uneven Disseminations and Reactivated Events\" \n\n3:10 - 3:25 / Gwangju in the World \nThierry Bonzon / Université Gustave Eiffel \n\n3:25 - 4:00 / Q & A\n\n\nSpeakers: \nJuhn Ahn / University of Michigan\nDirector of the Nam Center for Korean Studies and associate professor of Buddhist and Korean studies\, Juhn Y. Ahn earned his B.A. in Asian studies and religion from the University of Michigan\, Ann Arbor\, and his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from UC Berkeley. He taught East Asian religions at the University of Toronto from 2006 to 2011. After a year researching religion and Koryŏ history at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton\, NJ\, he joined U-M's Department of Asian Languages and Cultures in 2011. His research covers East Asian religions\, Buddhism\, Chan and Zen\, traditional medicine\, and premodern Korean cultural and economic histories. He has published widely on Japanese Zen\, Zen master Hakuin Ekaku\, traditional medicine in Japan\, Korean Buddhism and Sŏn monasticism\, and Korean film. Major publications include *Buddhas and Ancestors: Religion and Wealth in Fourteenth-Century Korea* (2018)\, *Transgression in Korea* (2018)\, and translations like *The Orthodox Path of Seon* (2023) and *Gongan Collections I* (2012). He is currently co-editing a volume on Koryŏ and contributing to the Cambridge Histories Series\, and is the recipient of awards including the Puri Award\, Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship\, and Kyujanggak Fellowship.\n\nJi Yeon Hong / University of Michigan\nJi Yeon Hong is an associate professor of political science and the Korea Foundation Chair Professor of Korean Politics at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on authoritarian politics\, democratization\, political violence\, and elite behavior under dictatorship in East Asia. Her scholarship has been widely published in leading field publications\, including *the American Journal of Political Science*\, *British Journal of Political Science*\, and *Journal of Politics*. \n\nHer academic path is deeply rooted in the historic political movements she witnessed firsthand. Raised in Seoul\, South Korea\, her experience observing the country's democratization during the 1980s and 1990s inspired her to pursue political science. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Seoul National University and her Ph.D. from New York University\, she served on the faculty at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from 2014 to 2022\, where she observed another defining wave of pro-democracy activism before joining U-M.\n\nDavid Dolinger / Former Peace Corps Volunteer\nDavid L. Dolinger is a scientist and global health professional currently working in India. He has played key roles in the development and commercialization of diagnostic solutions with a focus on their practical implementation and use in low- and middle-income countries. His work sits at the intersection of laboratory science\, regulatory rigor\, and a long-standing commitment to social justice and patient-centered care. Over the years he has also taken on advisory and collaborative roles with diagnostic manufacturers and global health partners focused on expanding access to high-quality testing in low- and middle-income countries. \n\nHowever\, this passion and drive would not have fermented to the level if it had not been for his life-forming experiences as a Peace corps volunteer in the Republic of Korea. At the young age of 22\, he travelled for the first time outside of the United States\, landing in south Jeolla province in the small county of Yeongam. He worked in the local health center focusing on tuberculosis control. It was there that he started to understand how diagnostic tests are the foundation of good health care. It was his experiences in and participation in the May 18 Democratization Movement\, in Gwangju that grounded him and has driven him through his life to utilize his talents and understanding of diagnostics to focus on those that are marginalized and ignored.\n\nNa Kyung-taek / Former Photojournalist\nNa Kyung-taek\, former head of the Yonhap News Bureau for Gwangju and Jeonnam\, began his career in journalism in 1967. As a pioneering photojournalist\, he captured the frontlines of the May 18 Democratization Movement\, exposing the truth to the world through his lens. His unwavering journalistic integrity earned him both the Courageous Journalist Award and the Korea Journalist Award.\n\nFollowing his retirement\, Mr. Na continued to serve the public through university lectures and welfare foundation work. He has remained dedicated to sharing the historical significance of May 18 globally\, authoring books such as *When That Day in May Comes Again and We Saw*\, and hosting photo exhibitions across South Korea and internationally\, including in Germany and the United States.\n\nSohl Lee / Stony Brook University\nSohl Lee is associate professor of art history at Stony Brook University (SUNY)\, specializing in modern and contemporary Asian art\, decolonial visual culture\, socially engaged art\, and ecological art history\, with a particular interest in oceanic and transpacific frameworks. Her first book\, *The Minjung Art Movement: Decolonization and Democracy in South Korea* (Duke University Press\, 2026)\, historicizes an influential movement of activist art from the 1970s and 1980s. Her current book project\, *Seaweed as Method: Art History with Oceans\, Multispecies Life\, and Empire* examines the global visual cultures of seaweeds through the intertwined lenses of ecology\, decolonization\, food sovereignty\, and Indigenous onto-epistemologies. She is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2020) and has received grants and fellowships from the Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC)\, the Korea Foundation\, the Korean Ministry of Culture\, the Academy of Korean Studies\, the Getty Research Institute\, and the Andy Warhol Foundation\, among others.\n\nHayana Kim / Ohio State University\nHayana Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the Ohio State University. As an interdisciplinary performance and media historian of twentieth- and twenty-first-century South Korea\, her research centers on cultures of democracy in contemporary South Korea. Her teaching is at the intersections of Korean studies\, Asian diasporic studies\, and theatre\, performance\, and media studies. Kim is currently working on her book manuscript entitled *Making P’an for a New World: The Kwangju Uprising\, Women\, and the Performativity of South Korean Democracy*. This project\, based on extensive archival and ethnographic research\, investigates the role of the body and affect in advancing democracy in South Korea by illuminating various forms of performances that women in Kwangju and in broader Chŏlla Province created to bring out insurgent cultural spaces where deaths disavowed by the state and concealed from the public eye emerge into communal memories. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in *Journal of Asian Studies*\, *Asian Theatre Journal*\, and in edited collections published by Cambridge University Press\, Chonnam National University\, among others. She received her Ph.D. from the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Theatre and Drama at Northwestern University.\n\nThierry Bonzon / Université Gustave Eiffel\nThierry Bonzon\, associate professor (Maître de conférences) in contemporary history at Université Gustave Eiffel\, conducts research at the intersection of First World War history and the historical analysis of photography as a primary source. His first line of inquiry examines the local dynamics of wartime sacrifice\, social policy\, and pacifist movements—notably explored through the \"La France pétitionne\" project and the co-organization of the international conference Les défenseurs de la paix\, 1899–1917\, which integrated Peace Studies into French historiography. His second field explores photojournalism and image-based history through two distinct geographical and temporal contexts: a collective project analyzing over 2\,000 photographer-correspondents for l'Humanité documenting social and urban changes in the Paris region (1950s–1990s)\, and a current investigation into the photographic archives of the May 1980 Gwangju Uprising in South Korea. Together\, these projects bridge archival discovery\, public history\, and the study of visual media as a fundamental tool for constructing historical memory.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*\n\n*Part of the International Institute Theme Year: Sovereignty*\nhttps://myumi.ch/ii-theme
UID:150847-21910304@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150847
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asian Languages And Cultures,Democracy,International,Korea,Korean Studies,Politics,Theme Year
LOCATION:Hatcher Graduate Library - Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260814T152258
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260917T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260917T180000
SUMMARY:Reception / Open House:Democracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline
DESCRIPTION:Nearly eighty years have passed since the establishment of the Republic of Korea in the South and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the North in 1948. This exhibit features selected library collections that trace the history and major milestones of Korean democracy\, with particular attention to the vital role of student movements.\n\nAt pivotal moments in modern Korean history\, students stood at the forefront of resistance to authoritarian rule and military oppression. Their activism became a powerful force in the pursuit of political freedom and contributed significantly to the advancement of democracy in Korea. Spanning the period from Korea’s first president\, Syngman Rhee\, to current president Lee Jae-myung\, this exhibit invites visitors to reflect on Korea’s long\, complex\, and ongoing journey toward democratization. \n\nPresented by the library in conjunction with Democracy Week at Michigan and in collaboration with the Nam Center for Korean Studies.\n\nThird Thursdays at the Library is a themed monthly open house where we share materials from our collections. While you’re here\, pick up a passport and collect a stamp from each of this month's Third Thursday locations — Asia Library\, Clark Library\, International Studies\, and the Special Collections Research Center — to win a prize!
UID:150278-21908575@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150278
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Asia,Democracy Week,Free,Korea,Library
LOCATION:Hatcher Graduate Library - Asia Library, 4th Floor
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260918T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260918T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910123@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260920T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260920T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910125@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260922T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260922T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910127@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260923T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260923T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910128@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260924T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260924T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910129@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260925T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260925T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910130@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260909T121652
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260925T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260925T162000
SUMMARY:Class / Instruction:Master Class with Sumi Jo
DESCRIPTION:SMTD Voice & Opera students explore operatic repertoire and Korean art song in a master class with internationally acclaimed soprano Sumi Jo\, followed by a brief Q&A.  \n\nFree and open to the public with generous support from the Jessye Norman Master Class Series. Also supported in part by the SeAH corporation\, the U-M Arts Initiative\, the School of Music\, Theatre & Dance\, the Nam Center for Korean Studies\, and the Office of the President.\n\nABOUT THE GUEST ARTIST\n\nInternationally celebrated as one of the greatest bel canto sopranos of her generation\, SUMI JO has captivated audiences for four decades with a voice renowned for its radiant beauty\, dazzling agility and expressive artistry. Since her professional debut in Italy in 1986\, she has appeared at the world’s leading opera houses\, including the Metropolitan Opera\, Vienna State Opera\, Teatro alla Scala and the Royal Ballet & Opera\, Covent Garden\, as well as major concert halls across Europe\, Asia and the Americas. Her repertoire encompasses the great coloratura roles of Donizetti\, Bellini and Rossini\, while her recital programmes reflect her wide-ranging musical curiosity. \n\nJo’s exceptional artistry has earned numerous international honours\, including the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (1993)\, the Republic of Korea’s Gold Order of Cultural Merit (2008)\, Italy’s Order of Merit\, Commendatore (2011)\, and Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia\, awarded for her contribution to promoting Italian culture worldwide. In 2025 she was appointed to France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres\, recognising her outstanding contribution to international cultural exchange\, and in 2026 she was awarded the Maria Callas International Prize (Premio Internazionale Maria Callas)\, recognising her exceptional lifetime contribution to opera\, classical music\, and the preservation of Maria Callas's artistic legacy. \n\nA passionate advocate for Korean art song\, Jo serves as Artistic Director of “K-Gagok Superstar”\, an initiative launched in 2024 to mentor young artists and introduce Korea’s rich vocal repertoire to international audiences. In the same year she founded the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition\, held biennially near Paris\, providing an important platform for emerging singers from around the world. \n\nThe 2025/26 season marked the fortieth anniversary of Jo’s professional debut. She celebrated the milestone with her worldwide Bel Canto & Beyond concert tour and the release of *Continuum*\, a cross-genre recording made at London’s AIR Studios that highlights collaborations with a new generation of artists. Her discography comprises more than fifty solo albums for Erato\, Deutsche Grammophon and Warner Classics\, many achieving multi-million sales and establishing enduring benchmarks in vocal performance. \n\nBeyond the stage\, Jo is a United Nations cultural and peace ambassador\, using music to promote dialogue\, understanding and humanitarian values. Through her artistry\, mentorship and cultural leadership\, she continues to inspire audiences worldwide while serving as an international ambassador for music and artistic excellence. 
UID:151785-21912169@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/151785
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Culture,Free,Music,North Campus,Talk,Workshop
LOCATION:Earl V. Moore Building - Britton Recital Hall
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260910T101038
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260925T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260925T230000
SUMMARY:Reception / Open House:Full Moon Festival
DESCRIPTION:For many cultures across East Asia\, family and friends come together for the mid-autumn Full Moon with festivities\, delicious food\, and good company. The Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies\, U-M Astronomy\, the Nam Center for Korean Studies\, and the Center for Japanese Studies invite you to the Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory for a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Full Moon. \n\nThis drop-in program includes activities in the observatory classroom\, exploration of the historic observatory\, and telescope viewing of the Moon! Families are welcome! Free and open to the public.
UID:150281-21908578@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150281
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Chinese Studies,free,Humanities,Japanese Studies,Korean Studies,Museum,museums,observing,Science,Storytelling
LOCATION:Detroit Observatory
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260927T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260927T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910132@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260831T181650
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260927T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260927T180000
SUMMARY:Performance: The SeAH Korean Art Song Gala
DESCRIPTION:The SeAH Korean Art Song Gala is a high-profile Korean Performing Arts Initiative event. The first half of the concert will feature student performances of Korean song\, interwoven with historical and cultural narration by SMTD’s Dr. Matthew Thompson\, and will end with a performance by SMTD’s alum Jack Morin (’25)\, whose Korean song performances have garnered millions of views online. The second half of the concert will showcase the world-renowned Korean soprano Sumi Jo\, joined by Thompson at the piano. \n\nThe concert marks the first time that Korean song performance has been taught at U-M and is generously supported by the SeAH corporation and numerous campus entities: the Arts Initiative\, the Jessye Norman Fund\, the School of Music\, Theatre & Dance\, the Nam Center for Korean Studies\, and the Office of the President. Concert proceeds will be used to support future Korean Performing Arts Initiative events.  \n\nMatthew Thompson\, artistic director\n\nNot eligible for the Flex Series discount.\n\n–––\n*Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*\nhttps://smtd.umich.edu/2026-construction
UID:148633-21904549@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/148633
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Concert,Music
LOCATION:Hill Auditorium
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T141617
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260928T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260928T140000
SUMMARY:Fair / Festival:Korea Week | Korean Games & Crafts for Kids
DESCRIPTION:Play traditional Korean games and create your own paper charye sang to celebrate Chuseok\, a mid-autumn harvest holiday.\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150765-21910143@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150765
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Ann Arbor,Art,Asian Languages And Cultures,Children,Culture,Family,Free,global,In Person,Library
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - 1st Floor Lobby
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T141658
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260928T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260928T193000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Korea Week | The Beauty of Hanbok: Discovering Korean Culture Through Traditional and Modern Hanbok
DESCRIPTION:Join us to learn about the beauty\, history\, and cultural significance of Korean hanbok\, one of Korea's most treasured cultural traditions. The presentation will discuss the differences in traditional and modern hanbok\, and the colors\, fabrics\, designs\, and symbols featured.\n\nAn introduction will also be given to Korean traditional wedding customs\, including the Paebaek Ceremony\, one of Korea's most meaningful wedding traditions.\n\nPresented by Laura Park\, a fourth-generation hanbok designer with over 36 years of experience\, the program will explore how hanbok has evolved throughout history while preserving its elegance\, symbolism\, and cultural identity.\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150766-21910145@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150766
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Asian Languages And Cultures,Culture,Free,global,In Person,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - 1st Floor Lobby
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260929T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260929T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910134@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T142033
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260929T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260929T190000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Korea Week | Korean Ink Wash Painting Workshop with Jiyoung Kim When
DESCRIPTION:Discover the beauty and philosophy of traditional Korean painting (Hangukhwa) through an engaging demonstration. Jiyoung Kim will introduce the history\, materials\, and artistic principles of Korean painting\, explaining how natural materials such as ink\, brushes\, and traditional paper are used to express harmony with nature.\n\nParticipants will watch two live painting demonstrations—one featuring a traditional Korean painting and another focusing on a simple plum blossom composition that is easy to follow. The plum blossom is a meaningful symbol in Korean art\, representing resilience\, hope\, and the arrival of spring.\n\nJiyoung Kim is an award-winning artist and art instructor who studied painting at Hongik University\, where she is currently working on an MFA. Her work has been on display in many galleries in South Korea\, Los Angeles\, New York and in Michigan.\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150769-21910147@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150769
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art,Asian Languages And Cultures,Culture,Free,global,In Person,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - 1st Floor Lobby
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260930T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260930T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910135@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T142104
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260930T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260930T190000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Korea Week | Korean Food: Culture\, Politics\, and Identities
DESCRIPTION:Korean food is having a moment–one that's been decades in the making. Dr. Rory Walsh explores what Korean food is\, how it got that way\, and how it's changing under our noses. From Ann Arbor to Seoul\, this talk explores what food has to do with tradition\, identity\, international politics\, ancient history\, family\, self\, and\, of course\, the deceptively complicated concept of authenticity.\n\nRory Walsh has been studying the anthropology of Korea since 2012\, and has eaten her way across the peninsula (and Jeju!). She has written extensively on Korean archaeology and hosts the UM Nam Center for Korean Studies' podcast\, \"Korea in Maize and Blue: How Did You Get Here?\"\, interviewing Korean scholars and other professionals across disciplines.\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150770-21910148@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150770
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Asian Languages And Cultures,Cooking,Culture,Food,Free,In Person,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - 1st Floor Lobby
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261001T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261001T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910136@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T142135
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261001T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261001T190000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Korea Week | Learn About Hangul\, the Korean Alphabet
DESCRIPTION:Learn about Hangul (the Korean alphabet) with staff members from the Korean Language Program at the University of Michigan. Then try your hand at writing in Hangul through various activities.\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150771-21910153@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150771
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Asian Languages And Cultures,Free,In Person,Korea,korean cinema,Korean Studies,Language,Languages
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - 1st Floor Lobby
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261002T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261002T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910137@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T142223
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261002T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261002T193000
SUMMARY:Performance:Korea Week | Traditional Korean Drumming with Sinaboro
DESCRIPTION:Learn about samul nori and pungmul nori (traditional Korean drumming) with Sinaboro\, the Korean percussion ensemble at the University of Michigan.  We'll learn about the four traditional Korean percussive instruments and listen to a short performance by Sinaboro.\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150772-21910154@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150772
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Asian Languages And Cultures,Concert,Free,In Person,Korea,Korean Studies,Music,Performance
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - Lower Level Program Room
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T142253
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261003T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261003T140000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Korea Week | Korean Storytime
DESCRIPTION:Hear stories told by Eunjae Cheon and sing songs led by Andrea Yun! All activities will be led in Korean. After storytime\, stay for a craft!\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150773-21910156@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Asian Languages And Cultures,Children,Family,Free,In Person,Kids,Korea,Korean Studies,Music
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - Program Room
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261004T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261004T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910139@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260825T142326
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261004T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261004T140000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Korea Week | Learn about Gangdong-gu!
DESCRIPTION:Learn about AADL's partnership with Gangdong-gu in Seoul while enjoying simple crafts!\n\nThis event is part of Korea Week\, and is held in partnership with the Ann Arbor District Library and the Korean Cultural Center of Washington D.C. For more information\, visit https://myumi.ch/9JJ4g.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150776-21910158@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150776
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art,Asian Languages And Cultures,Free,In Person,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - Program Room
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261006T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261006T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910141@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260903T094529
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20261007T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20261007T180000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Democracy Week | Beacon of Democratic Resilience: Visual Truths and the Legacy of Korea's 5·18 Democratization Movement - A Photographic Archive of the May 1980 People’s Uprising in Korea
DESCRIPTION:Link to the official event poster: \nhttps://myumi.ch/kVdVV\n\n*Exhibition Description*\nThis photo exhibition features 90 curated images from the UNESCO-inscribed May 18 Archives. Documenting the May 18–27\, 1980 democratization uprising in Gwangju\, South Korea\, the collection captures the shift from peaceful student protests to military violence and unified citizen resistance\, carried out under a complete blackout as civilians and photojournalists risked their lives to photograph atrocities and smuggle film past cordons. Beyond serving as historical artifacts\, these preserved visual truths offer a living blueprint for popular resilience against authoritarianism\, transforming local trauma into a universal defense of human rights. Displaying these records at Michigan bridges 1980 Gwangju with our present moment\, inviting viewers to engage past resistance in the ongoing effort to defend democracy today.\n\n*Exhibition Composition*\nThe exhibit will be composed of a visual narrative comprised of six chronological sections and two additional special sections:\n\n1. Protest (May 5–16\, 1980): \nFollowing the collapse of Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship in October\, 1979\, Gwangju students and citizens held peaceful rallies for campus autonomy and the end of martial law. Photos from this era show orderly marches and hopeful faces\, capturing a society on the brink of change before the structural contradictions shifted toward state-led violence. \n\n2. Suppression (May 18–19\, 1980): \nA new junta government led by Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the entire country on May 17. Students at Chonnam National University protested against the new junta government’s decision. State violence escalated as paratroopers\, who were deployed to Gwangju\, engaged student protesters. Streets became scenes of brutal beatings and kidnappings. Beyond documenting victims\, the images on display in this section serve as primary historical evidence and legal proof of the military's methods and the sudden transformation of citizens into targets of control. \n\n3. Uprising (May 20–21\, 1980): \nThe movement shifted into a popular struggle. Vehicles lined up in Gwangju’s main thoroughfare\, Geumnam-ro. This massive vehicle parade symbolized the people becoming active subjects of resistance. The military was given the order to use live ammunition against civilians. In reaction\, the city became a space of voluntary mobilization and citizens emerged as historical political actors. \n\n4. Resistance (May 22–26\, 1980): \nWhile isolated and cut off from communications\, Gwangju established an autonomous system of self-governance. Photos in this section testify to the efforts made to establish a sense of order based on solidarity—sharing food and donating blood—rather than chaos. The formation of this \"Daedong (Great Unity) Community\" and the visual documentation thereof serve as foundations of democracy in South Korea. \n\n5. Massacre (May 27\, 1980): \nThe uprising was crushed by a dawn military operation. While the armed resistance ended\, the resulting photographs of the aftermath reveal the stark reality of the massacre. These images became the catalyst for future truth-seeking movements and the pursuit of historical justice in South Korea. \n\n6. Mourning: \nScenes of coffins\, portraits\, and silent vigils represent a collective ethical gaze. During this period\, mourning was more than a display of grief\; it was a communal act used to redefine the city’s identity and establish new moral standards for justice.\n\n7. Special Section A: The Photographers\nThis special section highlights the domestic and international photographers who documented the uprising. This includes Korean journalists alongside US journalists Robin Moyer and Norman Thorpe\, French correspondents Patrick Chauvel and François Lochon\, and German cinematographer Jürgen Hinzpeter. Their images transcend simple reporting\, reflecting a moral commitment to record and a historical duty to ensure remembrance. Rather than viewing these photos solely as evidence\, the exhibition reinterprets them through a lens of photographic history—examining their context\, distribution\, and how they transformed raw records into social truth and collective memory.\n\n8. Special Section B: The Peace Corps: Americans Who Helped Gwangju\nWhen Gwangju was isolated under martial law in May 1980\, four American Peace Corps volunteers—Tim Warnberg\, David Lee Dolinger\, Judi Chamberlin\, and Paul Courtright—refused to leave\, choosing instead to assist the wounded\, aid foreign journalists\, and ultimately expose the truth to the world. Those pivotal ten days reshaped their lives into lifelong commitments to human rights\, inspiring decades of memoirs\, academic writings\, and testimonies. Through photographs\, video footage\, and personal records\, this section traces their journey from eyewitnesses to active defenders of human dignity\, inviting us to reflect on what it truly means to take a stand in the face of another’s suffering. \n\nTwo additional events programmed in conjunction with this photo exhibition\n1. Symposium: \n“For Thee and All the World to See: May 18 Gwangju and the Visual Tenacities of South Korean Democracy”\nhttps://myumi.ch/mVdVJ \n\n2. Third Thursday at the Library: \nDemocracy in Motion: The Advancement of Democracy in Korea and the Students at the Frontline\nhttps://myumi.ch/rwdwn \n\nContent Warning: This exhibition contains historical photographs documenting the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement\, including graphic depictions of violence\, state military suppression\, injuries\, and grief. Viewer discretion is advised.\n\nThis exhibit is co-sponsored by the May 18 Archives\, Center for Democracy & Civic Empowerment\, Department of Political Science\, Center for Emerging Democracies\, Donia Human Rights Center\, Asia Library\, and Duderstadt Center.\n\n*If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:150763-21910142@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/150763
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Activism,Art,Asia,Asian Languages And Cultures,Exhibition,History,Korea,Korean Studies
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR