Hyung-Il Pai Memorial Lecture in Korean Studies on February 19

Prof. Christina Han of Wilfrid Laurier University is scheduled to deliver the Hyung-Il Pai Memorial Lecture in Korean Studies this year on February 19 at 2pm: Poetry Networks and Everyday Lives: Rediscovering Premodern Korean Society through Digital Humanities

This talk explores sihwa 詩話 (poetry talks) as an illuminating window into the social, cultural, and intellectual life of premodern Korea. Originating in 12th-century China, sihwa flourished in Korea, blending poetry, storytelling, and critique to offer unique insights into the networks and lived experiences of its time. As a researcher of sihwa and translator of the 17th-century Sihwa ch’ongnim 詩話叢林 (Compendium of Poetry Talks), I will share how digital humanities tools are unlocking new dimensions of this expansive genre. These tools enable macroscopic analysis that uncovers hidden patterns of social networks, cultural exchanges, and the often-overlooked voices of women, children, and slaves, voices largely absent from traditional literary histories. Overall, this talk will demonstrate the vibrancy of premodern Korean Studies and how digital humanities scholarship can deepen our understanding of East Asia’s interconnected histories and dynamic cultural landscapes.