Located in proximity to Los Angeles’ historic Koreatown, KSI sponsors and organizes academic and cultural events that are aimed at advancing the public’s understanding of the Korean American experience. Our faculty offer courses that explore a range of subjects, including the oral history of Koreans in Southern California, Koreatown’s role as a hub of culture and identity, and Korean American literature, film, and arts.
In addition, the institute collaborates with USC’s Korean Heritage Library, supporting its mission to collect, preserve, and promote the historical records of the Korean community in Los Angeles and the surrounding region. Through these efforts, KSI not only fosters academic inquiry but also actively contributes to the preservation and appreciation of Korean heritage in contemporary society.
Upcoming Events
Friday, April 11, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
USC Libraries Korean Heritage Library (DML 110C)
This event is designed to visit and discuss notable spaces related to Korean heritage at USC campus and surrounding areas. The walking tour will start with the USC Korean Heritage Library which showcases unique collections on Korean American history, media studies and other Korean language sources. Other sites include the University Club, Ahn House, USC Dive Tower, Korean National Association Memorial Foundation, Hung Sa Dahn and Florence Sherman’s Church. Open to all students with priority given to students taking Korean language and other Korean subject courses as well as students majoring or minoring in East Asia. Stay tuned for RSVP details.
Past Events
Margaret Juhae Lee – Across the Ocean: Digging the Archives and Remembering the Korean Past
October 16, 2024
Doheny Memorial Library (DML), 240
In Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History, former The Nation editor Margaret Juhae Lee recounts her travels in Korea in search of the lost traces of her grandfather Lee Chul Ha. While the elder Lee was an important historical figure—an anticolonial activist and a prisoner of Imperial Japan—Lee’s journey eventually opens her up to a recollection of the events, the generations, and the history of her entire Korean family. It is an experience of self-discovery that, in heartfelt prose, offers a rare account of the Korean past as it is seen, remembered, and imagined today from across the sea.
Introducing and framing Lee’s discussion of Starry Field will be a presentation of the print collections and the digital archives that are held at USC’s Korean Heritage Library. Part of Lee’s journey was completed through this library. And it will again be from this library that new generations of historians, researchers, and regular citizens will move to discover their Korean heritage along with the richness and depth of the Korean-American experience.
Continuing Programs
Korean American Digital Archive
KSI collaborates with USC’s Korean Heritage Library to digitize and maintain the documentary record of Korean experiences in America.
Heroes and Legends
KSI collaborates with Dir. Christopher HK Lee in telling the stories of ordinary people and community leaders within the local Korean American community.
Nak Chung Thun Manuscripts
KSI supports the publication of the manuscripts of early Korean American writer Nak Chung Thun (1917-1937). Thun’s writings are today part of the collections of USC’s Korean Heritage Library. An anthology of Thun’s essays and short stories, Gujejeok Gangdo (Righteous Robber; 2020), has been published in Korea in two versions: the annotated original script and a modern Korean translation. Both volumes are edited by Jaemoon Hwang of the Kyujanggak Institute at Seoul National University. See Thun’s digital archive and YTN Korean news report on the publication event. The Tale of Hong Chungnae, an alternate-history set in Xth century Korea, is forthcoming.
Banner Image: "965 S Normandie Koreatown Senior and Community Center and Korean Pavilion" by Donwtowngirl is licensed via Wikimedia Commons.