Jerome De Wit, Professorship for Korean Studies

Contact Jerome De Wit

"Korean literature and culture can provide interesting insights into how social and historical changes have shaped their modern society. Since Korea was incorporated into the global system as early as the 19th century, I am interested in how Koreans dealt with the many often traumatic and sudden social and historical changes and how this is reflected in their culture. An examination of the cultural creation of the two Koreas after 1945 leads to an understanding of the processes involved in the emergence of two opposing worldviews, which in the case of Korea led to a devastating and traumatic war that remains unresolved to this day. By examining the cultural identity of the Korean-Chinese minority and their migration history, one gains insight into the flexibility of minority groups to adapt to new (and often unfavorable) social circumstances. It is often thanks to this flexible ability that the Korean-Chinese minority is even able to influence social change in Chinese society as a whole, including in the field of (pop) music, or even in creating awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ rights." (Jerome De Wit)

Research areas:

* Modern Korean literature and culture
* Cultures of the Korean diaspora
* North and South Korean war literature
* Narrative and Representation of the (Korean) Other
* Cultural representation of identity in Korean-Chinese literature, film, and music

Curriculum Vitae:

2005 Master of Arts in Korean Studies at Leiden University, The Netherlands
2006-2008 PhD Coursework at Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
2006-2009 Lecturer in Dutch Studies at the Department of Dutch Studies, Hanguk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea
2010 Lecturer in Korean Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands
2010 Lecturer in Korean Studies, Roma Sapienza University, Italy
2012 Visiting Fellow at the Asiatic Research Institute, Korea University, South Korea
2013-2014 Lecturer in Korean Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands
2014 Visiting Fellow, Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Seoul National University, South Korea
2014-2015 Lecturer in Korean Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands
2015 Doctorate at Leiden University, the Netherlands
2015-2022 Junior Professor of Korean Studies, University of Tübingen
2022-2023 Visiting Professor of Korean Studies, University of Vienna
since September 2023 Professor of Korean Studies at the Department of East Asian Studies at the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna