Abstract: In 1933, Bang Sinyeong (1890–1977), author of Recipes for Joseon Cuisine ( Joseon yorijebeop ), one of the earliest and most influential modern cookbooks of the twentieth century, filed an injunction against Yi Yonggi's (1875–1933) cookbook Unrivalled New Recipes in Joseon ( Joseon mussang sinsigyorijebeop ). Although this case has been commemorated as a pivotal moment in the establishment of Korea's modern copyright regime, the litigation process was deeply entangled with the restructuring of the modern book industry and the discursive ascendancy of modern domesticity. By closely examining the lawsuit, this paper argues that Bang Sinyeong's entitlement to copyright derived not from the originality of her recipes but from her gendered positionality—authorized by the contemporary demand that women's cooking served as a form of modern knowledge essential to social engineering.

Abstract: Hallyu has long turned into a worldwide movement. Despite the physical and sociocultural distance to Latin America, streaming services have promoted East Asian content in Brazil, in particular K-movies and K-dramas, which have become rather popular in the country. As a consequence, this content also gave rise to virtual fan communities on social media. This paper starts by presenting the history of Asian media content in Brazil, which ultimately facilitated and paved the way for Hallyu's popularity in the country. It focuses on exploring sociolinguistic and semiotic resources intrinsically related to linguistic resources available to Brazilian K-drama fan groups on Facebook, including the use of different languages and emojis, and in what manner these practices reflect Korean and East Asian cultural influences and elements.

Abstract: This study examines how King Jeongjo transformed the negative memories of his biological father, Crown Prince Sado—linked to the Imo hwabyeon—into positive, official commemorative memories through the architectural and spatial reorganization of the royal palace. As a child, Jeongjo lived apart from his biological parents in Gyeonghui Palace after witnessing Crown Prince Sado's death in Changgyeong Palace. After ascending the throne, he sought to reshape these memories through the Confucian value of filial piety. King Yeongjo authorized Jeongjo to remove negative records about Crown Prince Sado from the Seungjeongwon ilgi and bestowed upon him the hyoson silver seal and the yuseo . Through these actions, Jeongjo's filial piety was formalized as an ethical principle, establishing an official basis for commemorating Crown Prince Sado. King Jeongjo enshrined these symbolic items in Bongmodang at Changdeok Palace, creating a space that publicly visualized his filial devotion toward both his father and his grandfather. He then moved his residence to Changdeok Palace and reconstructed structures such as Wolgeun Gate and Gyeongchunjeon within Changgyeong Palace. Through these efforts, King Jeongjo reestablished Crown Prince Sado as an official commemorative presence in daily court life and inscribed the narrative of dynastic continuity into palace space. Such architectural and spatial reorganization went beyond the private dimension of filial mourning. It reworked negative memory into a Confucian ethical narrative of filial practice and reinforced political and moral legitimacy.

Abstract: As a central figure of Catholic devotion, representations of Mary serve as a crucial lens through which to analyze the contemporary formation of Catholicism and its intersections with national identity, modernity, and cultural transformation. In this paper, I examine contemporary representations of Mother Mary in South Korea, highlighting the underlying dynamics of these portrayals and their broader significance for understanding both Korean Catholicism and Global Catholicism more generally. Drawing on ethnographic observations and a comparative approach with Singaporean Catholicism, I identify three prototypes of Marian statues found across Korean parishes. The first consists of representations rooted in Western aesthetics and classical European art. The second incorporates traditional Korean cultural symbols, such as the hanbok , Korean hairstyles, and facial features. The third is characterized by minimalist, curved forms—usually stone statues—heavily influenced by indigenous religious art. Each prototype reflects distinct sensibilities surrounding motherhood, gender norms, and emotional expression. Simultaneously, they embody different articulations of national identity and Catholic universalism. By examining the evolving interplay among these three Marian prototypes, I argue that the material objects I examine offer a valuable entry point for analyzing the multipolar and multidimensional process that produces Korean Catholicism. In contrast to the notions of inculturation and interculturality, I define this process as a dialogic culturation—a conceptual tool for rethinking how Catholicism is reproduced and adapted within contemporary South Korea.

Abstract: This article examines the evolving relationship between the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres and the Japanese Government-General of Korea from the late nineteenth century through the end of colonial rule in 1945. Focusing on the operation of Catholic orphanages, it traces how the Sisters' charitable work transitioned from relative autonomy—supported by ecclesial networks and lay Catholic philanthropy—to strategic incorporation within the Government-General of Korea's social welfare system during the Cultural Rule period (1920–1931), and its negotiation with the colonial state's wartime mobilization in the 1930s and 1940s. While colonial authorities increasingly sought to regulate and instrumentalize religious organizations, Catholic actors navigated these structures to pursue their social welfare aims. Drawing on missionary reports, colonial sources, and Korean Catholic publications such as Gyeonghyang japji , this study argues that Catholic social welfare in colonial Korea cannot be reduced to a binary of collaboration or resistance. Instead, it was shaped by the fluctuating priorities of colonial governance and the internal dynamics of religious orders. Through the case of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, the article shows how orphan care served as a contested site of negotiation between Catholic mission, social welfare, and contingencies of colonial rule.

Abstract: Korean Catholics are proud of their martyrs and are actively seeking to have more beatified and canonized. The most recent such ceremony took place in 2014, with the beatification of Paul Yun Jichung and his 123 companions. Many Catholic leaders believe that these martyrs serve as inspirations not only for the faithful but for all Koreans. To hold them up as examples, the stories of these martyrs are told in a variety of ways—through Masses and homilies, articles, comic books, shrines, and YouTube videos. However, to serve as good examples, their stories must be historically accurate (fictional martyrs would not teach much and would not knowingly be beatified or canonized), authentically Catholic (or else they would not be good examples from a Catholic perspective), and engaging (so that people will be moved to follow their example). However, tensions within and between these categories can make telling these stories very difficult. At the same time, understanding how these stories are told can reveal much about the Korean Catholic Church, particularly the values it holds and hopes will transform Korean society. This paper will therefore explore how Korean Catholic sources have sought to present Paul Yun Jichung (1759–1791). Yun's case is particularly significant in that it includes aspects that non-Catholics might find strange or alienating—for instance, his burning of his family's ancestor tablets and the miracles Catholics claim were worked through his blood—introducing additional tensions that must be navigated.

Abstract: This article examines how and why Kim Kirim (1908–?), a representative Korean modernist of the 1930s, commemorated his colleague Yi Sang (1910–1937). Kim expressed his thoughts on the deceased poet in his poem “The Banished Jupiter,” in which Yi is likened to Jupiter. The poem is widely remembered as Kim’s representative work, having been immediately translated into Japanese and published by their colleague, Kim Soun (1907–1981). This article analyzes the poem in detail, reconsiders the relationship between Kim Kirim and Yi, and underlines Kim’s attempt to overcome his own crisis as a poet and literary critic through Yi’s modernist writings during the final years of Japanese colonial rule in Korea and the liberation period (1945–1948).