The City and the Shadow: Inequality and State Housing in Postcolonial Seoul

Scene of construction at Seoul sŏmin apartments, 1969 (Source: National Archives of Korea)

Professor Russell Burge, Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Indiana University

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
4:00 PM (Pacific Time)

Bunche Hall, Rm 10383

This talk examines the history of state housing in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, from the Korean War (1950-1953) up to 1971. During this time state housing programs became a battleground over some of the most crucial questions of the day, including the aims of postwar reconstruction as well as the proper shape of South Korean society. Central to this discussion is the historical construction of sŏmin - referring to non-elite, "ordinary" people - and debates over the nature and proper place of this group in housing policy. 

Russell Burge is assistant professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Hamilton Lugar School, Indiana University, Bloomington. His research focusses on development and social changes in South Korea.

Sponsor(s): Center for Korean Studies