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International Conference

Analog Memory, Digital Vision? Rethinking the Humanities in Global Korean Studies

October 3–4, 2025

Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic | Department of Asian Studies

 

Digital technologies have permeated every aspect of academic inquiry, yet their ubiquity risks sidelining the enduring strengths of analog scholarship in the humanities, potentially eclipsing hermeneutic epistemologies without adequate compensation for their loss and obscuring lessons computational methods could still learn from exegetical traditions.

Can unchecked enthusiasm for the digital preclude nuanced insights emerging from human-scale interpretative practices grounded in rigorous scholarly training? Does digital augmentation, beyond quantitative precision, introduce fundamentally new dimensions of sense-making? Are retro or “Newtro” aesthetics merely nostalgic revivals, or do they, in some way, represent telling responses to broader dynamics—pointing to a growing disenchantment, most starkly reflected in digital withdrawal?

With these and related questions in mind, we invite scholars to critically re-evaluate both the promises and limitations of digital approaches in Korean studies. We welcome case analyses, applied research, as well as theoretical and methodological reflections.

At the end of this announcement, you will find—for illustration, not for comprehensiveness—a detailed list of possible topics. Proposals from scholars in literature, linguistics, history, cultural anthropology, media and communication studies, and other humanities fields are encouraged. All papers and presentations must engage with issues pertaining to Korea.

 

Formats

We plan for 20-minute paper presentations, but speakers are welcome to opt for experimental and interactive formats.

 

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts (300–500 words) should be submitted by April 20 via email to andreas.schirmer@upol.cz, with dhks@upol.cz in Cc. Please include a brief bio (max. 150 words). Also, please specify your travel and accommodation requirements (see below).

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by April 30.

 

Travel and Accommodation

For accepted presenters, we provide three nights of accommodation at a hotel near the conference venue and meals for the duration of the event. Full or partial travel support will be offered to a select number of speakers who would otherwise be unable to participate. However, we expect that many participants will be able to cover their travel expenses themselves through their own institutional or project funds.

 

Contact

For inquiries, please contact andreas.schirmer@upol.cz.

 

Acknowledgement

This conference is part of the Olomouc-based Advanced Seed project “Digital Humanities for Korean Studies” (AKS-2022-INC-2250004), funded by the Korean Studies Promotion Service, Academy of Korean Studies.

List of Possible Topics

The following list of possible topics is organized into four key thematic areas that reflect our primary interests. Please note that it is illustrative rather than exhaustive; if your work aligns with the broader aims of this call, we welcome your proposal.

 

1. Innovative Digital Tools and Methods in the Humanities

1.1. Computational Literary Studies & Visualization: How do computational approaches and visualization techniques expand—or critically challenge—traditional methods in literary and cultural studies?

1.2. Electronic Textual and Cultural Research: Do electronic research and algorithmic analysis reshape our understanding of literary and cultural texts?

1.3. Digital Translation, AI, and Cross-Cultural Communication: How are translation processes and cross-cultural communication being transformed by digital tools?

 

2. The Digital Transformation of Research and Academic Practices

2.1. Digital Curation & Evolving Research Practices: How does the integration of digital technology into academic practice transform research methods, and what lessons can be drawn from Korean research and academic environments?

2.2. The Transformative Impact of Digital Tools: Do digital tools fundamentally change our understanding of artistic, literary, cultural, and media artifacts—particularly in relation to Korea’s dynamic cultural landscape?

 

3. Digital Culture, Interpretation, and Cultural Production

3.1. Online Cultural Phenomena & Digital Media: How do online cultural phenomena and digital media shape public discourse and the production, reception, and reinterpretation of cultural content?

3.2. Digital Hermeneutics: How do hermeneutic traditions intersect with digital methodologies, and does the shift from analog to digital fundamentally alter interpretation?

3.3. Authorship and Creative Production in the Digital Age: Do digital technologies enable genuinely new forms of cultural and literary expression, or do they merely repackage what already existed?

 

4. Between or Beyond the Digital and the Analog: Critical Reflections

4.1. Digital Reconfigurations of Traditional Practices: How do digital simulations engage with and transform analog cultural practices? What challenges and opportunities emerge from these reconfigurations?

4.2. Digital Withdrawal and the Return to Analog: How does the adoption of neo-analog, retro, or “Newtro” aesthetics represent a deliberate response to a perceived overreach of digital technologies?

4.3. Critiquing Techno-Positivist Narratives and Public Debates: Is uncritical enthusiasm for digital innovations contested in public debate?

4.4. Digital Materiality and Legacy Media: How do digital environments reshape our understanding of textual and material culture, and do residual analog media continue to influence (post-)digital cultural expressions?

4.5. Revitalizing Oral Traditions in Digital Public Spaces: How is oral literature (including folklore and anecdotes) being reinvigorated through digital platforms?