Scottish Centre for Korean Studies Distinguished Lecture Series: Sera Park and screening

About the event

This special Distinguished Lecture event features a film screening of a documentary about the Sewol Ferry Disaster, followed by the lecture by Dr Sera Park (University of St Andrews) that aims to situate the documentary in historic context.

Below you can find full the film synopsis and lecture abstract.

About the film

After Korean society faced the Sewol Ferry Disaster on 16 April 2014, people gathered in the town square with the wish to "Reveal the truth."

Ten years later, the truth behind the disaster remains undisclosed. Families of victims so-called 'Sewol Families' have been advocating for the truth of that day and working to build a safe society, but there is a recurring wave of tragedies and hatred towards them.

Hoping earnestly that the pain experienced by the Sewol families will not be repeated on to the next generation, we call our memories and aspirations. 'Sewol: Years in the Wind' is about the struggle for institutional improvement and building a safe society. Through reflecting on the journey the Sewol Families have walked, we hope our society can take small but significant steps forward.

About the lecture

by Sera Park

Based on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork among families bereaved by the Sewol Disaster and allied activists, who have been calling for investigation, accountability, and memorialization, this talk considers what sustains an activist movement in the absence of full comprehension.

I focus on how the ineffability of the event, as told by my interlocutors, contrasts with, and eludes the neat categorization seen in social science scholarship in the wake of Sewol. In reading the Disaster as an event of both poetic density and opacity, I consider activism post-Sewol as first and foremost driven by affective experience and commitment.

About the speaker

Sera Yeong Seo Park is Associate Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews. Her doctoral research (University of Cambridge, 2018-2022) examined the collective mourning and social movement that emerged in the aftermath of the Sewol Ferry Disaster in South Korea.

Her research interests include social movements and activism, the moral dimensions of social life, and emotions and affect.

How to attend

This event is open to all, and free to attend. Free tickets can be booked on Eventbrite.

About the Distinguished Lecture series

Each year, the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies welcomes a fantastic range of guest speakers to give a free public lecture. They cover a range of topics, from literature and poetry to international relations.

Often, speakers will present on recent publications, and audiences have the opportunity to participate in question and answer sessions after presentations.

Selected lectures have been recorded and uploaded to the Scottish Centre for Korean Studies’ YouTube channel and Facebook page.

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