From Ahn Jung-geun’s philosophy of peace to K-Thought: Changbi to hold 60th-anniversary academic conference

[Financial News] An academic conference will explore today’s crises through the thought of the past, from Ahn Jung-geun’s philosophy of peace to Confucianism, Donghak and Korean literature. Researchers and magazine editors from Korea and abroad will discuss conflicts in East Asia and the role of Korean thought.
Changbi said on the 13th that it and the Changbi Culture Foundation will hold “The Transition of Civilization and the Search for Transformation” on the 15th and 16th at the 50th Anniversary Hall in the Changbi Seogyo Building in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The event marks the 60th anniversary of the quarterly magazine Creation and Criticism and the completion of the Changbi Korean Thought Series.
The Korean Thought Series comprises 30 volumes on the thought and philosophies of 59 figures, from Jeong Do-jeon during the founding of Joseon to former President Kim Dae-jung. It broadened the scope of thinkers to include monarchs, women, literary figures, politicians and religious figures. Planning began in 2020, and the first 10 volumes were published in 2024. Another 10 volumes followed in February and September this year, completing the series.
On the first day, the East Asian Critical Journals Conference will take place under the theme “Security and Peace in East Asia amid a Civilizational Transition.” Intellectuals active in Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan will seek ways to resolve regional conflicts, drawing on the history and present realities of their respective countries.
The keynote address will be delivered by Tessa Morris-Suzuki, professor emerita at the Australian National University. She will connect Ahn Jung-geun’s vision of peace in the East with the current situation in East Asia and examine the roles of states, civil society and individuals. She will also propose ways to control the threats posed by new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and harness them for peace and reconciliation.
The second day’s academic conference, “Korean Thought and Changbi Discourse,” will address the potential of K-Thought and Changbi’s intellectual debates. Morning presentations will be given by Baek Min-jeong, a professor at the Catholic University of Korea; Kim Yong-hwi, a professor at Daegu University; and Hwang Jeong-a, an HK professor at Hallym University.
Topics include how ordinary people became political subjects through the tradition of mind-centered learning in Confucianism, Donghak and Won Buddhism; the idea of a Great Opening in Donghak and Cheondoism; and questions of decolonization and universality in the literature of Im Hwa and Shin Dong-yup.
In the afternoon, Yu Jae-geon, professor emeritus at Pusan National University, and Baek Ji-yeon, a professor at Seoul Women’s University, will present on “60 Years of Changbi: Deepening and Expanding Discourse.” They will examine the intellectual intersections of Marx, Wallerstein and Baek Nak-cheong, prospects for overcoming the capitalist system, and the challenges facing Korean literature.
Literary critic Kang Gyeong-seok and Lee Nam-ju, a professor at Sungkonghoe University, will then discuss Baek Nak-cheong’s “transformative centrism.” The conference will conclude with a general discussion featuring Baek Nak-cheong, professor emeritus at Seoul National University, Baek Young-seo, professor emeritus at Yonsei University, and others.
The event will run from 2 to 6 p.m. on the 15th and from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 16th.

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