On January 28 at 2:00 p.m., the 9th Values and Identity Team Colloquium was held under the auspices of the Values and Identity Team of the Center for Contemporary Korean Studies.

The colloquium was held with the aim of exploring the values and identities of Koreans living in 2026 by examining various phenomena in contemporary Korea, while also considering future prospects.

Professor Noh Min-jung of the Department of Religion, Culture, and Society at Lehigh University delivered a presentation titled “How Is ‘Koreanness’ Made? A Reading of Religious and Racial Symbols in K-pop Demon Hunters.”

Professor Noh examined the process through which “Koreanness” is constructed, focusing on the religious symbols found in K-pop Demon Hunters, which has recently gained worldwide popularity. The presentation explained that K-pop Demon Hunters creates a visual language of “Korean fantasy” that global audiences can intuitively recognize, for example by combining the landscape of Jeju Island with the ritual attire of Hwanghae-do gut. Professor Noh also persuasively argued that K-pop fandom forms a space of modern religiosity by connecting the “Honmoon” created through fans’ light sticks with Durkheim’s concept of collective effervescence.