Seoul National University’s Center for Contemporary Korean Studies held an international conference titled “Korea as Symptom” over two days, on August 22 and 23. On the second day of the conference, the Political Economy Team and the Modernity and Development History Team organized a session titled “South Korea and Post-Cold War Geopolitics” in Room 230, Building 101, at Seoul National University. Chaired by Professor Song Jiye of Korea University, the session featured the following three presentations.

In the first presentation, Miriam Bartolozzi of the University of Macerata presented on “Promoting Human Rights and Democracy in Today’s World: Digital Activism, Popular Culture and Environmental Advocacy Among South Korean Youth.” Her presentation examined the 2024 climate litigation ruling and social movements among younger generations. She also analyzed how young people in Korea have recently been adopting new protest strategies through digital platforms and popular culture.

Second, Cristina Preutu of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies conducted a comparative political study of Korea and Romania in her presentation, “Korean Peninsula and Romania in the Context of Collapse of Communist Bloc and the Reshaping of New Geopolitical Order.” The Korean Peninsula and Romania experienced similar situations of division during the Cold War. Building on this comparison, the presentation analyzed the democratization process in Romania alongside North Korea’s socialist system, comparing the paths each country took after the end of the Cold War.

Finally, Trung Hiep Nguyen of Seoul National University presented on “From War to Cultural Exchange: The Evolution of Korea-Vietnam Relations as Symptom of Geopolitical Transformation,” examining changes in relations between Korea and Vietnam. Korea and Vietnam have developed from military adversaries into strategic partners. In this process, economic interdependence and cultural exchange have played important roles, and the presenter presented this transformation as an example of cooperation in an increasingly multipolar world.

This session highlighted changes both within and beyond Korea in the geopolitical order that has emerged since the end of the Cold War. The presentations offered useful analyses for understanding Korea’s political position in a global context and contributed to a deeper understanding of post-Cold War Korea.