Centre of Korean Studies

Created in 1987 with the support of the Korea Research Foundation and the Korea Foundation, the Centre has been the leading academic centre of its kind in Great Britain since its establishment. 

SOAS has one of the largest concentrations of Korean Studies scholars in Europe and offers a wide range of programmes and courses on Korea. With its active outreach programme and seminar series, our Centre not only coordinates Korea-related activities within the School, but also serves as a national and international forum for interdisciplinary exchange among Koreanists. 

One of our main activities is our ongoing seminar series where guest speakers and scholars from around the world, engaged in diverse fields of work related to Korea, are invited to speak. We also hosts workshops and conferences organised by Korean associations such as the British Association of Korean Studies (BAKS) and the Association of Korean Studies in Europe (AKSE).

The School’s mission is to be a leading centre for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It sees its role as advancing the knowledge and understanding of the cultures and societies of these regions and of the School’s academic disciplines, not only through high quality teaching but also through research.