Not many students, let alone members of the public, would expect a significant number of people from a scientifically oriented institution such as KAIST to have a serious interest in the social sciences. Indeed, with the Korean education system’s early – some would say premature - segregation of the sciences and social studies, it is true that many of our members have had limited contact with “the other field.” However, one of KAIST’s student clubs seems set on proving people otherwise. The KAIST Herald met with the figure behind the new History Club to find out more.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and your organization?

Hello, my name is Yangwon Jung and I am currently a junior. I am the President of the KAIST History Club, which was established at the beginning of this semester. As you might expect, the History Club is basically an academic society of KAIST students interested in obtaining an accurate perception of Korean history. We are dedicated to investigating this nation’s roots and through it, propagating the understanding of, and interest in the past to the general public as well as our fellow students. Although the club itself is very new, its basic structure has existed since the end of last semester.

How did you become interested in establishing a History Club?

Not too long ago I became aware of a news report which stated that over 40% of Korean elementary school children were not aware of what the March 1st Movement (a nationwide wave of protests against Japanese colonial authorities in 1905) was. The report alerted me to the fact that many people have what I call “historical amnesia,” an ignorance of or disregard for national history. I hold patriotism and nationalism very dearly, and I sincerely believe that correct historical awareness is crucial for the healthy development of these two values. This led me to the realization that I should do what I can to educate the public about history. Meeting with a group of like-minded people naturally led to the founding of the History Club.

What range of topics is your club interested in?

As I mentioned earlier, our club is exclusively dedicated to Korean history, though we may also tackle relevant worldwide events that influenced it, such as the Russo-Japanese War and the recent Cold War. As for the time periods, we do not place any boundaries on the historical eras up for discussion, so they may range from prehistory to the modern age. Indeed, I consider many events in ancient history, such as the expansion of Goguryeo, as imperative to a correct understanding of the Korean national identity. This is even more so because many modern conflicts between the East Asian nations – China, Japan and Korea – are centered on differing interpretations of historical facts. We also do not place limitations on the various schools of historical thought; we do not like to limit ourselves to the simple, “standard” interpretations of history. Instead we would prefer it if our members had a wide range of opinions to debate and share with others.    

What are your current and prospective activities?

We are actively holding weekly meetings discussing various historical topics. Usually, once we settle on a particular subject we spend the rest of the week researching and developing our own opinions and observations. During meetings we share what we have found out for ourselves and debate extensively on our disagreements. More importantly, however, we do not plan to limit ourselves to our weekly seminars. To contribute to public understanding we plan to release monthly statements on relevant historical events as we did earlier this month on the March 1st Movement. We would also like to open a photographic exhibition on the lives of Korean comfort women (women pressed into sexual service of Japanese troops during World War II) soon after the midterm exam period. In addition, we may collaborate with the Student Council by producing information booklets for the annual historical trip. However, as this is our very first semester, we may only be able to focus on laying down our foundations; we would really like to attract more members.