Institute of Korean Studies Holds 60th Anniversary International Conference First established in 1948 as the Eastern Studies Center, the Institute of Korean Studies celebrated its 60th anniversary. A leader in the field of Korean Studies, the Institute held an international conference to explore the future of Korean Studies. Held on December 18 in the New Millennium Hall, the conference consisted of sessions on central issues regarding the modern history of Korea, such as “National and Transnational Discourse”, “Generalities and Particulars of Socioeconomic Development in Korea”, “Democracy”. Experts from both Korea and overseas gave presentations and engaged in discussions. The presenters for the conference included Professors Bruce Cummings of the University of Chicago, Charles Armstrong of Columbia University, Matsumoto Takenori of the University of Tokyo, Kim Seong-Bo (Yonsei, History), Park Myeong-Gyu (Seoul National University, Social Sciences), and Park Myeong-Rim (Yonsei, Regional Studies). Professor Cummings, who presented on the topic of “Korean Democracy and American Forces”, analyzed the beginnings of anti-Americanism in Korea, the role of the middle class in the democratization of Korea, and the background of the emergence of a strong civic society. He used historical facts to claim that the realization of democracy in Korea was achieved through the resistance of the masses, beginning from farmers’ movements and leading to student and labor movements, leaving the middle class as a conservative group that seeks to preserve the status quo. Professor Matsumoto presented his paper on the issue of colonization and modernization and Profesor Kim Seong-Bo applied the development theory of history to provide a new perspective of internal development to the analysis of Korean modern history. On December 19, Director Baek Young-Seo of the Institute spoke on the current situation of Korean Studies, which led into a forum discussion on the future of Korean Studies, where 17 specialists participated in an open discussion.