Joint Conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the Korean Political Science Association (KPSA)

Join us on Friday, December 11 for a joint conference between APSA and the Korean Political Science Association on “Politics of Pandemic in the United States and South Korea.” Over the past twelve months, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly slowed economies and undermined public health all over the world. As we continue to adjust to the changing realities of this crisis, we should also collectively analyze what the impacts of the pandemic mean for the world, in the present and in the future. We are particularly interested in the potential changes the pandemic can produce in regard to the political system, roles of government, inter-group relations, and foreign policy.

With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, APSA and KPSA have convened eight panelists to discuss the consequences of COVID-19 on political systems, public opinion, and foreign policy. The joint conference will take place virtually, starting at 6:30pm USA-Eastern, alongside the KPSA Annual Meeting. All KPSA and APSA members are invited to sign up here to attend these discussions over zoom.

This event is the first joint conference between KPSA and APSA. Confirmed panelists and discussants will include:

Joint Conference I: Pandemic & Democracy (Saturday 9-10:40AM Korea / Friday 7-8:40PM USA-Eastern)

  • James Druckman (Northwestern University); “The Role of Race, Religion, and Partisanship in Misperceptions about COVID-19” (with co-authors)
    • Discussant: Jaedong Choi (Yonsei University)
  • Maneesh Arora (Wellesley College); “Black Lives Matter Protests Amidst a Global Pandemic” (with LaGina Gause, UC San Diego)
    • Discussant: Shang E. Ha (Sogang University)
  • Sijeong Lim (Korea University); “Pride without Prejudice: How COVID-19 Affected National Pride in South Korea” (with Aseem Prakash, University of Washington)
    • Discussant: Brent J Steele (University of Utah)
  • Ji Hwan Hwang (University of Seoul); “How North Korea Deals with COVID-19 as a Quarantine State?”
    • Discussant: Yong-Chool Ha (University of Washington)

Joint Conference II: Pandemic & International Collaboration (Saturday 10:50AM-12:30PM Korea / Friday 8:50-10:30PM USA-Eastern)

  • Yongmin Kim (Konkuk University); “Pandemic and International Cooperation: Possibilities and limitations of Middle Powers in International Cooperation”
    • Discussant: Dan Nexon (Georgetown University)
  • Geunwook Lee (Sogang University); “Old Wine in New Bottles? International Relations Theory in an Era of COVID-19”
    • Discussant: Philip Lipscy (University of Toronto)
  • Yuen Yuen Ang (University of Michigan); “When COVID-19 Meets Centralized, Personalized Power”
    • Discussant: Hyun Jin Choi (Kyung Hee University)
  • Joan Barcelo (NYU-Abu Dhabi); “Suppression and Timing: Using COVID-19 Policies against Political Dissidents”
    • Discussant: Hyo Won Lee (Younsei University)