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Date: November 11-12, 2011Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.One distinctive feature of postwar South Korean society has been its citizens’ propensity for ‘taking to the streets’ to appropriate, contest or offer alternative narratives of the nation. From individuals tagging graffiti to mass candlelight vigils, from popular remembrances of the Korean War to ritual observances at monuments, the so-called ‘public space’ has been fertile ground for Koreans to present their visions of the past, present, and future.This conference provides an opportunity to reassess and reconfigure existing frameworks regarding public action (by individuals and groups) by inviting papers that advance our understanding of the role of public space in Korean society and culture.Social sciences and humanities scholars that are interested in Korea or in Korea in the region are welcome to submit papers situated in contemporary or historical time periods. Interested participants are encouraged to draw from and discuss recent innovations in their respective fields with respect to time, space and identity formation in public spaces.We encourage submissions that address at least one of the following themes:· ‘public’ and ‘private’· memorialization and ritual· identity and temporality· security and stability· socio-structural transformation· institutional actorsPapers that depart from classic state-society dichotomies are particularly welcome.This conference is made possible with funding from the Academy of Korean Studies, as well as the generous support of the James Joo-Jin Kim Korean Studies Program at the U. of Pennsylvania. The organizers are Nicholas Harkness (Harvard U.) and Saeyoung Park (U. of Pennsylvania).Please submit paper proposals (max 250 words) by 16 September 2011 to Saeyoung Park (saeyoung@sas.upenn.edu). Notification of acceptance will be sent on September 19. Selected presenters will submit 12-15 page papers by October 18. All papers are pre-circulated. We especially welcome papers by junior faculty and advanced graduate students.For questions or to submit abstracts, please direct your queries to:Saeyoung Parksaeyoung@sas.upenn.edu&#160;