Korean Heritage Symposium VI
Four Successive Thursday Evenings from March 19 to April 9
at 7:30 pm
VIRTUAL
March 19: RAY SEOL - Shamanistic ritual practices in K-pop Demon Hunter
The narrative relationship between the Netflix hit animation K Pop Demon Hunters and unique Korean shamanistic ritual practices is explored. Ssitgim gut (씻김굿) is a Korean shamanistic ritual where shamans perform cleansing of a deceased before sending off the spirit to Paradise for a rebirth. Ray Seol’s research on the connection of Ssitgim gut (씻김굿) to narratives of bereavement as expressed through contemporary musical forms provides insights onK Pop Demon Hunters’ narrative structure. He will illuminate how Korean cultural products such as K pop achieve global reach while remaining rooted in uniquely local cultural practices.
March 26: SIJAE KIM - Korean Knot (Madeup 매듭)
Korean knots have developed a distinctive aesthetic grounded in structural balance, rhythm, and refined craftsmanship. Sijae Kim will introduce the historical foundations of Korean knotting and guide participants through essential knotting techniques by demonstration.
April 2: DOHUM HIM - Moon Jar (달항아리)
In Korea, a moon jar is called 달항아리 (dal-hang-ari), meaning "moon-shaped jar," or 백자대호 (baekja daeho), meaning "white porcelain large jar," and it's a famous, simple, white ceramic vessel from Korea's Joseon Dynasty, prized for its pure beauty, valued for understated elegance, reflecting Confucian ideals of modesty and nature. It is often crafted in two separate halves joined together showing slight variations and unique characters, unlike flawless ceramics.
April 9: JINYOUNG JIN - Hats, Demons, and Identity: Korea’s Black Horsehair Hat Across Time and Imagination (Gat 갓)
Korea was once known as the “Land of Hats,” and among its many styles, the black horsehair gat has become an unexpected pop-culture star. Once a marker of status, masculinity, and moral discipline in the Joseon dynasty, the black horsehair gat now circulates across global media as a visual shorthand for Korean identity. Its sharp silhouette appears everywhere from K-dramas and fantasy webtoons to music videos, where it signals mystery, power, and a distinctly Korean sense of style.
This lecture explores how the black horsehair gat leapt from historical artifact to contemporary icon. Through examples from art, fashion, and digital culture, Jinyoung Anna Jin traces the hat’s evolving symbolism and shows how its forms inspire today’s creative worlds, including the supernatural action aesthetic seen in K-Pop Demon Hunters. By examining how the black horsehair gat shapes characters, mood, and mythology in modern narratives, the talk reveals why this centuries-old hat continues to define Korea’s cultural presence on the global stage.
Dr. Ray Seol is a faculty member in the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a visiting fellow at Henley Business School in the United Kingdom. He is also a renowned jazz bassist and producer with decades of experience in the New York jazz scene. He has pioneered a unique approach to improvising and visualizing jazz as an art form through interactive technology.
His interactive jazz project, Seu Aprendiz, achieved significant acclaim, ranking No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Top 50 World Song Chart and No. 2 on the North American College & Community Radio Chart. Dr. Seol was also a key contributor to Yeahwon, the first Korean album nominated or a Latin Grammy. In 2024, he was honored as a recipient of the Grants
for Creative Individuals, awarded by the Mass Cultural Council. At Berklee, Dr. Seol has been a trailblazer in K-pop education, offering a popular course and delivering lectures at prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston and Wellesley College. He successfully launched two Berklee student idol groups, X-Change and B-Girls, transforming them from academic projects into professional-level concepts.
Dr. Seol holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Studies from The New School, a Master of Music in Music Technology from New York University, a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Columbia University, and a Doctorate from Northeastern University, where his research focused on the sense of belonging and career development of international students majoring in contemporary music.
Kim Sijae, tradition Korean Knot artist, carries on the formal structure and philosophy of traditional knotting, and at the same time reinterprets, educates, and researches this heritage through contemporary artistry. Her work focuses on faithfully preserving traditional techniques while expanding the knot into a new sculptural and conceptual language.
She had exhibitions in Japan, England, and Germany as well as in Korea. She is the Director of StudioEUn.
Dohun Kim is the son of renowned Korean master potter Se-Yong Kim, who is widely recognized for his mastery of the dual-layered inlay technique in Goryeo celadon. Dohun is the second-generation successor and holds a doctorate in ceramic materials engineering. He worked a curator and director in international symposiums and has engaged in the integration of 3D printing technology with ceramics. His works have been showcased in the documentary "From Earth to Light" and featured in the video introduction of Korean pottery at the Korean Cultural Centers in LA and NY. Dohun established a traditional Korean pottery gallery in Boston, and continues his research and development of ceramic products.
Jinyoung Anna Jin, Ph.D., is director of Asian art and culture at Stony Brook University’s Charles B. Wang Center, where she curates exhibitions and public programs that explore Asian art, visual culture, and transnational histories. Passionate about connecting diverse audiences with understudied narratives, she fosters dialogue on how art, history, and politics shape our understanding of the world. Her curatorial practice critically engages the intersections of tradition and modernity across Asia, examining how visual culture navigates memory, trauma, ritual, and everyday life.
Her recent projects include the Korean Art Alive film series and exhibitions that bridge traditional and contemporary practices. Notable video essays include Something Old,
Something New, and Something Borrowed: Korean Bridal Robes (2025), Historical Mapping of Korea (2025), Hats Make the Korean Man (2022), From Privy to Patrimony: The Korean Chamber Pot (2023), and Chaekgeori: A Korean Curiosity Cabinet (2022). Her recent publications include Art, War, and Exile in Modern Korea: Rethinking the Life and Work of Lee Qoede (Amsterdam University Press, 2025).