The Korean Cultural Centre UK will host a special academic lecture examining how claims of aristocratic ancestry have shaped modern Korean society. Professor Nuri Kim from the University of Cambridge will deliver the presentation titled "Inventing Bloodlines: Claiming and Contesting Ancestry in Modern Korea" on March 27, 2025, as part of the centre's ongoing K-Seminar Series.
The lecture will investigate how debates about lineage, ancestry, and family heritage have influenced identity formation and created lasting historical and social controversies in contemporary Korean society. Professor Kim's presentation aims to address the widespread phenomenon of Koreans claiming descent from prestigious yangban aristocratic families, examining which genealogical assertions are historically credible and which may have been fabricated over time.
Director Seunghye Sun emphasized the importance of understanding how traditional concepts evolve to shape the future, particularly noting the relevance for UK audiences who value traditional heritage. She highlighted the Korean concept of "tong," which encompasses both bloodline and the legitimate transmission of regional, ideological, or cultural heritage, as a meaningful framework for understanding Korean aesthetics and cultural foundations. "The academic study of how these concepts are inherited and transformed in modern society provides an important opportunity to identify the roots of Korean culture and discover what makes Korean aesthetics distinctive," Sun stated.
As a specialist in modern Korean history, culture, and religion, Professor Kim will examine the construction, authentication, and disputation of aristocratic lineage claims throughout Korea's modern era. The presentation will address the social factors that motivated these genealogical assertions, considering that while many Koreans identify themselves as descendants of prestigious lineages, not all such claims can be historically accurate.
The lecture will analyze how Koreans have restructured and reinforced their family histories in response to changing social conditions throughout different historical periods. Professor Kim plans to discuss the political and social conflicts that emerged from these processes of genealogical reconstruction, placing these debates within their proper historical contexts to illuminate their broader significance.
By examining ancestry claims and their contested nature, the presentation will demonstrate how genealogical assertions have affected social status, personal identity, and the evolving meaning of family heritage in Korean society. The event reflects growing interest in Korean history across the UK and aims to deepen understanding of how notions of bloodline have shaped both collective narratives and individual self-perception in Korea. Additional information about the lecture is available through the Korean Cultural Centre UK's official website.
