Dr. Hyun Park

Biography

Hyun Suk Park is an academic specializing in Korean literature and culture from the mid-seventeenth to the nineteenth century, encompassing a range of texts in Korean classical and Chinese. His research interests focus on the intersections of literature with performance, music, dance, and the historical contexts of gender and sexuality. He also explores comparative history, including topics like slavery, ritual studies, travel writings, and cultural exchanges within East Asia. Currently, he is developing a book manuscript based on his dissertation titled 'The Government Courtesan: Status, Gender, Performance in Late Chosŏn Korea,' which analyzes the role of music and dance in state rituals and ceremonies involving government courtesans and female entertainers with hereditary status. Before joining UCLA, he taught Korean literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and Seoul National University.

Research Interests