Seong Uk Kim

Il Hwan and Soonja Cho Assistant Professor of Korean Culture and Religion

Office: 616 Kent Hall
Office Hours: W 4-6 PM
Email: sk4236@columbia.edu

Educational Background

PhD: University of California, Los Angeles (’13)

Classes Taught

ASCE UN1363 Introduction to East Asian Civilizations: Korea
AHUM UN1400 Colloquium on Major Texts: East Asia
EARL GU4320 Buddhism and Korean Culture

Research Interests

Korean Buddhism, Religion and Politics

Seong Uk Kim research investigates the intersections between Buddhism and other religions, religion and politics in modern and pre-modern Korea, and Buddhist transformation in the colonial and contemporary periods. He is currently completing a book manuscript, focusing on the intersection between Buddhism and Confucianism during the Chosŏn dynasty. Before coming to Columbia, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis (2013-2014) and Harvard University (2014-2015), teaching “Buddhist Traditions,” “Introduction to Korean Religions,” and “Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion.”

Selected Publications

“The Re-Invention of Korean Sŏn Buddhism in the Late Chosŏn: Paekp’a Kŭngsŏn (1767-1852) and His Three-Fold Sŏn Taxonomy,” Journal of Korean Religions (2017)

“Korean Confucianization of Zen: Ch’oŭi Ŭisun’s (1786–1866) Affirmation of a Confucian Literati Approach to Buddhism in Late Chosŏn,” Acta Koreana (2016)

“The Zen Theory of Language: Linji Yixuan’s Teaching of ‘Three Statements, Three Mysteries, and Three Essentials,'” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (2015)