Conceptualising East Asian Cities for Envisioning Alternative Urban Futures

Panel Convenor(s)

• DO

  Do Young Oh

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea

Panel Chair(s)

• BP

  Bae-Gyoon Park

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea

Presenter(s)

• DO

  Do Young Oh

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea
• DH

  Didi Kyoung-ae Han

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea
• SL

  Seoungwon Lee

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea
• YP

  Yilsoon Paek

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea
• HS

  Hanbyul Shim

  Seoul National University Asia Center, Republic of Korea

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to citizens, not only in terms of health but also in terms of political and economic crises, and today's global political and climate crises continue to impact people's everyday lives. As these crises persist, people are more actively questioning the role of the state while giving attention to the role of cities and communities as places that can create drivers of change. In this regard, this panel aims to conceptualise cities as spaces of new possibilities to envision alternative futures driven by focusing on bottom-up approaches.
Such a need is more urgent in East Asia, where the authoritarian state has played a significant role in shaping society. The East Asian state has been facing new challenges related to economic development, political governance, and social welfare while the existing challenges, such as geopolitical tensions, are intensifying. In this context, cities and communities in East Asia are expected to play an increasingly important role. Cities and communities are leading a variety of more resilient and responsive approaches to address complex challenges faced in East Asia and beyond.
This need also exists on an epistemological level. East Asian societies have tended to be understood through the lens of the state, which has led to a homogeneous understanding and overlooked diversity. This state-centric view prioritises the role of the government and official policies while downplaying the influence of civil society, grassroots movements, and cultural dynamics. Looking at East Asia through the lens of the city can be the first step to counteract the oversimplification of the complex dynamics at play in these diverse societies, as cities have been centres of social changes.
To do so, this panel, organised by the Center for Asian Urban Societies at Seoul National University, brings together research and practice on the avenues to pluralise understandings of East Asian societies and promote more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable urban societies. The purpose of this panel is not just to introduce the cases from South Korea but also to promote dialogues with other parts of Asia and beyond. By understanding cities and communities within the political, economic, cultural, social, and historical context of East Asia, this panel collectively acknowledges significant regional and local variations in culture, economy, and governance within East Asian societies as well as diverse perspectives to understand them.
Institutional panel by: Seoul National University Asia Center (SNUAC) Center for Asian Urban Societies

Presentations:

• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  The Dream of Exporting Smart Cities: Understanding the State-led Urban Exportism in South Korea
  

  Presenter: Do Young Oh – Seoul National University Asia Center
• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  Reclaiming Finance as Urban Commons: The Perspective from Seoul, An Extremely Financialised City
  

  Presenter: Didi Kyoung-ae Han – Seoul National University Asia Center
• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  The Dynamics of the Urban Commons and the Urban Formation in the South Korean Context
  

  Presenter: Seoungwon Lee – Seoul National University Asia Center
• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  Urban Commons and Enabling Cities: Social Housing as an Enabling Infrastructure in South Korea
  

  Presenter: Yilsoon Paek – Seoul National University Asia Center
• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  Hack the Modern: A Story of Urban Commons for Collective Production in a Modern City
  

  Presenter: Hanbyul Shim – Seoul National University Asia Center