Call for Papers | Translation and Propaganda in North Korea Virtual Conference

Monday, January 25, 2021 | York University, Toronto

Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2020

Translation of foreign official texts, and the translation of domestic official texts for foreign consumption, is important for governments in all nations. This conference will investigate current scholarly issues in the translation and interpretation of official texts in North Korea. The conference is broadly focused on the relevance of translation, from Korean and into Korean, of official documents – speeches, news releases, treaties and others – in contemporary North Korea and how translation is constrained and influenced by ideology.

This call for proposals is open to scholars from a range of disciplines whose research touches upon translation, propaganda and North Korea.

This conference will examine, among other questions:

·         To what extent is English used as a lingua franca through which Russian, Chinese, Korean and other texts are funneled?

·         What is the agency of translators, not just as transmitters of official messages from one language to another, but as essential players in the process?

·         How is translation utilized by the North Korean state in international relations?

·         What is the nature of the organizations and news channels in North Korea that manage official translation and propaganda?

Please submit the following to kore@yorku.ca by November 30, 2020:

•        250-word abstract with title

•        6 keywords

•        100-word presenter bio

This conference is organized by Professor Thomas Klassen (School of Public Policy and Administration, York University) and Professor Theresa Hyun (Department of Humanities, York University) and presented by the Korean Office for Research and Education (KORE) at York University, which is funded by the Academy of Korean Studies.

For more information please contact Professor Klassen at tklassen@yorku.ca or visit https://kore.info.yorku.ca/.