Mannam

Mannam is a student-led graduate organization for those interested in learning about Korea. Mannam's objective is to promote cultural understanding and cross-regional networking with other members of the IR/PS community. We do this while enhancing academic and professional interests in all aspects of Korea, including politics, economy, language, and society.

In pursuing this goal, Mannam seeks to:

Promote connections between visiting scholars, Global Leadership Institute Fellows, and students to help create an interactive network within the IR/PS community, enhancing academic and professional opportunities for Korea focus students.
Promote dialogue on contemporary issues relevant to working with and in Korea. This includes hosting academic seminars and events on current issues surrounding the Korean peninsula. We also enjoy providing cultural and social activities for our scholars to share fun together.
Continue pursuing relationships with the Korean community on campus and in San Diego, as well as with other regional focus groups in IR/PS.

Activities

We work closely with faculty members Stephan Haggard and Jong-sung You, along with professionals from Korea to invite speakers who are experts in issues related to Korea. Past speakers include Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, chairperson of several organizations involved in North Korean human rights issues; Dr. Daeje Chin, former Korean Minister of Information and Communication; Professor Chung-In Moon, a leading political analyst and former advisor to Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun; and Kathleen Stephens, appointed U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. Most recently, we had former Prime Minister Chung Un-Chan as guest speaker.

Our past activities include Hangul Day, the Korea-Japan games, and the annual MANNAM Film Festival. Last year, we were able to showcase three films from three different eras of Modern Korean History. We hope to bring more exciting activities in the coming year to promote interest in Korea as well as have fun!

Some of our social activities include trips to local Korean restaurants, quarterly Korean movie nights, and even converting lecture halls into Norebangs (Karaoke)!

With increasing interest in Korea, our membership and activities have been growing steadily. One of our goals is to create an innovative networking system between our current students, visiting scholars, and IR/PS alumni. Mannam is currently developing its Mentoring Program to help incoming students make their transition to IR/PS easier.

Please visit our Mannam Calendar for a look at what we are putting together for you.

Contact Us

Contact one of the following Mannam officers for more information:

President: Byung Ho Kwon
Vice-President: Timothy Kim
Financial Officer: Marina Brenden