About the Journal

From 2009 to 2014, Korean Histories was published as an on-line peer-reviewed journal that focuses on historiography as a social process in Korea. It was devoted to research that heavily relies on other sources than the conventional written historical sources and highlights the role these unconventional sources play in the formation of historical visions of groups, communities and both non-professional and professional historians. Social representations of Korean histories reveal much about the contents, dynamics and functions of historical narratives in society, in particular when unconventional, easily accessible and non-hegemonic sources such as music, art, religious concepts, the internet, blogs, advertisements or literary texts are used. Korean Histories intended to be a platform for articles that engage these issues and use these and other sources across a range of subjects and time periods. In the realization of its aim to present and to enhance the understanding of both widely accepted and alternative perspectives on Korean history, Korean Histories covered a wide range of topics, approaches and periods, unified by the use of unconventional and informal sources and a continuously present awareness of the social functions of historiography.

Korean Histories was a part of the Centre for Korean Studies at Leiden University's 5-year research project Social Practice: Unconventional Historiographies of Korea. This project was sponsored by a generous grant from the Academy of Korean Studies in South Korea.

Due to funding issues publication of the journal ceased. Given the popularity of the journal when it was published (ca. 25,000 unique hits per year and growing each year) and the continuing demand for the articles published, we are going to launch a reboot of Korean Histories.

The new version of Korean Histories will retain its focus on unconventional sources, on the writing of history as a social process (à la Johan Huizinga), but it will also focus on the following points:

Set-up:

  • Run by Leiden University Centre of Korean Studies
  • Editorial board will  include Korea-based scholars
  • Open access
  • Acceptance on rolling basis, quick turnaround

Scope: 

  • Research articles with reflections on methodology and sources
  • Translated/annotated primary sources
  • Serious attention to material objects (e.g. as sources), which opens up the possibility of academic modes of publication other than research articles, translations, or annotations
  • Data visualisations (and provide assistance with this)
  • Interviews
  • Archival reports
  • Book reviews
  • Particular attention to academically marginalized groups such as North Korean defectors