Minutes 3/23/2018
Meeting of the Committee on Korean Studies
30 people were in attendance at the start of the meeting. At the high point approximately 45 people were in the room.
Jonathan Best moved to approve minutes. Kyung Moon Hwang seconded the motion. The room approved with ayes (no nays).
Chair Janice Kim asked the membership to attend the CKS sponsored panel on the 2016-17 Candelight protests at 10:45 Saturday morning. Chair Kim asked the membership to consider CKS sponsorship for their future panels.
Chair Kim relayed that a letter of apology for noise at the Korea Foundation (KF) reception the previous year had been drafted by Mark Peterson, edited by Eugene Park, and sent to the Korea Foundation.
Chair Kim explained that through meetings in Korea with 한도환 at the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) she came to understand that there is no KFà AKS funding transition as such, as was brought up at the 2017 meeting, only that AKS is now funded much better than in the past, and is therefore a more important player.
Chair Kim noted a reduction in CKS’s overall role within AAS. She discussed the possibility of trying to reverse some of these changes, for instance, by requesting restoration of the CKS chair’s former ex officio position on NEAC. She also expressed a desire for CKS to take on new roles in order to replace previous activities—noting, for example, that the CKS chair has been requested to be part of the organizing committee for the upcoming World Congress of Korean Studies to be held at AKS headquarters, and suggesting that the CKS might take on the broader role of representing the state and needs of the field to the AKS and KF through a biennial letter.
In the process of explaining her vision for the future, she relayed a CKS executive committee discussion of the desirable size of that committee going forward, and presented two motions for vote:
- That the term of the CKS chairship be extended to two years, to match the biennial schedule of the AKS World Congress, better enable a biennial state of the field letter, and allow each incoming chair time to become familiar with AAS operations before a significant portion of her or his term has elapsed;
- That the membership of the CKS Executive Committee be reduced from seven to five.
At this point some of the membership objected, considering this a matter to be settled by the membership at large, as it required a change to the bylaws.
Also at this juncture, several members suggested that a necessary prior question is whether the CKS should continue to operate as a recognized unit of the AAS or whether it should recognize its redundancy and disband. The remainder of the meeting became a heated discussion of several intertwined issues including CKS’s broader role, the reasons for the existence of the CKS, and how voting procedures and decision-making processes should be carried out.
Some points discussed further or newly introduced included:
- CKS’s role as a voice for Korean Studies—particularly to AAS, KF, and AKS;
- CKS’s chair as an appointee to the World Congress of Korean Studies organizing committee;
- CKS’s chair’s removal as an ex officio member of NEAC;
- The ease of public voting with online platforms such as Survey Monkey, and whether online platforms offer a superior mechanism for seeking the views of Korean Studies members of AAS than the CKS general meeting;
- The desirability of continuing to schedule the CKS general meeting in its present, 9:45 pm slot;
- The other opportunities for meetings and networking for Korean Studies people at AAS;
- The need and usefulness of employing CKS to address issues in Korean Studies such as the Korean language students who often quit after only one year of study.
After an extended discussion, it was pointed out from the floor that the Chair’s original two proposals remained the only proper objects of consideration according to Robert’s Rules of Order, that the meeting had therefore drifted from proper procedure. In light of this fact, a succession of motions were made and accepted by floor vote to present the following proposals to the Korean studies membership of AAS at large via online survey:
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- First, a motion to survey the membership on the chairs original two proposals;
- Second, a motion to survey the membership as to whether CKS should continue or disband, and to seek qualitative input as to its desirable roles, if any;
- Third, a motion to combine these questions within a single survey, with the question of CKS’s continued existence placed first.
All of these motions were carried by affirmation. Therefore, it was resolved that an online survey of CKS membership will be conducted that will ask the following questions:
- Whether CKS should continue or disband, with additional space for optional comment on possible CKS roles, if any;
- For approval or disapproval of the extension of the CKS chair’s term to two years;
- For approval or disapproval of the reduction of the CKS EC from seven to five members.
Chair Kim invited the membership, and in particular those who called for the dissolution of CKS, to submit brief statements in support of their position to be sent with the survey.
Chair Kim also noted that, in light of the devotion of the majority of the meeting to the above issues, time had run out for floor discussion of Ross King’s draft of an initial state of the field letter to the AKS and/or KF and tabled this matter for later consideration.
The membership agreed that the incoming chair, Sunyoung Park should handle these votes and communication with the membership on these issues.
Michael Pettid moved to adjourn
Laurel Kendall seconded the motion. The motion was carried by affirmation.