A Short Biography of HAN, Sang-Jin

HAN, Sang-Jin is Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University (SNU), where he taught social theory, political sociology, and cultural change from 1981 to 2010. Currently, he teaches at Beijing University as Visiting Professor. He also lectured at Columbia University in New York, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and the University of Kyoto, Japan.

 

As a scholar, he has distinguished himself by political and social engagements. He served as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on policy planning of Republic of Korea during Kim Dae-jung administration. He also served as President of the Academy of Korean Studies, Chairman of Board of Directors, the Korean Human Rights Foundation, and member of Plenary Committee, Tripartite Committee of Labor, Management and Government, Executive Chair, the Committee on the 60th Anniversary of Korean Liberation, and the Koran representative in negotiation with France over the return of the Oeguijanggak archives held in Paris. Currently, he serves as President of Board of Directors, Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory and Director of Joongmin Institute for Social Studies.

 

He is the author/editor of many books including Asian Tradition and Cosmopolitan Politics, Beyond Risk Society: Ulrich Beck and the Korean Debate, Divided Nations and Transitional Justice, Habermas and the Korean Debate, Contemporary Society and Human Rights, Theory of the Middling Grassroots, Korea's Third Way, Bureaucratic Authoritarianism in Korea, and Human Rights in North Korea, among others. His current research includes Liberalism in-between Europe and China (European Union Project 2013-2016), Risk Perception and Risk Governance in East Asia, Social Governance Experiments in China, Transitional Justice and Second Modernity in East Asia, middle class and social transformation, Individualization and Community Change.

HAN Sang-Jin                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                             

I. PERSONAL

▷       Sex: Male

▷       Date of Birth: Feb. 15, l945

▷       Home Address: #121-403(Raemian Firstige Apt.),

275, Banpodae-ro, Seocho-gu,

Seoul 137-842, Korea

▷       Phone: 82-2-523-8474

▷       Mobile: 82-10-9971-8474

▷       E-mail: hansjin@snu.ac.kr

 

      Present Positions:

▷       Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, Seoul National University

▷       Chairman, Board of Trustees, Joongmin Foundation [JMF] for Social Theory

(Phone: 82-2-875-8474, Web: www.joongmin.org)

▷       Director of Joongmin Research Institute  

(Phone: 82-2-875-8474, Web: www.hantheory.org)

▷       Visiting Professor, Department of Sociology, Peking University

(Mobile Phone: 86-1303-111-6275)

 

 

II. EDUCATION

▷       B.A.Sociology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea (1970)

▷       M.A.Sociology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea (1972)

▷       Ph.D.Sociology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA (1979)

▷       Post-Doc. Bielefeld University and Heinrich-Herz Foundation, Germany (1979-1981)

 

 

III. EXPERIENCE

▷       Professor Emeritus, Seoul National University (March 2010 to Present)

▷       Visiting Professor, Beijing University, Beijing, China (September 2010 to Present)

▷       Chairman, Board of Trustees, Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory (December 2011 to Present)

▷       Director, Joongmin Research Institute (November 2007 to Present)

▷       Professor, Department of Sociology, Seoul National University (1981-2010.2)

▷       Chairman, Preparatory Committee of the People’s Party in Korea (2016.1-2)

▷       Distinguished Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University, China (2010.3-8)

▷       Visiting Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2008.7-8)

▷       Visiting Professor, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociel, Paris, France (2008.1-2)

▷       Visiting Professor, Jilin University, Changchun, China (2007.7-8)

▷       Visiting Professor, Peking University, Beijing, China (2006.3-2007.2)

▷       Chairman, Board of Trustees, the Korean Human Rights Foundation (2005-2007)

▷       Executive Chair, the Committee on the 60th Anniversary of Korean Liberation (2005)

▷       Chairman, the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning, Korea (2001.5-2003.4)

▷       Chief Representative, Diplomatic Negotiation for the Return of Ohygyujanggak Archives held in National Library of France (1999-2001)

▷       Member, Presidential Commission on Policy Planning (1998-2001)

▷       President, The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) (1998-2000)

▷       Member of the Board of Governance, Korea Broadcasting Service (KBS) (1998-2000)

▷       Visiting Professor, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociel, Paris, France (1996)

▷       Member of Plenary Committee, Tripartite Committee of Labor, Management and Government (1998-1999)

▷       Visiting Professor, Wissenschaftszentrum, Berlin, Germany (1993)

▷       Visiting Professor, Columbia University, New York, USA (1991-1992)

▷       Chief Coordinator of Researches, Korea Institute of Social Studies, Seoul, Korea (1985-1986)

 

 

Ⅳ. Current Research Projects

▷       The Challenge of Risk Society and the Seoul Initiative: Towards Participatory Risk Governance (Funded by Seoul Institute and Seoul City Government 2015-2016)

▷       Liberalism in between Europe and China (European Union project 2013-2016)

▷       Dynamic Balance: Second-Modern Transformation in East Asia (Book project funded by Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory, 2015-2016)

 

 

V. Academic Membership

▷       Korean Sociological Association

▷       International Sociological Association

▷       International Political Science Association

 

 

Ⅵ. Publications in English

 

      Edited BOOKS

2016Asian Traditions and Global Democracy: Dialogue with Kim Dae-jung, Edited by Han Sang-Jin, Rowman & Littlefield: Lexington Books (Forthcoming).

2016Beyond Risk Society: Ulrich Beck and the Korean Debate, Edited by Han Sang-Jin, Seoul National University Press (Forthcoming)

2012Divided Nations and Transitional Justice: What Germany, Japan and South Korea can Teach the World. Former President of South Korea Kim Dae-jung and former President of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker, edited by Han Sang-Jin, Boulder: Paradigm Publisher.

2007The Global Forum on Civilization and Peace (Co-edited with Yun Duck-Hong), Academy of Korean Studies.

2007Human Rights in North Korea (Co-edited with Kie-Duck Park), Seoul: Sejong Institute.

1998Habermas and the Korean Debate, Seoul National University Press

 

      ARTICLES

2016“Introduction to the Special Section on Ulrich Beck,” Ulrich Beck in Asia, In Commemmoration, Theory, Culture, and Society (forthcoming)

2016“Cosmopolitan Sociology and Confucian Worldview: Beck’s Theory in East Asia,” co-authored with Young-Hee Shim and Young-Do Park, Theory, Culture, and Society (forthcoming)

2015“Second-modern Transformation in East Asia: An Active Dialogue with Ulrich Beck,” Socio Vol.6, May.

2015“The Influence of Ulrich Beck in East Asia,” Global Dialogue, Vol.5, Issue 2, June 2015

2015“Emancipatory Catastrophism from an East Asian Perspective: the Feedback from the Dialogue Organizer,” Current Sociology, 63(1), January, 115-120.

2014“Another Cosmopolitanism: A Critical Reconstruction of Neo-Confucian Conception of Tianxiaweigong in the Age of Global Risks,” Development and Society Vol. 43 (2): 185-206.

2014“Citizens’ Movement in South Korea and Reflexive Modernization” Antimo L. Farro and Henri Lustiger-Thaler (eds.), Reimagining Social Movements from Collectives to Individuals. Surrey: Ashgate, 143-158.

2014“Exploration of a Research Program of Global Risks from the Perspective of East Asia,” Journal of Glocal Studies,. Vol.1(1), Seijo University Press, Tokyo, Japan, 21-41.

2014“Commentary: Rethinking Modernity and Capitalism: Add Context and stir by Jan Nederveen Pieterse,” Sociopedia.isa

2013“Individualization and Community Networks in East Asia: How to Deal with Global Difference in Social Science Theories?” (coauthored with Young-Hee Shim), Theories about and Strategies against Hegemonic Social Sciences, edited by Michael Kuhn and Shujiro Yazawa, Sejo University: Center for Global Studies, 197-214.

2013“A Universal but ‘Non-hegemonic Approach to Human Rights in International Politics: A Cosmopolitan  Exploration for China,” (coauthored with Guimei Bai & Tang Lei), Theories about and Strategies against Hegemonic Social Sciences, edited by Michael Kuhn and Shujiro Yazawa, Sejo University: Center for Global Studies, 177-196.

2012a“Divided Nation, Unification and Transitional Justice: Why do we need a Communicative Approach?” Han (ed.), Divided Nations and Transitional Justice. Boulder: Paradigm, 1-15.

2012b“German Unification and Korean Dream: Six Days with Kim Dae-jung in Berlin,” Han (ed.), Divided Nations and Transitional Justice. Boulder: Paradigm, 80-89.

2012c“Can Japan overcome the Ghost of the Past? A Communicative Approach,” Divided Nations and Transitional Justice. Boulder: Paradigm, 173-185.

2012d“Reflexive Modernization and the Future of East Asia,” Divided Nations and Transitional Justice. Boulder: Paradigm, 255-262. 

2011a“From Asian Value Debate to Cosmopolitanism: An Active Interpretation of the Political Thoughts of Kim Dae-jung,” Korea Journal, Autumn, 196-222.

2011b“Individual Freedom and Human Rights Community: A Sociological Intervention,” Development and Society 40(1), June, 17-43

2011c“The Selectivity and Consequences of Chinese Crisis Management: Consolidated authoritarian Capitalism as a New Brand of Political Regime?” Ursula van Beek & Edmond W. Lipinski (eds.), Democracy under Stress: The Global Crisis and Beyond, Opladen-Berlin: Babara Budrich Publishers (coauthored with Lu Peng), 151-170.

2010a“Redefining Second Modernity for East Asia: A Critical Assessment,” British Journal of Sociology 61(3), 465-489 (coauthored with Young-Hee Shim).

2010b“Family-oriented Individualization and Second Modernity: An Analysis of Transnational Marriage in Korea,” Soziale Welt 61(3), 237-255 (coauthored with Young-Hee Shim).

2010c“Middle-Class Grassroots Identity and Participation in Citizen Initiatives, China and South Korea” in Cheng Li (ed.) China’s Emerging Middle Class: Beyond Economic Transformation. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press, 264-287.

2010d“Confucianism and Human Rights: People-Centered Participatory Communitarian Human Rights and the Kwangju Democratic Self-Rule in 1980,” Wunsuk Chang & Leah Kalmanson (eds.), Confucianism in Context: Classic Philosophy and Contemporary Issues: East Asia and Beyond. State University of New York Press, 121-144.

2010e“Internationalization of Social Science in South Korea: The Current Status and Challenge,” (with Kwang-Yeong Shin) in Michael Kuhn and Dorris Weidemann (eds.), Internationalization of the Social Sciences: Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Eurasia, Transcript: Science Studies, pp.67-86

2010f“Political Communication and the Quality of Democracy,” in Ursula J. Van Beek (ed.) Democracy under Scrutiny: Elites, Citizens, and Cultures, Opladen-Berlin: Barbare Budrick Publishers, pp. 263-299.

2010g“Human Suffering and Forgiveness: A Dialogue with Kim Dae-jung from an East Asian Perspective,” in Mamadou Diawara, Bernard Lategan & Joern Ruesen (eds.), Historical Memory in Africa: Dealing with the Past, Reaching for the Future in an Intercultural Context. New York: Berghahn Books, 193-203.

2009a“The Dynamics of the Middle Class Politics in Korea: Why and How do the Middling Grassroots differ from the Propertied Mainstream?” Korean Journal of Sociology 43(3). 1-19.

2009b“Social Transformation in Contemporary Korea: Three Prime Movers in a Contested Civil Society.” Ananta Giri (ed.), The Modern Prince and the Modern Sage: Transforming Power and Freedom. London: Sage, 222-248.

2008“Retributive Justice, Forgiveness and Dilemma in East Asia,” Civilization and Peace 2006, The Academy of Korean Studies Press, 403-428.

2007a“Paradoxical Modernity and the Quest for a Neo-Communitarian Alternative,” Society and Development, Vol. 36(1), 2007, 103-128.

2007b“Intercultural Dialogue and a Balanced Approach to Human Rights in North Korea.” Kie-Duck Park & Sang-Jin Han (eds.), Human Rights in North Korea. Seoul: Sejong Institute, 2007, 237-280.

2007c“Institutional Confidence and Citizen Participation: Three Patterns of Trust Formation in East Asia,” in Yoon Deok-hong & HAN Sang-Jin (eds.), The Global Forum on Civilization and Peace, The Academy of Korean Studies, 2007, 144-176.

2006    “社會轉型與批判理論: 三個方法論議題,” 社會理論學報, Vol.9(2), 95-118.

2005a“Democratic Transformation and Non-Traditional Security: Challenges of Republic of Korea,” Zhang yunling (ed.), State and Civil Society in the Context of Transition: Understanding Non-Traditional Security in East Asia. World Affair Press, 69-118.

2005b“People-Based Politics: The Korean Experience of Dual Democratization and Three Unresolved Issues.” A Keynote Speech at the KPI Congress VII on People-Based Politics: Sustainable Democracy held in Bangkok, Thailand, November 4-6, 2005.

2005c“Democratic Transformation and Conflict Management in Korea.” Background Paper prepared for the Global Conference on Reinventing Governance3 organized by Korean Government and United Nation held in Seoul, May 24-27, 2005.

2005d“Reflections on the 60th Anniversary of Korean Liberation.” Korean Policy Review, September, 2005, 18-22.

2005e“From Risk Society to Reflexive Modernization,” Presented at a Workshop on Risk Society held at Seoul National University, May 27-28, 2005.

2004a“Korea and U.S. Culture: Cultural Interaction from a Korean Perspective.” Pacific Partners, Center for Korean Studies, University of Hawaii, 163-176.

2004b“The Role of Civil Society in Democratic Transformation: Reflection on Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Korea,” Paper presented in the Worshop on Non-Traditional Security organized by CASS, Beijing, China, April 23-24, 2004.

2003“Theoretische Reflexionen ueber die asiatischen Selbstbehauptungsdiskurse,” in Iwo Amelung et al. (eds.), Selbstbehauptungsdiskurse in Asien: China – Japan – Korea. Deutsche Institut fuer Japanstudien, 325-352

2002“The Public Sphere and Democracy in Korea: A Debate on Civil Society,” Korean Politics: Striving for Democracy and Unification, edited by Korean National Commission for UNESCO, Seoul: Hollym, pp. 255-282.

2001a“Economic Development and Democracy: Korea as a New Model?” The Korean Economy: Reflections at the New Millennium edited by Korean National Commission for UNESCO, Seoul: Hollym, pp. 215-231.

2001b“Modernization and the Rise of Civil Society: The Role of the Middling Grassroots for Democratization in Korea,” Human Studies 24(1-2), pp. 113-132.

2001c“The Transformation of the Public Sphere and the Media Reform” in Peace and Democracy in the Korean Peninsular. Proceedings of the International Conference in Commemoration of Three Years of the Kim Dae Jung Government, 2001.

2001d“Human Rights Education and Research Agenda for Advancing/Strengthening Democracies in East Asia.”in A Report: Preparatory Consultation for Establishing an Asian Institute for Human Rights, Bangkok, pp. 21-30.

2000a“Internet Revolution and Asian Values: Where does Korea Stand and Why?” Journal of American Studies 32(2), pp.235-253.

2000b“From the Kwangju Uprising in 1980 to a Communitarian Concept of Human Rights: A Confucian Vision for Participatory Democracy,” Proceedings of the Commemorative International Conference for the 20th Anniversary of 5.18 Kwangju Uprising, Chonnam National University, pp. 204-224.

1999a“Popular Sovereignty and a Struggle for Recognition from a Perspective of Human Rights,” Korea Journal 39(2), pp. 184-204.

1999b“Confucianism and Post-colonialism in the East Asian Context of Development,” The Review of Korean Studies 2(1), pp. 23-44.

1999c“The Paradox of Modernization: The Normative Potential for Confucianism,” Proceedings of the Special Invitation Seminar, The Academy of Korean Studies. Oct. 7, pp. 7-28.

1998a“The Case of the Middling Grassroots in Korea,” Joseph Camilleri & Chandra Muzzaffar (eds.), Globalization: The Perspectives and Experience of the Religious Tradition in Asia Pacific. Malaysia: Nanyang-Vivar Printing), pp. 147-160.

1998b“What does a Critique of Ideology mean Today?” Sang-Jin Han (ed.), Habermas and the Korean Debate. SNU Press, pp. 19-46.

1998c“Four Critical Issues of the Korean Unification: An Extrapolation of Habermas' Lecture,” Habermas and the Korean Debate. SNU Press, pp. 138-159.

1998d“Habermas' Critical Theory and Discursive Social Science,” Habermas and the Korean Debate. SNU Press, pp. 216-241.

1998e“Three Tasks of Critical Theory and Korean Development,” Habermas and the Korean Debate. SNU Press, pp. 289-315.

1998f “The Korean Path to Modernization and Risk Society,” Korea Journal 38(1), pp. 5-27.

1997a“Human Rights and Growth in East Asia,” Korea Focus 5(1), pp. 1-13.

1997b“The Public Sphere and Democracy in Korea: A Debate on Civil Society,” Korea Journal 37(4), pp. 77-97.

1997c“The Political Economy and Moral Institutions: The Formation of the Middling Grassroots in Korea,” Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, Vol. 23, Number 1 and 2, pp. 71-89.

1997d“Globalization and Post-colonialism: Confucianism and East Asian Development,” Proceedings of the Kwangju Biennale International Symposium, Oct., (Kwangju), pp. 1-18.

1996a“Modernization Deficit and the Quest for an East Asian Reflexive Sociology,” Proceedings of the East Asian Regional Colloquium on “The Future of Sociology in East Asia,” jointly Organized by the Korean Sociological Association and the International Sociological Association, SNU, pp. 223-249.

1996b“The Rush-to Development and the Emergence of 'Risk Society': An Exploration of the Middling Grassroots' Orientations and their Possible Contribution to Cross-National Solidarity in East Asia,” Democratization and Regional Cooperation in Asia, Kim Dae-Jung Peace Foundation, pp. 341-379.

1996c“Modernization versus Risk Society,” Korea Focus 3(4).

1996d“Critical Theory as Discursive Science? A Context-Bound Exploration and Evaluation,” Proceedings of the Seonam Workshop on Jurgen Habermas' Critical Theory, The Seonam program committee, SNU, pp. 3-14.

1996e“From Bureaucratic Authoritarianism to Civil Society,” Proceedings of the FDL-AP International Convention, pp. 1-24.

1996f“Media and Mediations: The Public Sphere in Korea's Democratic Transition,” Proceedings of the Macro-Sociology Colloquium at UCLA Center for Korean Studies, pp. 2-27.

1996g“The NGO Grassroots Movement and Civil Society in Korea,” Proceedings of the Asia Foundation Workshop on “Civil Society, Good Governance and the Role of Foreign Assistance,” Taipei, pp.1-17.

1991“Rethinking Democracy in the Age of Global Transformation,” Institute of Philosophical Thoughts (ed.), A Philosophical Vision for the Coming Civilization, SNU Press.

1990“Social Changes in South and North Korea from an Evolutionary Perspective,” Myung-Ku Kang and Helmut Wagner (eds.), Korea and Germany: Lessons in Division, SNU Press, pp. 385-411.

1987“Bureaucratic Authoritarianism and Economic Development in Korea during the Yushin Period: A Reexamination of O'Donnell's Theory,” in K. Kim (ed.), The Dependency Issues in Korean Development: Comparative Perspectives, SNU Press, pp. 362-75.

1982“The Bureaucratic Authoritarian State and Its Problems: A Confrontation with Guillermo O'Donnell,” in Sociological Review, Department of Sociology, SNU, pp. 11-39.

1980“The Logic of Social Formations: Toward a Synthesis of Althusser, Foucault, Offe and Habermas,” in Current Perspectives in Social Theory 1, pp. 161-192.

1979“Ideology-Critique and Social Science: The Use of Discursive Method,” in Scott McNall (ed.), Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology, New York: St. Martin's Press, pp. 292-309.

1979“Discursive Method and Social Theory: Selectivity, Discourse and Crisis: A Contribution to a Reflexive Sociology Critical of Domination,” Ph. D. Dissertation, Southern Illinois University.