Comparative Global Humanities Initiative

Dear colleagues, students, and friends, Join us for the 2026 GHI 3rd Master Class! This special lecture will feature Choi Dongho, a distinguished Korean poet and literary critic and a member of the National Academy of Arts of Korea.  The session will offer an overview of the historical trajectory of Korean poetry from ancient poetic songs to modern poetry and explore the future of Korean poetry in the digital age. 3rd GHI Master Class Title: The Future of Modern Korean Poetry in the Digital Age and the Meaning of Poetry-Songs Date: January 20, 2026, 3:00–4:30 PM Where: MIT Building 4-231 【Lecture Outline】 Korean poetic song began with ancient songs such as Gongmudohaga (“Song of Crossing the River”) and Gujiga (“Song of the Turtle”), and has developed through hyangga, Goryeo songs, sijo, and modern poetry, forming a tradition of approximately 1,800 years. The separation of song and lyrics occurred in the early twentieth century, and the lecturer anticipates that poetry will return to song in the twenty-first century. In this era of a major transition from print culture to digital culture, he argues that poetry must return to song in order to secure vitality for the future. Recognizing the broad popular reach of song, […]