The 15th KJC Joint Conference on Geography Held in Seoul

Report of the 15th Korea-Japan-China Joint Conference on Geography

The 15th Korea-China-Japan Joint Conference on Geography, successfully held from October 20 to 23, 2023, at the University of Seoul, was jointly organized by The Korean Geographical Society (KGS) and Research Center for Small Businesses Ecosystem, Inha University. This international conference, themed 'Livable Cities, Resilient Future,' featured a rich program of 45 sessions, including 15 special sessions and 30 general sessions, presenting a total of 266 presentations, including six keynote speeches, 193 oral presentations, and 67 posters. The conference had 320 attendees.

The opening ceremony featured a welcoming address from President Jung Sung-Hoon, representing the host country, South Korea. Subsequent congratulatory speeches were delivered by Vice President Zhang Guoyou of Geographical Society of China and President Oguchi Takashi of Association of Japanese Geographers. The keynote lectures on the second day covered topics such as China's cities cope with external shocks, world geography and world development, and the geographic scale and spatial economic inequality.

The third-day keynote lectures delved into geographers’ role in disaster response and risk reduction, an introduction to old maps in Korea, and the role of traditional local knowledge in coping with disasters. The oral presentations, consisting of 193 research studies, facilitated lively discussions between presenters, discussants, and the audience on the 21st and 22nd of October. Notably, the general sessions, focusing on human-environment interaction, urban geography, and geography education, saw a high number of presentations, as did the special sessions on the geography of COVID-19 and GIS and RS research in the digital transformation era.

In addition to the academic sessions, the conference introduced new elements, including a dialogue session with international journal editors (Meet the Editors) and a networking session for future-generation geographers (International Collaboration Among Young Geographers), fostering meaningful exchanges and discussions. The poster session, comprising 67 presentations, provided an opportunity for live exhibitions and discussions both in-person and through a metaverse platform.

The Farewell Ceremony on the evening of the 22nd brought together over 200 geographers from Korea, China, and Japan to celebrate the achievements of the conference. A brief report on the outcomes, recognition of outstanding presentations, and the announcement of the location for the 16th China-Japan-Korea Joint Conference on Geography at Yanbian University in China marked the conclusion of this successful event. With 20 oral presenters and 10 poster presenters receiving the Young Geographer Award, the conference wrapped up with anticipation for the next meeting. Finally, following the conclusion of the academic events on the 23rd, a field trip took place with the themes of 'Heart of Seoul: Coexistence of tradition and modern' and 'DMZ Tour,' with a total of 64 participants.

(Provided by Dr. Suh-hee Choi, suhhee@khu.ac.kr)