Research Trends of Korean-German Relation History since 2001

This paper reviews the trends in the study of Korean-German relations published in Korean, German, and English since 2001. Since Joseon and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1883, Korean-German relations have continued for 140 years. In particular, after World War II, both countries formed a bond of sympathy by sharing the experience of forced division. This led to the early start of the study of Korean-German relations. If we limit ourselves to the year 2001, there are approximately 120 studies in Korean on Korean-German relations. Of these, about 80 are in German and English. This number is not insignificant. The Korean-published research delves deeper than just presenting basic facts. It explores the perceptions and actions of Germans in Joseon (Korean Empire) during the modern period. It also expands the research scope to include diplomatic relations with Germany and democratization movements in relation to Korean political history. Recently, there has been an increased interest in economic history, including West German financial and technical assistance. Additionally, there is a growing focus on the activities and experiences of individual migrant workers, who were previously only considered as groups. The expansion and deepening of research on Korean-German relations may be directly related to improved accessibility to German materials. However, research on the history of Korean-German relations in German and English is still limited in terms of topic diversity, despite the relatively large number of publications. Many of these studies are in the form of papers dealing with Korean-German relations, making it difficult to evaluate the level of activity in this field. Nonetheless, it is evident that the overall number of publications has increased in recent years. The rise in global interest in Korea and the growth of Korean studies in Germany may explain the increase in studies on Korean-German relations outside of Korea. It is expected that this trend will continue as universities in Germany continue to produce researchers and conduct related research.