The Bucheon Pearl Buck Memorial Hall, operated by the Bucheon Cultural Foundation (CEO Byeong-Hwan Han), participated in the ‘2024 Pearl Buck International Academic Symposium’ held at the Pearl Buck International Campus in the United States for 3 days and 2 nights from September 26th to 28th.
Since 2019, the Bucheon Pearl Buck Memorial Hall has been holding an international academic symposium every year by signing a ‘Pearl Buck International Academic Symposium Joint Tour Agreement’ with the Pearl Buck Research Society of Zhenjiang City, China, Pearl Buck International of the United States, and West Virginia State University. It is also scheduled to be hosted by the Bucheon Pearl Buck Memorial Hall in 2025.
Following the three-country tour, this year’s event was held in Philadelphia, USA, under the theme of ‘Continuing Pearl Buck’s legacy into the next 60th anniversary,’ and the Bucheon Pearl Buck Memorial Hall held a keynote speech on ‘The legacy and influence Pearl Buck left in Korea.’ participated.
This event consisted of presentations, discussions, and a tour of Pearl Buck House. On the first day, Scott Bomnoy, Brandon H. Cheng, Lin Kuang, etc. discussed the topic of ‘Pearl Buck’s legacy of activism’. Afterwards, curator Samantha Freise and Pearl Buck’s daughter, Julie Henning, led a tour of Pearl Buck House.
On the second day, the topics were ‘Women’s and Children’s Rights’, ‘Intercultural Education and Coordination’, ‘American Pearl Buck’, ‘Social activist Pearl Buck and the Japanese people during the Allied Occupation (GHQ), and restoration of diplomatic relations between Japan and China’. Presentations were made by Sophia Geng, Kang Liao, Anthony Luna, and Sagawa Yoko, respectively.
On the third day, ▲’Pearl Buck’s Humanitarian Vision on War and Peace’ (David M. Crowe, Professor Emeritus of History and Law at Elon University) ▲’Pearl Buck’s Brilliant Shine for the Next 60 Years’ (Lu Jiangping) Zangping) Jiangsu University Library Professor) ▲The symposium ended with presentations on each topic, including ‘Pearl Buck’s legacy and influence on Korea’ (Lee Jong-chan, curator of Bucheon City Museum).
In a congratulatory video, Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-ik emphasized Bucheon City’s efforts for Pearl Buck, saying, “Bucheon City will also make more efforts to ensure that the values and ideas of Pearl Buck are passed on to the next generation,” and announced that the Pearl Buck International Academic Symposium will be held in Bucheon in 2025. It was announced that it was planned.
Park Jong-min, director of the Bucheon Pearl Buck Memorial Hall, said, “I hope that the relationship between Korea, the United States, and China established through Pearl Buck will continue for a long time, and I hope that there will be a lot of interest in the Pearl Buck International Academic Symposium to be held in Korea next year.”
