On December 19, at the invitation of the Northeast Asian Research Center, the School of Northeast Asian Studies, the Northeast Asian Studies College and the Institute of Korean Studies of Jilin University, Professor Hong Ik-pyo, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School of Public Administration at Dongguk University, former Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and former Chairman of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, delivered an academic lecture entitledThe December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident and Prospects for South Korean Politics. The lecture was presided over by Professor Zhang Huizhi, Deputy Director of the Northeast Asian Research Center, and attended by faculty and students from the School of Northeast Asian Studies.

In the lecture, starting from the fundamental factors for understanding South Korean politics, Professor Hong elaborated on the governing background and policy performance of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, domestic political frictions since Yoon took office, the causes and evolution of the December 3 emergency martial law incident, the impeachment process, and the outlook for South Korean politics. He conducted an in-depth analysis of the full story behind the recent martial law declaration and offered projections on South Korea’s domestic political landscape.

The lecture received an enthusiastic response. Faculty and students raised numerous questions regarding South Korea’s domestic politics and inter-party relations. Professor Hong’s patient replies and unique insights earned warm applause from all attendees. At the end of the lecture, Professor Zhang Huizhi summarized the key takeaways and extended gratitude to Professor Hong Ik-pyo.

On December 20, Professor Zhang Huizhi, Deputy Director of the Northeast Asian Research Center and Director of the Institute of Korean Studies, together with several faculty members, held an academic seminar with Professor Hong Ik-pyo.

During the seminar, Professor Hong and the faculty engaged in thorough discussions on hot-button issues on the Korean Peninsula, domestic South Korean politics and partisan dynamics, as well as Sino-U.S. relations under the second Trump administration. The seminar not only deepened academic exchanges between scholars of the two countries, but also further consolidated bilateral cooperation between Jilin University and Dongguk University.