The K-Academics Diffusion Research Center at the Inha Center for International Studies(Inha CIS) held an international academic conference on January 9, 2026, at Hokkaido University in Japan under the theme “Shifts in the East Asian Order and the Construction of New Models of Cooperation.”

In the first session, titled “Changes in the East Asian Order and New Models of Cooperation,” in-depth discussions were conducted on a socio-psychological analysis of Korean attitudes toward Japan and strategies for East Asian financial cooperation.

Professor Jun-Young Choi of Inha University demonstrated that Korean foreign policy preferences toward Japan are not shaped by a simple ideological dichotomy, but rather by underlying psychological mechanisms such as Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), which prioritizes order and security, and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), which reflects the acceptance of hierarchical social structures.

Professor Jae-Hwan Jung of Inha University then analyzed the polycrisis generated by the instability of the U.S. dollar–centered hegemonic system. He proposed policy alternatives calling for East Asian countries to strengthen the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM) as a regional financial safety net and to secure the legitimacy of capital controls in order to safeguard monetary sovereignty.

The second session, a roundtable entitled “Building New Models of Cooperation through the Dissemination of Korean Studies: Achievements and Reflections,” provided a platform for sharing both the outcomes and future challenges of cooperation driven by the expansion of Korean Studies. Key achievements included the establishment of a “practical and integrative Korean Studies” model that transcends the traditional focus on classical language and literature by integrating social sciences such as politics, economics, and public policy, as well as the development of a digitally based hybrid education infrastructure.

In particular, the conference confirmed growing demand for Korean Studies within regional hub universities, including Hokkaido University in Japan, demonstrating the viability of locally tailored strategies. Looking ahead, participants emphasized the importance of moving beyond one-directional promotional lectures toward a more “objective Korean Studies,” and of fostering a self-sustaining and durable Korean Studies ecosystem grounded in networks of both academic and interpersonal trust among scholars.

Project from the K-Academics Diffusion Research Center at Inha University plans to further expand Korea studies–based academic and educational cooperation in East Asia, including the Japanese region, building on the momentum of this international conference held in Hokkaido.