The  Northeast Asian History Foundation, in collaboration with the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies (Director: Geung Sik Jung) and the Institute for Social Development and Policy Research (Director: Doh Kyung Ahn) of Seoul National University, successfully held the International Conference Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Liberation on August 4–5 (Monday–Tuesday) at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul.

The conference, under the theme "New Perspectives on Modern Korean History: Decolonization, Military Governance, and Democracy," was designed to explore the structural transformations of Korean society after liberation from various academic angles. The joint hosting by a policy-oriented foundation and Seoul National University, a hub of academic research, carries particular significance in recognizing that academia must contribute beyond theory to society and the world.

A total of 46 scholars from Korea, the United States, Europe, and Japan participated in seven thematic panels, engaging in active presentations and discussions. The keynote lecture was delivered by Professor Stephen Kotkin of Stanford University, titled "Stalin and Korea: Calculations, Miscalculations, and Consequences", analyzing the international context behind Korea’s division and the Cold War in the aftermath of liberation.

In the panel led by the Foundation, Professor Deokhyo Choi (University of Maryland) analyzed the complexities of decolonization through the discourse of Japanese returnees. Professor Hannah Shepherd (Yale University) focused on everyday changes in post-colonial port cities. Professor Barak Kushner (University of Cambridge) examined the remnants of empire and power structures through the experiences of Korean soldiers in the Japanese military after the war, while Professor Masaru Tonomura (University of Tokyo) compared different historical perceptions and realities surrounding forced mobilization.

In his congratulatory remarks, President Honglim Yoo of Seoul National University expressed his hope that the conference would help reflect on the past and provide insights into today’s crises. President Jihang Park expressed her wish for the conference to foster continued international academic exchange and provide a warm and multifaceted reflection on Korea’s modern history since liberation.

This academic conference served as a platform for reexamining modern Korean history on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of liberation and offered a deeper understanding of decolonization and democracy. It marked a meaningful step toward bridging scholarship and policy, memory and contemporary issues.