Comparative Politics & International Relations
Dissertation Title: “The Origins and Legacies of Violence in Korea”
Committee: Mark Dincecco (co-chair), Yuri Zhukov (co-chair), Dan Slater, Mary Gallagher, Jean Hong
Summary: I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Michigan. My research interest lies at the intersection of international relations, comparative politics, and Korean politics. I study wars, violence, state-building, and legacy of colonial rule, with an empirical focus on Korea. In my work, I demonstrate how war-making contributes to state-making by allowing states to define and eliminate potential threats to a vulnerable regime while establishing a long-run base of support by mobilizing those who participated in the war effort. I also evaluate how past and present wars shape policymaking processes and how such effects evolve with time. My dissertation project examines the relationship between prewar resistance against the state and civilian killings during the Korean War.
