Peter Moody, PhD

Office: TBA

Email: TBA

Brief Bio: My area of expertise is the cultural and intellectual history of the twentieth century, and I work as a historian of modern Korea. My interest in Korean humanism stems from research on Korean religions, including the development of Minjung Theology and its influence on art and politics in South Korea. In researching this topic, I familiarized myself with the humanist philosophy of Ham Seok-heon, especially his notion of ssial—the capacity of common people to drive social and political change—and have investigated its embodiment in democratization and post-democratization contexts. I have since ventured out to other topics of inquiry such as the role of music in representing historical and social conditions, captured in composer Kim Sun-nam's writings about musical realism. My inquiry into the life and compositions of Kim Sun-nam, a wolbuk (crossing-to-the-North) musician has led me to uncover a range of writings and perspectives of North Korean musicians, which shed light on the process of developing distinct artistic forms and styles that strike a balance between the imperatives of decolonization and proletarian internationalism. 

Publications: “Music, Politics, and Indigenization in the DPRK” (doctoral dissertation)