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GW Institute for Korean Studies
at the Elliott School of International Affairs
Jazmin Angel-Guzman
Jazmin Angel-Guzman is a senior at the George Washington University pursuing a major in Korean language and literature in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, she is also pursuing a potential second major in Entrepreneurship and innovation. She is a first generation student from Washington, D.C., who is passionate about learning languages. She is bilingual, and is particularly interested in learning East Asian languages. This summer she was a participant in the GWIKS 2024 Korea Summer Study Abroad Program where she spent two weeks in Korea going to various historical, social, and cultural sites. This led to her interest in the GWIKS 2024-2025 Undergraduate Research Fellows (URF) Program, where she wants to focus on how vernacular Korean was further utilized to challenge the Choson state. One of her favorite sites from the GWIKS Summer Study Abroad Program was visiting the National Hangeul Museum in Seoul.
Research Topic:
How women utilized vernacular Korean to continue challenging the Choson State (looking in depth on certain petition cases)
Dong Hyun Hong
Dong Hyun Hong, who also goes by Sim, is a senior at the Elliott School of International Affairs, specializing in International Affairs with a regional focus on Asia, and double-minoring in International Business and Chinese Linguistics. A Korean American from Honolulu, Hawaii, Sim is deeply interested in US-Asia relations and geopolitics, particularly how cultural and economic ties shape diplomatic strategies. During his sophom*ore year, he participated in a GW-sponsored study abroad program at Seoul National University, where he deepened his understanding of Korean culture, language, and international relations. His multicultural background and bilingual proficiency in Korean and English provide him with a unique perspective on the complexities of international affairs in the Asian region. In his spare time, Sim enjoys music, learning new languages, watching movies and TV shows, and playing various sports. He is passionate about meaningful research related to Asia and aspires to build a career in academia.
Research Topic:
Influence of Confucianism on modern South Korean culture
Truth Jackson
Truth Jackson, an International Studies major at Morehouse College, focuses on Southeast Asia and African political affairs, with a particular interest in the intersection between these regions. A well-traveled student, he has independently studied in Tanzania, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Truth was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan and a Social Justice Scholarship to study in South Africa.
In his previous careers, he managed HIV prevention and care/treatment programs in urban communities and coordinated an HIV behavioral research study focused on communities of color. Truth advised on public health policy while serving on the Newark HIV Planning Council and the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV/STD Prevention and Treatment. He later had a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, serving in Afghanistan, Bahrain, and the Pentagon in Policy offices. His diverse experiences uniquely position him to make significant contributions to international affairs and research.
Research Topic:
Investment and Infrastructure Development: The Role of South Korea in Africa
Sydney Jael Wilson
Sydney Jael Wilson is a senior Comparative Women’s Studies major at Spelman College and a recognized scholar-activist. They have been honored by Triota Honors Society, The Human Rights Campaign, Justice for Black Girls, and The UNCF Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship for advancing both the field of Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies while seamlessly integrating their academic insights into their activist endeavors. Under the mentorship of faculty and staff, Sydney has mobilized students to enact meaningful change on campus and beyond, particularly in challenging punitive measures that disenfranchise survivors of neo-colonial violence at Spelman, surrounding campuses, and beyond. Their work has improved the quality of life for the most marginalized students at HBCUs, which includes survivors of sexual assault, low-income, and LGBTQ+ students.
Research Topic:
The connection between Black and Korean Feminist Literary Communities
Lauren Labogin-Moses
Lauren Labogin-Moses is a senior at George Washington University, double majoring in International Affairs and English. Her concentration in the Elliott School is Contemporary Cultures and Societies, which focuses on the lived experiences of people in societies around the world. Lauren has dedicated her concentration to forms of literature. Besides literature, she is interested in learning perspectives of different cultures through their art forms. She visited Seoul in the summer of 2023 as part of the GWIKS Study Abroad program. Aside from academics, she enjoys learning languages as a hobby because she believes the best way to learn about a culture is through the language. Lauren’s academic journey is driven by her ambition to become a researcher. She is eager to hone her research and writing skills, preparing herself for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Research Topic:
The Deception of Mental Health in Literature of Korean Women due to Societal Expectations
John Lee
John Lee is a sophom*ore in the Elliott School, double majoring in International Affairs and Political Science, with a minor in Economics and Public Studies. John was born in South Korea and moved to San Jose, California, when he was 10. From his background of moving back and forth between the US and South Korea, he developed an interest in US-South Korea relations, primarily political and economic issues. During his time at Seoul National University in the summer of 2024, he developed a further interest in the Korean macroeconomy and the importance of politics for Korean companies. He is also passionate about major Korean social issues, such as the Korean education system, Korean generational conflict, high suicide rates, and gender conflicts. Aside from academics, he loves to watch and play soccer, listen to Korean rap music, and sing songs.
Research Topic:
The CHIPS Act
Jasmine Mann
Jasmine Mann is a senior at Spelman College majoring in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. She is from Alexandria, Virginia. Jasmine is interested in international relations with a focus on East Asia. As a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) alumna, Jasmine is also learning Russian. Jasmine has deepened her understanding of global affairs through multiple study-abroad experiences in South Korea, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, and Cuba. Jasmine spent a semester studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, where she learned about South Korea’s geopolitical environment and its relations with the U.S. and neighboring countries such as China, North Korea, Japan, and Russia, which is critical to understanding the current geopolitical dynamics in East Asia. Learning from a South Korean perspective strengthened Jasmine’s desire to continue learning about the Korean peninsula. After graduating, Jasmine plans to pursue a career in public service.
Research Topic:
How the Korean diaspora evolved during different historical periods (e.g., the Joseon period, Japanese colonization, and Korean industrialization) and throughout major geopolitical events (e.g., World War II, the Cold War, and the Korean War
Avia Solomon
Avia Solomon is a junior majoring in Africana Studies and minoring in Korean at the George Washington University. While history has been her favorite academic subject since high school, she discovered her interest in anthropology and sociology during her time at GW. She now aspires to be an interdisciplinary historian. Due to her experience growing up in Georgia in communities of color and her family’s history of U.S. military involvement, her research interests deal primarily with the impacts of colonialism and militarism on people of color in the United States, francophone countries, and the Korean peninsula from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. Her time spent in Gwangju, South Korea, this summer has also shown her parallels between Black American and Korean history, which she will soon explore. When not studying or working as an administrative assistant in the History Department, Avia loves watching shows, reading Korean and French books, crocheting, or just sitting outside to enjoy nature.
Research Topic:
The development of anti-American sentiment in the Korean peninsula from the Korean War to present day
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