'The Return of the High-Class Cultural Salon'... Asia Genius Table Season 1 Concludes Successfully

Held Biweekly from June to November

The first season of "Asia Genius Table," a high-end cultural salon, successfully concluded on the 1st with the final 10th lecture, receiving great acclaim.

On the 1st, at the 'Asia Genius Table' closing ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, author Seonggwan Jo, writer of 'Geniuses Loved by the City,' and course participants are cheering at the closing ceremony. Photo by Yongjun Jo jun21@

The first season of "Asia Genius Table" was a time to learn the secrets and commonalities of geniuses who enriched humanity. The lectures were held biweekly since June, with a total of 10 sessions conducted.

Jo Seong-gwan, director of the International Genius Research Institute, shared his thoughts: “In typical lectures, deep interaction between students and instructors is almost impossible, but Asia Genius Table was conducted with a small number of students, allowing for in-depth Q&A and exchanges, which was impressive.”

He added, “People need to meet those who are better than themselves to be stimulated and develop; without stimulation, anyone inevitably remains stagnant. Through Asia Genius Table, I was able to study deeply myself by seeing how deeply the students thought and understood through their questions.”

One participant mentioned Charles Dickens as the most impressive lecture, saying, “In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge, who hardly changed, finally changes after meeting the third ghost. In reality, people rarely change, but I felt that when someone quits their job or loses or leaves their livelihood, that’s when people change. The lesson that it is difficult for people to change without a shock close to death made me engrave the phrase ‘Memento Mori’?remember death?deeply in my heart again.”

Another participant said, “In the lecture on Nietzsche, while covering ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra,’ I pondered the phrase ‘Man’s greatness lies not in being a goal but a bridge.’ The lives of the geniuses we examined were full of pain, crises, and hardships, but through such external stimuli, they continuously developed and advanced their lives. I learned to respect the moments that reveal the genius in their spirit, willpower, and the actions of their children.”

Asian Genius Table artist Seonggwan Jo. Photo by Yongjun Jo jun21@

According to the International Genius Research Institute, the next season will feature in-depth lectures on other geniuses, including Korean-born geniuses Nam June Paik and Yun Dong-ju. Jo Seong-gwan, a former journalist and cultural travel writer, will guide participants through the broad and profound world of culture, arts, and humanities.

Director Jo has consistently published the "Geniuses Loved by OO" series, which surveys the lives of geniuses by capital cities around the world, starting with "Vienna’s Geniuses" in 2007 and completing a total of 10 volumes with "Seoul’s Geniuses" in 2020.

Jo currently serializes "Jo Seong-gwan’s World Humanities Travel" in Asia Economy. After graduating from Yonsei University’s Department of English Literature, he joined the Chosun Ilbo and served as editor-in-chief of Weekly Chosun.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.