Soongsil University Holds Professor Jo Yohan 100th Birth Anniversary Academic Conference

Academic Achievements Revisited Through International Conference

The Department of Philosophy at Soongsil University announced on May 8 that it had hosted the "Professor Jo Yohan 100th Birth Anniversary" international academic conference over two days on April 17 and 18.

Participants of the "Professor Jo Yohan 100th Birth Anniversary International Symposium" held by the Department of Philosophy at Soongsil University are taking a commemorative photo. Soongsil University

The conference, held under the theme "The Rule of Art and AI Art," was co-organized by Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and the Korean Society of Aesthetics and Art Studies.

The first day's sessions featured presentations and discussions on topics such as the concept of authorship and creative agency in the age of AI art, the relationship between expressionist art and AI art, and general rules of art and criteria for aesthetic judgment.

On the second day, there was a special symposium titled "The Late Lee Kyung and Jo Yohan 100th Birth Anniversary Academic Conference: The Past and Present of the Philosophy of Art."

Researchers, including Lee Inbeom, a disciple of Professor Jo and head of the IBLee Institute, delivered presentations on topics such as "Why Jo Yohan, and Why Now?," "Jo Yohan's Modern Art: A Parallax Perspective," "Cultural Contexts of the 21st Century for the Reflection on Korean Aesthetics," and "Jo Yohan's Theory on Kim Whanki," thereby revisiting Professor Jo's philosophy and the trajectory of Korean aesthetics.

Professor Jo's children, Professor Jo Kyungjin and Professor Jo Kyungduk, both at Seoul National University, also attended the event to introduce his life and his convictions regarding art.

Jang Miseong, head of the Department of Philosophy, stated, "Professor Jo was a pioneer who first introduced the philosophy of art to Korea and, as president of Soongsil University, was a key figure in laying the foundation for scholarship and education. This international academic conference went beyond commemoration; it served as an opportunity to showcase the tradition and identity of the Department of Philosophy at Soongsil University at home and abroad, and to explore the direction of the philosophy of art in the AI era."

Professor Jo Yohan (1926–2002) majored in philosophy at Seoul National University and served as a professor and president (1989–1993) of the Department of Philosophy at Soongsil University, as well as a member of the National Academy of Sciences (in the field of aesthetics). His book "Philosophy of Art" (1973) is considered a major work in Korean aesthetic studies, and he also authored "The Philosophy of Aristotle" (1988) and "Illuminating Korean Beauty" (1999), among other research achievements.

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