Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:37:54 -0400

The Semiotics of Skin: The Discursive Construction of Desirable Figures of Personhood in Korean Beauty's Global Circulation

Dr. Joyhanna Jung Yoo will discuss how Korean American entrepreneurs in the global K-beauty industry establish their expertise by sharing personal memories of Korean skincare traditions, positioning these practices as age-old beauty philosophies rather than mere trends. Through discourse analysis that focuses on the sensory and gendered aspects of these shared memories, the study reveals how K-beauty discourse creates aspirational identities for consumers while transforming traditional Korean skincare rituals into marketable expertise that circulates globally.

Friday, October 24, 2025
12-1pm
Location: PAHB216 (Dresher Center Conference Room)

Lunch provided

About the speaker:

Joyhanna "Joy" Yoo (she/they) is a linguistic anthropologist whose work examines the circulation of Korean popular cultural genres with fieldwork based in Seoul, Mexico City, and Los Angeles. Their research examines the meanings generated by language as it pertains to race and gender when cultural genres circulate. Joy has also published on Asian American racialization and linguistic appropriation in mediatized contexts. Her newer work examines the relationship between language loss, grief, and Korean diasporic belonging. They are especially passionate about student-centered teaching, mentorship, and student advocacy.

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This event is part of the Reframing Global Asias Conversation Series. For the conversation series this fall, the Global Asias Initiative is hosting guest speakers Shengxiao "Sole" Yu and Dr. Joyhanna Jung Yoo for a series of workshops & lectures.

Non-UMBC attendees: please e-mail Priya at priyab@umbc to RSVP and to receive a free parking pass

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