The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History (Director Han Su) announced it will host the 2nd Modern and Contemporary History Colloquium at 2 p.m. on the 25th in the 6th floor lecture hall at the museum in Jongno-gu, Seoul, examining "adult nightclubs," a symbol of Korean nightlife in the early 2000s, from social and cultural perspectives.
The colloquium will be based on data collected by Jang Se-gil, senior research fellow at Jeonbuk Institute, who conducted participatory observation research at adult nightclubs from 2002 to 2003. Under the theme "Carnival of Everyday Life: Adult Nightclubs, the Boundary Between Deviation and Resistance," the event will analyze the complex desires embedded in Korean society and their structures through adult nightclubs, which gained significant popularity during a period when a festive and playful atmosphere was spreading in the early 2000s.
"Through this colloquium, organized in conjunction with our ongoing special exhibition 'Nightscape,' we expect to not merely reminisce about past entertainment culture but to provide an opportunity to reflect on today's digital platform-centered nightlife and the structure of individualized desires," Director Han Su said.
The 2026 Modern and Contemporary History Colloquium series will be held on the last Wednesday of each month, designated as "Culture Day," and is open to all without prior registration.