Explore research labs at leading universities worldwide — research fields and key papers at a glance.
Professor Sung Rak Choi's research lab specializes in algebraic geometry, with a primary focus on the interplay between divisor theory, positivity properties of line bundles, and convex geometric objects such as Okounkov bodies. The lab investigates asymptotic invariants of pseudoeffective and abundant divisors, particularly through the lens of valuative and limiting Okounkov bodies, extending classical results of Lazarsfeld–Mustaţă and Kaveh–Khovanskii. A central theme is the geometric and numerical characterization of subvarieties like Nakayama and positive volume subvarieties, with applications to birational geometry and Mori theory. The lab also explores duality conjectures in the cone of curves and movable divisors, especially in Fano type varieties and Mori dream spaces.
Professor Young-jun Kwon's research focuses on the evolution and reform of the Korean legal system, particularly in the areas of legal education, common law integration, and tort law. His work explores the tension between Western legal forms and Korean legal substance, with a special emphasis on institutional reforms such as the law school system and the modified jury system. He also investigates unique Korean legal institutions, such as the Chonse leasehold system, through a comparative law lens. His research bridges domestic legal developments with international legal harmonization trends.
Professor In-young Cho's research lab focuses on public finance, fiscal federalism, and institutional economics, with a particular emphasis on the interplay between political institutions, economic inequality, and public policy outcomes in East Asian contexts. The lab investigates how tax and expenditure limitations, budgetary cycles, and decentralization affect fiscal responsibility, regional equity, and democratic participation. It also explores legal and institutional frameworks governing family support obligations, public welfare, and international dispute resolution mechanisms such as anti-suit and anti-arbitration injunctions.
Professor Hyuk-Jin Kwon's research lab specializes in mathematics education, with a strong focus on enhancing students' mathematical thinking, creativity, and learning engagement. The lab investigates cognitive and affective factors influencing mathematical problem-solving, including metacognition, flow (deep engagement), and self-regulated learning. It also explores innovative instructional models such as problem-based learning (PBL), peer tutoring, and writing-to-learn strategies to improve achievement and attitudes toward mathematics.
Professor Dahyeok Kweon's research lab specializes in bioresource utilization and metabolic engineering, focusing on the sustainable extraction and optimization of bioactive compounds from natural sources such as licorice root and agricultural by-products like rice bran. The lab investigates microbial fermentation processes—particularly butanol production using Clostridium species—and explores the molecular mechanisms underlying protein conformational changes, including those of prion proteins and membrane interactions. Additionally, the lab applies synthetic biology and directed evolution to enhance the production of valuable human milk oligosaccharides, such as 2'-fucosyllactose, through metabolic engineering in Escherichia coli.
Professor Yoo Hee Joon's research lab specializes in dermatological pathology and rare skin disorders, with a focus on atypical and misdiagnosed cutaneous conditions. The lab investigates the clinical, histopathological, and mycological features of complex dermatoses such as tinea incognito, pigmented Bowen’s disease, myopericytoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and Kimura’s disease. Their work emphasizes diagnostic challenges, risk factors, and the impact of prior inappropriate treatments on disease presentation. The lab contributes significantly to the understanding of rare and underreported dermatoses, particularly in Asian populations.
Professor Junwon Kim's research lab focuses on interdisciplinary biomedical and psychological research, integrating materials science with mental health and behavioral sciences. The lab develops bioactive and biocompatible surface coatings using polypeptide block copolymers and nanomaterials for preventing biofouling in implantable medical devices, while also investigating psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD across the lifespan. A key direction involves the development and validation of culturally adapted clinical assessment tools, such as the Korean Adult ADHD Rating Scale, to improve mental health screening and intervention. The lab also explores the interplay between temperament, character, and life satisfaction in young adults, particularly in relation to behavioral and cognitive disorders.
Professor Hyuntai Lee's research lab specializes in health outcomes prediction in critical care, with a focus on clinical decision support systems using scoring models like APACHE II. The lab also explores innovative clinical trial methodologies, particularly adaptive designs that enhance efficiency and reduce resource use in medical research. Additionally, the lab investigates regional economic resilience, especially in the context of global supply chain shifts and geopolitical changes—such as China’s economic restructuring and Russia-Ukraine war impacts—on regional economies like Incheon. These interdisciplinary efforts bridge clinical medicine, health informatics, and regional economic policy.
Professor Jinsoo Byun's research lab focuses on the governance, organizational dynamics, and institutional transformation surrounding international large-scale sport events, particularly in the context of legacy management, joint bidding alliances, and stakeholder engagement. The lab investigates strategic alliances in sport event bidding, the professionalization of emerging sports like action sports, and the challenges of post-Games sustainability and legitimacy. Through qualitative case studies and multi-stakeholder analysis, the lab explores how institutional, political, and policy frameworks shape the success and impact of major sporting events.
Professor Young Kyu Han's research focuses on the cultural and literary exchanges between Joseon Korea and Qing China, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. His work explores the formation of elite self-consciousness through personalist literature, the transmission of classical texts, and the role of literati in shaping intellectual and aesthetic identities. He investigates how individual voices—especially those of literati from the emerging *jonwi* (middle-class gentry) class—articulated personal identity, moral introspection, and aesthetic values through autobiographical and biographical writings.
Professor Eugenia Y. Lee's research lab specializes in financial accounting and auditing, with a focus on earnings management, corporate governance, and the implications of financial reporting for market efficiency and investor behavior. The lab investigates how accounting choices—such as accrual and real earnings management, convertible bond accounting, and earnings classification—impact audit fees, financial structure, and market outcomes. It also explores the role of institutional factors, including legal regimes and auditor characteristics, in shaping financial reporting and audit pricing. Recent work examines the behavioral and systemic consequences of delayed bad news, such as stock price crashes, and their effects on investor trust and information pricing.
Professor Jee Yu-Jin's research lab specializes in oral and maxillofacial surgery, with a strong focus on reconstructive surgery for craniofacial defects, particularly oroantral fistulas and benign bone tumors such as ameloblastoma and fibrous dysplasia. The lab investigates innovative, minimally invasive techniques—such as the use of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membranes and buccal fat pad grafts—for soft tissue repair and defect reconstruction. It also explores surgical outcomes and prognostic factors in complex oral surgery, including third molar extractions and rare craniofacial tumors like chondroblastoma.
Professor Hye-Lan Kim's research lab focuses on social work, mental health, and migration, with a strong emphasis on vulnerable populations such as LGBT forced migrants and working women. The lab investigates mental health service access, resilience, and systemic barriers in multicultural and settlement contexts, particularly in high-income countries like Canada and South Korea. It also explores the intersection of social policy, work-family balance, and institutional support systems, including workplace childcare and transportation systems. The lab employs mixed-methods and qualitative approaches to inform equitable social work practice and policy development.
Professor Chung Mo Koo's research lab specializes in clinical and translational studies focused on pediatric epilepsy, particularly the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in treatment-resistant syndromes such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The lab also investigates biomarkers and prognostic tools—such as the lactate-to-albumin ratio and age-adjusted qSOFA—for predicting mortality and disease severity in critically ill pediatric patients with sepsis or infection. Additionally, the lab explores vascular complications, including the association between blood group and thrombosis risk in patients with central venous catheters. Their work bridges clinical neurology, critical care, and pharmacology to improve outcomes in vulnerable pediatric populations.
Professor Wook Jang's research lab specializes in health law, environmental regulation, and public policy, with a focus on legislative development and regulatory frameworks governing telemedicine, medical advertising, end-of-life care, and green growth. The lab conducts comparative legal analysis of healthcare and environmental policies across countries such as the U.S., Japan, and Australia, aiming to inform and improve domestic legislation in South Korea. It also examines the intersection of law, ethics, and sustainability, particularly in the context of climate change, environmental litigation, and the protection of ecological and intergenerational rights.
Professor In-Suk Oh's research lab focuses on the historical development of Western and traditional medicine in Korea, particularly examining the interactions between Western medical missionaries and indigenous healing practices from the 19th to early 20th century. The lab investigates the institutionalization of modern medicine in Korea, including public health policies, medical education, and the scientific study of traditional Korean medicine. Key research directions include the translation and documentation of traditional medical texts, the evolution of psychiatric care in colonial Korea, and the socio-medical dynamics shaping medical knowledge exchange.
Professor Kyung Jun Jang's research focuses on historical Korean linguistics, particularly the study of medieval Korean orthographic systems such as Seokdokkugyol and point-attached kugyol, which were used to render Classical Chinese texts into Korean for comprehension. His work centers on the analysis of textual materials from the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, especially annotated manuscripts and printed editions like the Dae Myeong Yul Jik Hae, with an emphasis on paleographic, textual, and philological reconstruction. He investigates the development of Korean reading aids, scribal practices, and the evolution of Korean grammar through these historical sources, contributing significantly to the understanding of early Korean language and translation practices.
Professor Jae-ryong Cho's research lab specializes in translation studies, literary theory, and comparative poetics, with a focus on the interplay between language, rhythm, and cultural translation in modern literature. The lab explores the theoretical foundations of translation—particularly double-translation and the role of translation in shaping national literary identities—while examining how modernist and postmodernist literary theories intersect with linguistic structures such as prosody, stress, and syntax. A central theme is the rethinking of rhythm not as a formal or musical feature, but as an intrinsic, meaning-laden dimension of textual structure, informed by French modernist poetics and applied to Korean literary texts. The lab also investigates the historical role of translation in the development of modern Korean language and literature, especially through the works of key figures like Jeong In-seob and Kim Eok.
Professor Jae-rim Jung's research lab specializes in literature education, critical pedagogy, and the ethical dimensions of literary experience. The lab explores how literary texts foster empathy, critical thinking, and moral imagination, particularly through narrative engagement and deliberative discussion. It also investigates the theoretical and practical challenges in textbook selection, literary theory application, and the representation of war and trauma in Korean literature. The lab emphasizes transformative, student-centered approaches to literature education that integrate personal experience, social consciousness, and ethical reflection.
Professor Yong-Jae Kim's research lab specializes in financial regulation, banking law, and financial consumer protection, with a strong focus on the legal and institutional frameworks governing financial institutions and market integrity. The lab explores critical issues such as the reform of ownership restrictions in commercial banking, the evolution of fiduciary duties in financial services, and the balance between financial innovation and systemic stability. It also examines cross-jurisdictional models—particularly from the U.S.—to inform regulatory reforms in South Korea, especially in the context of internet-only banks and financial product liability.
