[2026 International Conference]
The DPRK Cities Research Group of the Soongsil Institute for Peace and Unification will host the 5th International Conference, sponsored by National Research Foundation of Korea and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

Under the theme Civic Space in Comparative Perspectives: Everyday Life and Agency in Cities under Authoritarian Regimes, the conference aims to comparatively examine and discuss everyday life, civic space, the agency of urban residents, and social relations in cities under authoritarian regimes, including North Korea.

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026, 09:00–18:00 *Lunch will be provided, so please register by November 14th.
Location: Hyongnam Hall, 1st Floor, Hyongnam Engineering Building, Soongsil University
(369 Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Program Highlights

• Keynote Speeches

• Session 1: Trust, Stability, and Civic Space in a Comparative North Korean Perspective

• Session 2: Everyday Agency under Authoritarianism

• Session 3: Urban Mediation and Authoritarian Space

• Roundtable Discussion

The conference will be held in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online participation. You can register and find further information about the event by scanning the QR code on the attached poster or accessing the Google Form link below. The online participation link will be sent to registered participants. 

We warmly invite you to join us and look forward to meeting you soon.
Thank you.

Register Here by November 14: https://forms.gle/rMuK1XunY4719bXJ7