RESEARCH INTERESTS

Sohoon Yi is Assistant Professor in the Division of Global Korean Studies at Korea University and previously undertook fellowships and employment at Rice University, the University of Toronto, the University of Sydney and Kyungpook National University. Her research interests include migrant subjectivity at the intersection of gender, immigration laws, precarious labor, and the informal market. She is theoretically inspired by transnational feminism and critical sociology and uses qualitative research methods. She is currently developing a book manuscript on temporariness, borders, and ethno-kinship migration programs in South Korea. She has published articles in various academic journals, including Citizenship Studies, American Behavioral Scientist, Social Politics, and the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

Education

2018    Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Sydney

2012    M.A. in Human Rights and Democratisation (Asia-Pacific), University of Sydney

2010    M.A. in Collaborative Program in Asia-Pacific Studies, University of Toronto 

2008    Hon B.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies, University of Toronto (Graduated with High Distinction)

Professional Experiences

• 2023    Assistant Professor, Division of Global Korean Studies, College of International Studies/Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University (South Korea)

• 2019    Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Kyungpook National University (South Korea)

  2018    T.T. and W.F. Chao Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Transnational Asian Studies, Chao Center for Asian Studies, Rice University (USA)

  2018    Gender, Migration and the Work of Care Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto Mississauga (Canada)

  2017    Research Associate, Sydney Asia-Pacific Migration Centre, University of Sydney (Australia)

  2014    Associate Lecturer/ Curriculum Coordinator, Master of Human Rights and Democratisation Program, Department of Sociology and Social Policies, University of Sydney (Australia)

   

Journal Articles (in English)

Yi, Sohoon (2024) Legitimate Transaction?: Regulating Commercial International Marriage Brokers in South Korea. American Behavioral Scientist.

Yi, Sohoon (2021) Penalizing ‘Runaway’ Migrant Wives: Commercial Cross-Border Marriages and Home Space as Confinement. Citizenship Studies 25(7): 918-935. https://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2021.1968682

Yi, Sohoon (2021) Suspicious Motherhood: Maternal Labor and Marriage Migration in South Korea. Social Politics 28(1):71-93. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxz018

Yi, Sohoon and Jennifer Chun (2020) Organising Day Labourers in South Korea’s Construction Industry International Comparative Sociology Journal 61(2-3): 122-140

Underhill, Elsa, Sherry Huang, Sohoon Yi and Malcolm Rimmer (2019) Using Social Media to Improve Temporary Migrant Workers’ Access to Information about their Employment Rights. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 20(84): 147-174

Lee, Sohoon and Yi-Chun Chien (2017) The Making of “Skilled” Overseas Koreans: Transformation of Visa Policies for Co-ethnic Migrants in South Korea. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 43 (13): 2193-2210

Lee, Sohoon and Nicola Piper (2017) Migrant Domestic Workers as ‘Agents’ of Development in Asia: An Institutional Analysis of Temporality. European Journal of East Asian Studies 16 (2): 220-247

Piper, Nicola and Lee, Sohoon (2016) Marriage Migration, Migrant Precarity, and Social Reproduction in Asia: an Overview. Critical Asian Studies 48 (4): 473-493

Lee, Sohoon (2012) Those Who Can Become “Foreign Koreans”: Globalisation, Transnational Marriages, and Shifting Nationalist Discourses in South Korea. Theory in Action 5 (3):1-30

Article Manuscript in Process

Yi, Sohoon. Colorless and Invisible: Gendered Racialization of “Foreign Women”. (Contribution to the proposed Forum (Special Issue), proposal accepted by the Journal of Asian Studies)

Yi, Sohoon and Kim, Han Sang. Racing the Korean Imaginary: Gender and the Making of Race in South Korea. (Guest Introduction for the proposed Forum (Special Issue), proposal accepted by the Journal of Asian Studies)

Yi, Sohoon. “You Are Only Family When You Are Rich”: Politics of Kinship, Cross-border Membership, and Economic Exchange. (Being prepared for submission to Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies)

Book Chapters

YI, Sohoon (2022) Penalizing 'runaway' migrant wives: commercial cross-border marriages and home space as confinement. In Tuen Yi Chiu and Brenda S.A. Yeoh (eds.) Marriage Migration, Family and Citizenship in Asia. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon and New York, NY. 

Yi, Sohoon (2022) Open, Sesame: Korean-Chinese Kinship Relations and Codes to Reclaim Time in South Korea. In Minjeong Kim & Hyeyoung Woo (eds.) Redefining Multicultural Families in South Korea: Reflections and Future Directions. Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, NJ.

Lee, Sohoon (2013) Asian Democracy and the Problem of Membership: Rules of Exception and the 'Legitimate' Discrimination against Migrants in South Korea. in James Arvanitakis & Ingrid Matthews (eds.) The Citizen in the 21st Century. Inter-Disciplinary Press: Oxfordshire. 73-85

Book Review

Yi, Sohoon (2024) Book review of Women in the Sky: Gender and Labor in the Making of Modern Korea by Hwasook Nam. Journal of Korean Studies. 29(2)

Yi, Sohoon (2021) Review of Organized Labor and Civil Society for Multiculturalism: A Solidarity Success by Joon K. Kim. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal 30(4):500–505

Journal Articles (in Korean)

Yi, Sohoon, Yu Kim, Chae Eun Lee and Ji Hye Jin (2023) 익명과 이슬람혐오: 온라인 커뮤니티에 담긴 대학생의 인종적 이해, 편견, 그리고 혐오. [Racial Understanding, Prejudice and Hatred by University Students Expressed Online]. Contemporary Society and Multiculturalism. 13(2):1-45. DOI : 10.35281/cms.2023.05.13.2.1

Yuk, Joowon and Sohoon Yi (2022). 대구 북구 이슬람사원 갈등을 통해 본 인종주의의 위장술[“Racism in Disguise: Islamophobia and Daegu Daruleeman Islamic Mosque]. Asia Review. 12(1):33-65.

Yi, Sohoon (2021). 국가와 '국제결혼 소비자 피해담론'의 제도화 작업[“Victimized” Consumer Discourse in International Matchmaking Service and the State’s Systemizing Work]. Journal of Korean Women’s Studies. 37(2):129-166.

Policy Documents

Underhill, Elsa, Sherry Huang, Sohoon Lee and Malcolm Rimmer (2018) Information Seeking Behaviours of Temporary Visa Workers in Victoria. Deakin University: Melbourne.

Cheng, Kuo-Sheng, Tina Davis, Sohoon Lee, Sora Lee, Yao-Tai Li (in alphabetical order) (2016) Vulnerabilities of Working Holiday Makers and Policy Recommendations. Submission to Senate Inquiry on the Impact of Australia’s Temporary Work Visa Programs on the Australian Labour Market and on the Temporary Work Visa Holders. Parliament of Australia.

Lee, Sohoon and Nicola Piper (2013) Understanding Multiple Discrimination against Labour Migrants in Asia: an Intersectional Analysis. International Policy Analysis. Fredrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): Berlin

Piper, Nicola and Sohoon Lee (2013) Contributions of Migrant Domestic Workers to Sustainable Development: Policy Paper for the Pre-GFMD VI High-Level Regional Meeting on Migrant Domestic Workers at the Interface of Migration and Development. UN Women: Bangkok.

Lee, Sohoon, Juliette Mitchell, Bruce Amoroto, Petra Gimbad, Nicholas Leow, Nishandeny Ratnam, Ivone Rebelo and Haibin Zhou (2013) Rights without Borders: realising human rights for all workers irrespective of citizenship. Campaign for Australian Ratification of Migrant Workers Convention. Human Rights Council of Australia: online. 

Azhar, Haris, Yuval Ginbar, Sohoon Lee, Atnike Sigiro, Swee Seng Yap (2010) Hiding Behind Its Limits: Performance Report on ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development: Bangkok.