Hi, I'm Jiwon!

I am a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. My research interests broadly encompass Transnational & Feminist STS, East Asian technocultures, and AI ethics. I examine how historical legacies of colonialism, capitalism, and liberal humanism shape contemporary technological imaginaries and infrastructures in East Asia. My current projects explore shifting notions of intimacy and creativity in the age of generative AI, gender-based and algorithmic harm, and the cultural politics of resistance to Western tech forces across Korean and Japanese contexts.

I hold an M.A. in Communication from Seoul National University, and a B.S. in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University. In my spare time, I like to travel, and geek out over K-pop and musical theatre. I also love spending time outdoors - on picnics, hikes, beaches! I was born and raised in Seoul, but have also spent a good chunk of my life in New Jersey, Manhattan, and Orlando.