Guidelines

Author

Editorial Team

Published

May 1, 2024

Submission Guidelines

Article Submissions

  • Articles should ideally be between 6,000 and 10,000 words, including footnotes and bibliography. For unconventional formats (e.g., image essays, interactive maps, annotated translations), contact the editorial board; such pieces may be shorter than 6,000 or longer than 10,000 words.
  • Each submission must include an abstract of no more than 250 words.
  • Submissions should follow The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, Notes and Bibliography (footnotes).
  • Manuscripts should be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document to submissions@korean-histories.org.
  • We accept submissions in English. If you wish to submit in Korean, please contact the editors in advance.
Contact

For inquiries regarding article submissions: team@korean-histories.org

Book Reviews

Book Review Editor: Dr. Steven Denney (s.c.denney@hum.leidenuniv.nl)

Book reviews should be 700–900 words. Recommended structure: - Introduction: Identify the book (title, author, publication details), summarize the main theme/argument, and note the author’s credentials where relevant. - Summary of Content: Outline structure by chapter and/or theme; summarize key arguments. - Critical Evaluation: Assess strengths, weaknesses, contributions to Korean Studies or adjacent fields, and any methodological/theoretical innovations or shortcomings. - Relevance and Conclusion: Explain significance; offer a recommendation and potential impact on future research or practice.

House Style

We follow CMOS 18 (Notes & Bibliography) with the following preferences for Korean sources to aid disambiguation and discovery.

Core pattern (preferred, not mandated)
  • Romanization: Use McCune–Reischauer (MR) consistently for Korean.
  • Names and titles: Provide MR first, then Korean script; bracket only the English translation.
    • Modern works → MR + han’gŭl (add hanja only if the source presents it or it helps disambiguation).
    • Older/hanja-era works → MR + hanja (han’gŭl may follow if present or helpful).
  • Titles: MR title, then Korean script, then English translation in square brackets.
  • Journals: Do not translate journal titles. Include DOIs as URLs when available.
  • Books: Translate book titles in square brackets after the original title.

Script preference by period/source

  • Modern works (post-1950 and contemporary scholarship):
    • Prefer MR + han’gŭl for author names and titles; include hanja only if attested in the source or necessary for clarity.
  • Older/hanja-era materials (classical, late Chosŏn, colonial-era, early modern, and reprints reproducing hanja):
    • Prefer MR + hanja for author names and titles; han’gŭl may be added secondarily if helpful.
  • Bracket only the English translation. Do not bracket han’gŭl/hanja.
Practical rule
  • If the source prints the author’s name or title in hanja, include hanja after MR (and han’gŭl if present).
  • If the source prints only han’gŭl, include han’gŭl after MR.
  • If both are present, apply the period preference above (modern → han’gŭl first; older → hanja first).

Romanization and names

  • Use MR for all Korean names and titles unless the source uses an established English-form name; in that case, retain the published English form and optionally add MR and/or Korean script after it.
    • Example: Shin, Kyung-sook [Sin Kyŏng-suk 신경숙].
  • Bibliography: list up to six authors; for seven or more, list the first three followed by “et al.”
  • Repeat author names in the bibliography (no 3‑em dash).
  • Use shortened notes rather than ibid., unless clarity requires otherwise.
Translations and capitalization
  • Romanized Korean titles use sentence-style capitalization.
  • Provide an English translation in square brackets after the original title.
  • Journal titles are not translated; book titles are translated.

Publishers (Korean)

  • If the publisher is Korean, include the Korean script after the MR imprint.
    • Modern imprints → han’gŭl preferred (e.g., Ch’angbi 창비; Hangilsa 한길사).
    • Older/attested hanja imprints → hanja preferred (e.g., Iljogak 一潮閣; Kyemyŏngsa 啓明社).
  • Do not translate publisher names.

Real-World Examples (Notes and Bibliography)

The examples below use published works and our “MR first; Korean script after; English translation in square brackets” pattern. Where a DOI is known, it is included as a URL.

Modern Korean Journal Articles

Footnote: Ch’oe Changjip 최장집, “Minjujuŭi wa sahoe undong” 민주주의와 사회운동 [Democracy and social movements], Korean Journal of Sociology 34, no. 2 (2000): 5–38.

Short note: Ch’oe, “Minjujuŭi wa sahoe undong,” 12.

Bibliography: Ch’oe, Changjip 최장집. “Minjujuŭi wa sahoe undong” 민주주의와 사회운동 [Democracy and social movements]. Korean Journal of Sociology 34, no. 2 (2000): 5–38.

—

Footnote: Kim Hyejin 김혜진, “Ch’oegŭn nodong sijang pyŏnhwa” 최근 노동시장 변화 [Recent changes in the labor market], KDI Journal of Economic Policy 36, no. 2 (2014): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.23895/kdijep.2014.36.2.1

Short note: Kim, “Ch’oegŭn nodong sijang pyŏnhwa,” 7.

Bibliography: Kim, Hyejin 김혜진. “Ch’oegŭn nodong sijang pyŏnhwa” 최근 노동시장 변화 [Recent changes in the labor market]. KDI Journal of Economic Policy 36, no. 2 (2014): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.23895/kdijep.2014.36.2.1

Modern Article in English about Korea

Footnote: Gi-Wook Shin, “The Paradox of Korean Globalization,” Asian Perspective 24, no. 3 (2000): 115–146. https://doi.org/10.1353/apr.2000.0024

Short note: Shin, “Paradox of Korean Globalization,” 120.

Bibliography: Shin, Gi-Wook. “The Paradox of Korean Globalization.” Asian Perspective 24, no. 3 (2000): 115–146. https://doi.org/10.1353/apr.2000.0024

Modern Books

Footnote: Han Honggu 한홍구, Uri nara ŭi hyŏndae sa 우리의 현대사 [Our contemporary history] (Hangilsa 한길사, 2002).

Bibliography: Han, Honggu 한홍구. Uri nara ŭi hyŏndae sa 우리의 현대사 [Our contemporary history]. Hangilsa 한길사, 2002.

—

Footnote: Shin, Kyung-sook [Sin Kyŏng-suk 신경숙], Oemma rŭl put’akhae 엄마를 부탁해 [Please Look After Mom] (Ch’angbi 창비, 2008).

Bibliography: Shin, Kyung-sook [Sin Kyŏng-suk 신경숙]. Oemma rŭl put’akhae 엄마를 부탁해 [Please Look After Mom]. Ch’angbi 창비, 2008.

Classical / Older Works and Hanja-preferred Cases

Footnote: Yi Hwang 李滉, Sŏnghak sipto 聖學十圖 [Ten diagrams on sage learning], 1554; modern ed. (Kyemyŏngsa 啓明社, 1974).

Bibliography: Yi, Hwang 李滉. Sŏnghak sipto 聖學十圖 [Ten diagrams on sage learning]. 1554. Modern ed., Kyemyŏngsa 啓明社, 1974.

—

Footnote: Ch’oe Namsŏn 崔南善, “Pulhan ŭi munhwa” 佛韓의 文化 [Buddhist Korea’s culture], Tonggwang 東光 12 (1918): 3–28.

Bibliography: Ch’oe, Namsŏn 崔南善. “Pulhan ŭi munhwa” 佛韓의 文化 [Buddhist Korea’s culture]. Tonggwang 東光 12 (1918): 3–28.

—

Footnote: Han Paekkyŏm 韓百謙, Tongguk chiri chi 東國地理志 [Geographic records of the Eastern Kingdom] (Iljogak 一潮閣, 1982).

Bibliography: Han, Paekkyŏm 韓百謙. Tongguk chiri chi 東國地理志 [Geographic records of the Eastern Kingdom]. Iljogak 一潮閣, 1982.

Edited Volume Chapter

Footnote: Chŏng Haeŭn 정해은, “Ponggŏn ch’eje ŭi tong’yo wa yŏsŏng ŭi sŏngjang” 봉건체제의 동요와 여성의 성장 [Wavering feudal society and the empowerment of women], in Uri yŏsŏng ŭi yŏksa 우리 여성의 역사 [History of our women], edited by Han’guk Yŏsŏng Yŏn’guso 한국여성연구소, 225–250 (Ch’ŏngnyŏnsa 청년사, 1999).

Short note: Chŏng, “Ponggŏn ch’eje ŭi tong’yo,” 238.

Bibliography: Chŏng, Haeŭn 정해은. “Ponggŏn ch’eje ŭi tong’yo wa yŏsŏng ŭi sŏngjang” 봉건체제의 동요와 여성의 성장 [Wavering feudal society and the empowerment of women]. In Uri yŏsŏng ŭi yŏksa 우리 여성의 역사 [History of our women], edited by Han’guk Yŏsŏng Yŏn’guso 한국여성연구소, 225–250. Ch’ŏngnyŏnsa 청년사, 1999.

Ahead-of-Print / Preprint

Footnote: Pak Chaeho 박재호, “Han’guk chŏngdang chedo ŭi pyŏnhwa” 한국 정당 제도의 변화 [Changes in Korea’s party system], Korean Political Science Review, ahead of print, posted July 10, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5555/kpsr.2024.001

Bibliography: Pak, Chaeho 박재호. “Han’guk chŏngdang chedo ŭi pyŏnhwa” 한국 정당 제도의 변화 [Changes in Korea’s party system]. Korean Political Science Review. Ahead of print, posted July 10, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5555/kpsr.2024.001

Short Notes (preferred over ibid.)

  • Chŏng, “Ponggŏn ch’eje ŭi tong’yo,” 238.
  • Han, Uri nara ŭi hyŏndae sa, 45.

Quick Reference

What we prefer (but don’t mandate)
  • Use MR consistently.
  • Include Korean script after MR to aid identification:
    • Modern works: MR + han’gŭl; add hanja if attested or helpful.
    • Older/hanja-era: MR + hanja; add han’gŭl if present or helpful.
  • English translation follows in square brackets.
  • Journal titles not translated; book titles translated.
  • Repeat authors in the bibliography; no 3‑em dash.
  • Include DOIs as URLs.
Publishers and period preference
  • For Korean publishers, include Korean script after MR:
    • Modern: han’gŭl (e.g., Ch’angbi 창비; Hangilsa 한길사).
    • Older/attested: hanja (e.g., Iljogak 一潮閣; Kyemyŏngsa 啓明社).
  • If both scripts are present or helpful, you may include both: Ch’ŏngnyŏnsa 청년사/靑年社.

Notes on CMOS 18 Support

CMOS 18 allows inclusion of original scripts immediately after the romanized item and brackets only the English translation (see the “Languages Other than English” chapter, including Unicode and non-English titles with translations). This policy underpins our preferences here.