A virtual book launch for Daesoon Jinrihoe in Modern Korea: The Emergence, Transformation and Transmission of a New Religion (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020), a new book by Associate Professor David William Kim (Australian National University and Kookmin University, Seoul), was held online on February 9th 2021. The event was well-attended with nearly twenty participants tuning in from the continents of Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North America. The event’s chair, Dr. Duncan Wright (Head of Archaeology, Australian National University) began the session by welcoming everyone and then explaining the format and schedule. The first speech was a pre-recorded message from Professor Don Baker (Korean Civilization Specialist in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia) which praised the new book while providing some background on Korean new religious movements, Daesoon Jinrihoe, and representative components of Daesoon Thought.

  Next, Professor Eileen Barker (London School of Economics, United Kingdom) presented on modern Korean history and its relation to Jeungsanist Movements. This content correlated to chapters 1 & 2 of Daesoon Jinrihoe in Modern Korea. The following speaker was Dr. Massimo Introvigne (Center for Studies on New Religions, Italy) who spoke on leadership in Daesoon Jinrihoe and this followed Chapter 3, ‘Hagiographical and Mystical Narratives in the History of the Daesoon Leadership’ from Professor Kim’s book by summarizing the leadership enacted by Kang Jeungsan, Jo Jeongsan, and Park Wudang.

  The final speech was delivered by the book’s author, Professor Kim. He recounted his initial exposure to Daesoon Jinrihoe, which came when he met Professor Lee Gyungwon of Daejin University at an international conference on the study of New Religious Movements in West Africa in around 2012. Seeing an opportunity to explore an under-researched religion connected to the globalization of native Korean religious beliefs, Professor Kim decided to compose a full-length book on Daesoon Jinrihoe. Daesoon Jinrihoe in Modern Korea is a book that informs readers and scholars that Daesoon Jinrihoe is not simply another syncretic religion but rather a religion that innovates traditional religious thought while offering unprecedented and novel theological pronouncements.

   Dr. Wright concluded the launch by overseeing a short Q&A session. Attendees included Bae Kyuhan (Chairman of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences), Lee Gyungwon ( Department Chair of the Department of Daesoon Theology), Lee Jaeho (Deputy Director of the Religious Research & Edification Department), Cha Ikje (Team Leader of the International Affairs Team at the Religious Research & Edification Department), Kim Taesoo (Visiting Assistant Professor of the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies at National Chengchi University), and Chang Hsin-Fang (Director of the Research and Development for Religious Affairs of Weixin Shengjiao, Taiwan).