The international conference Korea and the Eastern Bloc: The Onset of the Cold War and the Involvement of Eastern Bloc Countries in the 1950s and 1960s took place on 30–31 January 2026 at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague. The event was organized by the Korea and the Eastern Bloc Institute and brought together scholars researching Cold War history, Korean studies, and relations between the Korean Peninsula and socialist countries.
The conference was organized and moderated by Lukáš Kubík, who guided the two-day program of presentations and discussions. Researchers from several countries presented their work on the early Cold War period, with particular attention to the involvement of Eastern Bloc countries in Korea during and after the Korean War.
The program addressed a range of topics, including humanitarian assistance, political cooperation, cultural exchanges, and the experiences of Korean children and students in Eastern Europe. These discussions highlighted the diverse connections that developed between the Korean Peninsula and socialist countries during the 1950s and 1960s, contributing to a deeper understanding of this often overlooked chapter of Cold War history.
In addition to in-person participation in Prague, the conference was also live-streamed, allowing audiences to follow the sessions online and engage with the presentations remotely.