Seo-Young Cho

Biography (CV)

Seo-Young Cho is an empirical economist with research focuses on cultural and gender economics. Since October 2021, she is (tenured) senior researcher for quantitative cultural policy studies at the IKM. Her research fields comprise gender and migration in cultural fields, cultural policy analysis, creative economy and innovation, diversity and pluralism, and interdisciplinary, integrative methods for cultural policy studies. Her research topics further include economic analysis of gender equality, gender-based violence, human trafficking and female migration, institutional analysis of social capital, and East Asian society and economy.

Her research work has been published in various international peer-reviewed journals in economic and social science disciplines (see the full list below). Also, she has completed many research projects financed by the European Commission, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Academy of Korean Studies, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (GESIS). She has also served as a policy advisor on issues of gender and migration policies for local and central governments of Germany, Canada, South Korea, and the Netherlands, as well as the European Commission. She has taught classes of gender economics, institutional economics, development economics, migration economics, econometrics, mixed methods, and Asian and Korean economics.

Prior to her post at mdw, Seo-Young Cho was junior professor of empirical institutional economics at the University of Marburg (2013-2019) and Aigner-Rollett guest professor of gender studies at the University of Graz (2020-2021). Previously, she was a post-doc at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW-Berlin, 2012–13) and doctoral and post-doctoral researcher in economics at the University of Göttingen (2008–12). Also, she held a research fellow position at the Korea-Europe Center in the Free University of Berlin (2020–21) and lectureship in Korean economics at the University of Tübingen (2020). 

Seo-Young Cho received her doctoral degree in economics from the University of Göttingen in Germany, her master’s degree in public administration and policy from Columbia University in New York, USA, and another master’s in sociology from Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.

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Research Focuses & Current Interests

Cultural and Creative Economics, Gender economics, Institutional Economics, Economics of Migration, Quantitative and Mixed Research Methods, especially:

  • Gender in cultural fields, especially gender roles and norms, gender differences in behaviors and attitudes, and fair pay for women artists
  • Women migrant artists as entrepreneurs and innovators
  • Intersectionality of gender and race in cultural fields
  • Integrative and pluralist methodology for cultural policy studies
  • Fan identity, fan activism, and fan entrepreneurship in K-Pop
  • Evidence-based policy analysis

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Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

  • “The Rise of South Korea’s Soft Power in Europe–A Survey Analysis of Public Diplomacy” (corresponding first author, coauthors: D. Claus-Kim, E.J. Lee, and S.H. Lee). 2023. Korea Observer 54(2): 227–255

  • “Female Mentors and Peers–A Heterogeneity Analysis of Gender Gaps in Attitudes towards STEM in South Korea”. 2022. Korea Journal 62(2): 208–240
  • “The Effect of Social Identity on Integration of Social Minorities–The Case of North Korean Refugees in South Korea”. 2022. International Area Studies Review 25: 3–20 
  • “Exporting the Korean Wave to Europe: An Analysis of the Trade Effect”. 2021. Korea Observer 52: 541–566
  • “Social Capital and Innovation in East Asia”. 2021. Asian Development Review 38: 207–238
  • “South Korea’s Soft Power in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic-An Analysis of the Expert Survey in Europe” (corresponding first author, coauthors: E.J. Ballbach, D. Claus-Kim, H.G Kim, E.J. Lee, and J. Shim). 2020. Seoul Journal of Economics 33: 601–626 (special issue on Covid-19 Pandemics and Alternative Economic Models around the World)
  • “A Bride Deficit and Marriage Migration in South Korea”. 2018. International Migration 56: 100–119
  • “An Analysis of Sexual Violence–The Relationship between Sex Crimes and Prostitution in South Korea”. 2018. Asian Development Perspectives 9 (special issue on Cross-Cutting Sustainable Development Goals–Gender Equality): 12–34
  • “Does Gender Equality Promote Social Trust? An Empirical Analysis”. 2016. World Development 88:175–187
  • “Liberal Coercion? Prostitution, Human Trafficking and Policy”. 2016. European Journal of Law and Economics 41: 321–348
  • “Human Trafficking, A Shadow of Migration–Evidence from Germany”. 2015. Journal of Development Studies 51: 905–921
  • “Measuring Anti-trafficking Policy–Integrating Text and Statistical Analyses”. 2015. Social Science Quarterly 96: 656–683
  • “Modelling for Determinants of Human Trafficking–An Empirical Analysis”. 2015. Social Inclusion 3: 2–21
  • “Evaluating Policies against Human Trafficking Worldwide–An Overview and Review of the 3P Index”. 2015. Journal of Human Trafficking 1 (inaugural issue, invited article): 86–99
  • “International Women’s Convention, Democracy and Gender Equality”. 2014. Social Science Quarterly 95: 719–739
  • “The Determinants of Anti-trafficking Policies–Evidence from a New Index” (coauthors: A. Dreher and E. Neumayer). 2014. Scandinavian Journal of Economics 116: 429–454
  • “Integrating Equality–Globalization, Women’s Rights, and Human Trafficking”. 2013. International Studies Quarterly 57: 683–697
  • “Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?” (coauthors: A. Dreher and E. Neumayer). 2013. World Development 41: 67–82
    • Translated and reprinted in Korean: Women and Human Rights Vol. 9, 2013. Women’s Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of South Korea
  • “Compliance with the Anti-trafficking Protocol” (coauthor: K. C. Vadlamannati). 2012. European Journal of Political Economy 28: 249–265

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Discussion Papers

  • “The Korean Wave: Fans, Consumers, Activists, and Entrepreneurs in Germany” (corresponding first author, coauthors: E.J. Lee and S.H. Lee). 2021. Korea Focus WP No. 15, FU-Berlin

  • “Competition, Trust, and Gender–An Analysis of Education Data in East Asia”. 2021. Korea Focus WP No. 14, FU-Berlin
  • “On Inclusive Growth: Millennials and Entrepreneurs in South Korea”. 2021. Korea Focus WP No. 13, FU-Berlin
  • “Explaining Gender Differences in Confidence and Overconfidence in Math”. 2017. MAGKS DP No. 01-2017, Marburg
  • “Crime 2.0–Cybercrime, e-Talent, and Institutions”. 2016. MAGKS DP No. 08-2016, Marburg
  • “A League of Their Own–Female Soccer, Male Legacy and Women’s Empowerment”. 2013. DIW DP No. 1267, Berlin
  • “The Gender-Specific Effect of Working Hours on Family Happiness in South Korea” (coauthor: R. Rudolf). 2011. Courant Research Center DP No. 77, Göettingen

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Boards and Functions

  • Co-organizer, Symposium on Global Asymmetries in Art and Culture: Mobility, Privilege and Problem, IKM MDW & UNESCO Austria & IG Bildende Kunst (2023, Vienna)
  • Working Group on Equal Opportunities (AKG), MDW
  • Commissary for Data Protection, IKM
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Human Trafficking
  • Member of the Directorate, Korean-German Academy of Economics and Management (KDGW)

 

Dr. Seo-Young Cho

Senior Researcher for Quantitative Cultural Policy Studies

Email: cho@mdw.ac.at

Telephone: +43 1 71155 3403