Hyunok Lee is a Professor in the Department of Global Korean Studies Sogang University.

Her general research interest lies in exploring the gendered political economic processes in

East Asia, with a focus on social reproduction. She conducted research on the gendering

migration system in East Asia, the intersection of the migration regime and the care/welfare

regimes. Her current research interest includes citizenship in the post-developmental state

and welfare regime in East Asia and women’s movement including social and solidarity

economy, and unionization of care workers.

Research Interests: Gender, development and migration, Post-developmental Citizenship, Care regime, Social and Solidarity Economy, Women Workers Movement. 

- Education

Ph.D. Development Sociology, Cornell University (Aug. 2011)

M.SC. Development Sociology, Cornell University (Jan. 2006)

M.A. Gender and Development, Sussex Universsity, UK

B.A. Political Science and Diplomacy Yonsei University (Feb. 2001)

- Career

      (2023 ~ Current) Professor, Department of Global Korean Studies, Sogang University (Sep. 2013 ~ Feb. 2023) Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Global Public

Administration, Yonsei University Mirae Campus (Aug. 2011 ~ Aug. 2013) Postdoctoral Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

Lee, Hyunok. 2024. The Paradox of Economic Growth and Gender Equality in South Korea. Critical Asian Studies, 57(1), 19-36.

Lee, Hyunok. 2024. “Gendering the Migration System in East Asia” in Chang, Kyungsup and Kim

로데스 베네리아, 귄셀리 베릭, 마리아 플로로 저, 이현옥 외 역, 2024 젠더, 발전, 지구화: 페미니스트 경제학 입문, 박영사

전미양, & 이현옥. 2024. 돌봄의 공간과 소속감 형성: 한부모 이주여성 역량강화 지원 프로그램 참여 경험을 중심으로. 다문화사회연구, 17(3), 105-141.

Lee, Hyunok. 2023. “Rise of the Social?: Socialization of Care and Gendered Social Economy in South Korea”, Asian Journal of Social Science

Lee, Hyunok, and Hyunjin Im. 2022. "Women's voluntary work in the community: a question of recognition and rewards." Gender & Development 30.1-2: 201-216

Lee, Hyunok. 2022. “Global Householding and a Question of Gendered Citizenship: A Case of Family Visit in South Korea”. Asia Pacific Migration Journal, 31(1), 52-69.

Lee, Hyunok. 2020. “From Factory Worker to Foreign Wife: Reading Migration and Development through a Gender Perspective”, in Huang S. and Luwanpura K. (ed) Handbook on Gender in Asia, Edward Elgar

이현옥, 박주희 2019 일상의 통제권을 담보한 돌봄 사회화 : 공동육아협동조합을 중심으로, 한국여성학, 35(3), pp. 79-112

Lee, Hyunok. 2018. “Governing the care regime: a comparative perspective on Japan and Korea, Development and Society, Institute for Social Development and Policy Research

Lee, Hyunok. 2018. ‘Gendered Migration in Changing Care Regime: A Case of Chinese Korean Migrants in South Korea’, Social Policy and Society, Cambridge University Press

Lee, Hyunok. 2017. “Négocier les frontiers: Parcours migratoires de Vietnamiennes”, Geneses, Vol. 108, 109-127 Lee, Hyunok. 2017. "Foreign to Disaster or New Point of Solidarity? A Vietnamese Victim’s Family in the Sewol Aftermath" in Suh, J. and Kim, M (ed) Challenges of modernization and governance in South Korea the sinking of the Sewol and its causes, Singapore: Palgrave McMillan, 169-186

이현옥. 2017. 재난 경험의 민족국가적 구획과 사회적 연대의 가능성: 베트남 결혼이민자 유가족의 경험을 중심으로, 서재정 김미경 (ed) 침몰한 세월호,난파하는 대한민국 : 압축적 근대화와 복합적 리스크, 서울: 한울아카데미

이구경숙, 이현옥, 김영정, 박주희 2017 사회적 경제와 여성노동 재의미화의 가능성, 한국여성학, 제33권 제1호, 2017.3, 201-237

이현옥 2016 동아시아 맥락에서의 돌봄레짐 변화와 이주의 여성화: 한국과 대만을 중심으로, 경제와 사회 110 239-269

Lee, Hyunok. Williams, Lindy. Arguillas, Florio. 2016. 'Adapting to Marriage Markets: International Marriage Migration from Vietnam to South Korea', Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Vol. XLVII, No.2, 267-288

Lee, Hyunok. 2014.‘Trafficking in Women? Or Multicultural Family?: Contextual Difference in Commodification of Intimacy’, Gender, Place and Culture, Vol 21. No.10

Lee, Hyunok. 2013. ‘Global Householding for Social Reproduction: Vietnamese Marriage Migration to South Korea’, The Political Economy of Household in Asia, Palgrave MacMillan

Lee, Hyunok. 2012. ‘The Political Economy of Cross-Border Marriage: Economic Development and Social Reproduction in South Korea ', Feminist Economics, Vol. 18. No.2.

Advisory Committee Member for Sustainable Development, Seoul Metropolitan Government (2025~present)

Distribution Committee Member, Korean Women’s Foundation (2023~present)

Gender Specialist Advisor, Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) (2019~present)

Board Member, Asia Women Bridge Dureundureun (2014~present)

Editorial Board Member, Economy and Society (2023~present)

Diversity Scholar, National Center for Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan (2012~present)