Since the first outbreak of COVID-19 in China at the end of 2019, hatred and discrimination towards Asians have been deepening mainly in Western countries. Jung Hoeok, a professor in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Myongji University, explained the reason for this Asian hatred through the program <Why Do You Hate Asians?>. The lecture, open to all students, including graduates, was held online for two days on August 16 and 18. Students could apply for the program by calling Sookmyung Women's University's Sympathy Humanities Center or by using the QR code on promotional posters. Participants were sent the links to the lecture video location on the day of the lecture. The lecture was divided into two parts: the history and examples of Asian discrimination and the specific reasons for Asian discrimination. In the first part, detailed examples of Asian discrimination were described, raising the seriousness of the current Asian discrimination issue. These examples included not only current discrimination but also that which occurred in the past, such as when smallpox spread to the United States in 1876. The professor introduced these examples and emphasized that discrimination and hatred are not created suddenly, but are created by long-term historical and social structural conditions. Subsequently, the second part introduced specific causes for Asian discrimination. Finally, he explained about Asian discrimination in Korea and explained how we can strive to avoid it. The program concluded by suggesting the direction in which our society should move. An anonymous Sookmyungian who participated in the lecture said, "Through this lecture, I was able to understand Asian hatred deeply and thought that I should seek social measures to solve it." As such, students could understand the reasons and examples of Asian discrimination that are currently prevalent around the world. In addition, it was a time to confirm the direction of society to avoid Asian discrimination.
