John S. Lee

John S. Lee is an Assistant Professor of East Asian History in the Department of History at the University of Durham, where he has served since 2019. He is also affiliated with the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. His academic trajectory includes a Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University (2017), preceded by roles as a Presidential Fellow in Environmental History at the University of Manchester and a postdoctoral fellowship in Agrarian Studies at Yale University.

Lee's research bridges Korean history and environmental studies, focusing on:

• Pre-industrial forestry systems in East Asia
• The Chosŏn dynasty's conservation policies
• Long-term ecological impacts of the Mongol Empire
• State-society interactions in environmental management
• Landscape formation in early modern Korea

His publications consistently explore the intersection of state power, environmental systems, and historical change in Korea, with recurring themes of forest governance, infrastructural limitations, and imperial legacies. Methodologically, his work combines archival analysis with comparative environmental history.