This paper reflects on how conference interpreting, over any other form of interpreting, came to occupy a prominent place in research on interpreting. It examines the history of conference interpreting and its interconnectedness with the history of research on interpreting. The first conference interpreters are traced back to post-World War I Europe, where the first multilingual international conferences were held to establish the terms of peace. The full-scale adoption of simultaneous interpreting at the Nuremberg trials following World War II is discussed as the next turning point that bolstered scholarly interest in interpreting. This study goes on to observe how research on interpreting expanded as it increasingly “branched out” from Translation Studies and carved out its own territory. Research in South Korea on interpreting seems to have followed a similar trajectory, with a focus on conference interpreting and interpreter training. As Interpreting Studies broadens its boundaries both at home and abroad, it is important to map out the directions in which it can grow. In other words, it is necessary to look back, in order to look forward. (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea)