KOREAN 120 - Korean Society and Culture

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Coordinator

Dr. Changzoo Song
Office: Arts 2 Building, Room 426 (Level 4, 18 Symonds St.)
Office Hours: Mondays 2-4 pm or by appointment
E-mail: ch.song@auckland.ac.nz

Korea

Korea is a fascinating country in many respects. Located between China and Japan, the Korean peninsula occupies the heart of Northeast Asian civilization and Koreans have developed a unique culture and tradition of their own while interacting with China and Japan. Though once known as the ‘Hermit Kingdom’ or the ‘Land of Morning Calm,’ today Korea is characterized by its dynamic economy and vibrant society. South Korea is world’s twelfth largest economy and its experience of rapid and successful economic development and political democratization serve as a model for many other countries. With increasing number of foreign workers and international brides South Korean society is becoming much more multicultural after the 1990s.

Course aims

This course is to provide students who have minimal or no prior knowledge on Korea with some key features of Korean society and culture. Taking both topical and comparative approaches, this course will focus on:

• The development of the Korean nation and through its domestic political and social changes and Korea’s relationship with its neighbors, China, Japan and the US;
• Religions, thoughts and values of traditional and modern Korea;
• The colonial rule of Korea by Japan and its legacies in politics, economy and culture;
• The national division after the WWII and the two Korean states, their unification efforts, and future prospects;
• Globalization and the political, social and cultural changes in South Korea in the post-1990s era.

To help understand Korean culture and society in a broader regional and global context, Korea will be compared with both China and Japan.

At the end of the semester students are expected to have solid knowledge of the selected topics on Korea as well as to understand some of the main similarities and differences between Korea and its two neighbors of China and Japan.