Korea in the world: the twentieth century

Korean Studies Electives

This course surveys the cultural history of the Korean civilization from 1900 to 2000. Drawing on sources from a variety of disciplines, this course provides a deeper understanding of Korean tradition and identity in the context of East Asia and beyond. The course will explore key events in the twentieth century, including, but not limited to, the fall of the Great Han Empire, Japanese colonialism, the Korean War and Cold War division, Korea’s relationships with the Soviet Union, China, and the United States, economic and cultural development of nations within the framework of globalization, industrial development and IMF crisis. Students will learn different institutional systems, cultural organizations, political economy, and key ideologies through reading primary and secondary sources. Students will also learn different positions of national history in the context of global history and early modern studies.