HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY KOREA

This class presents an overview of Modern Korean history, from 1876 to the present, which had lots of historical turmoil and changes. Thus, this class provides a historical context for general modern Korea. Modern Korea spans stunning events such as Korean openings to the west, Japanese annexation of Korea, colonial hardship and change, a Korean liberation. Furthermore, it also covers the Korean War, Korean economic development, Korean democracy, and Korean globalization since 1990s. Thus, in this class, we will probe the historical trajectory of diverse Korean experiences, so that students will realize modern Korean experience is part of universal experience in the world as well as unique aspects.

Students are expected to participate in lively discussions with careful reading of weekly assigned materials and to understand the current Korean society.

No specific prerequisites for the class. However, class attendance & informed and active participation in the discussion are strongly encouraged.

Week 1, Introduction to Course: Why we study Korean diaspora issues in modern Korea?
Week 2, Korean Traditional Society in Crisis
Week 3, Korea in the 1870-80s and Diaspora
Week 4, The Rise of Imperialism in East Asia and Korea in the 1880s-90s
Week 5, Korean Nationalism and Korean Diaspora in the US in the 1900s
Week 6, The Road to Japanese Colonization of Korea and Korean Diaspora
Week 7, The First Phase of Japanese Colonial Rule and Korean Diaspora in the 1910s
Week 8, March First Movement and the “Cultural Rule” in the 1920s
Week 9, Korean Coalition Movement (Sin’ganhoe) and Road to Japanese Invasion of Manchuria (1931)
Week 10, Japanese Expansion to Mainland China in the 1930s and Wartime Mobilization
Week 11: Korean Liberation, The Cold War and the Rise of Two Different Countries
Week 12, Korean War: Origins, Process, and Results
Week 13, South Korea: Authoritarianism, Economic Development, and Democratization
Week 14, North Korea: Authoritarian Regime
Week 15, Korean Civil Society and Gender Issues/ Concluding Remarks

All the reading assignments are reserved in the Asian Studies Library.

1. Bruce Cumings, Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History (NY: Nortons, 2005).
2. Kyung Moon Hwang, A History of Korea: An Episodic Narrative (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
3. Ebrey, Patricia, Anne Walthal, and James Palais, East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009 (2nd edition).
4. Jaeeun Kim, Contested Embrace: Trans-border Membership Politics in Twentieth-Century Korea (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2016).

Final Exam (100%): 25 short answer Questions and 2 essays in January 2020.

The instructor will deliver a traditional lecture in each class with Q&A sessions. He will use many powepoint slides and vidoe clips. See: "moodle" for powerpoint presentations of the lessons, syllabus and further materials.

English

Please refer to c.f. here and e-journal sources for your research in http://muse.jhu.edu or http://www.jstore.org .

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development