MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY IN KOREA

This is a six-credit graduate seminar on labor issues in modern Korean society. This course comprises framework, labor issues in modern Korean history, and post-1987 labor issues. Labor issues are so complicated that students are expected to understand a tool or framework through which they can get a glimpse of labor issues. Traditionally, at least up to the 1980s, Korea was a typical third-world country that focused on economic development with rapid capital accumulation and suppression of labor movement. Thus, we need a historical understanding of labor issues at least dating back to colonial industrialization and paired labor movement. Then Korea became a member of OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries in the mid-1990s, which has to consider laborer-friendly or at least internationally sensitive labor policies. Thus, Korean society, particularly in post-1987, has faced lots of labor issues such as employment, wage, parental leave, paid holidays, etc. Consequently, there have been lots of thorny legal issues that we will cover in this class.
Furthermore, this class is devoted to comparative labor issues, e.g., between Korea and Italy. In addition, normative dimensions will be also discussed quite substantially. Consequently, the desired outcome is that students clearly understand modern labor issues through comparative and transnational perspectives.

Students will understand modern Korean experiences in labor issues so that they will see the roots of contemporary Korean society.

Reading assigned materials before each class and raising questions during the class will be strongly encouraged.

* All the reading assignments will be uploaded into the Moodle at least two weeks before each class.
* Most recommended readings will be in the Asian Studies Library.

- Look at the MOODLE

100% Final Exam (two times in January 2023 One in June and one in August or September 2023)(Essays).

Lecture and Discussion. Usually, I use PowerPoint slides each week for my lecture, which will deal with reading assignments and more.

English

Bring many questions!

written