Introduction to Korea & Its Culture 2010 Summer School, Inha University
Coordinator: Prof. Aegyung Noh, English Dept. ([email protected])
Introduction to Korea & Its Culture is a 3 week course open every summer designed to help college students, Koreans included, have a better understanding of Korea in its historical and cultural contexts. A series of 16 lectures covering various aspects of Korean society and culture, this course may lead the students to savor the rich historical and cultural inheritance of this dynamic nation. Welcome aboard!!
Lecture 1 Korean Politics and Unification Prof. Eui-Kon Kim ([email protected]) The purpose of this lecture is to introduce to international students the issues and problems involved in Korean political system and unification with North Korea. The lecture will cover some issues like democratization, Asian values and unification cost. It will also compare various approaches to these issues among Western and Korean scholars.
Lecture 2 Korean History in the 13th and 14th Centuries Dr. Kang Hahn Lee ( sisko104@ hotmail.com) In this class, the medieval history of Korea will be briefly examined through reviewing the most turbulent period that Koreans ever experience in history. The cause for such turbulence was no other than the presence of the mighty Mongol Yuan dynasty. The Goryeo people had a hard time responding to their threats, and they also had to suffer in frustration finding a right balance within their relationship with the Mongol people. However, their bumpy relationship in the late 13th century started to change in the 14th century, and quite contrary to the general belief that the people of today now share, their relationship led to one of the most active and fruitful periods ever existed in the Korean history. The Goryeo people's efforts, their relationship with the Mongol people which they shaped and molded themselves, and the historical meaning of such a unique relationship between two peoples will all be discussed in the class.
1 Hopefully, learning some things about this period would eventually enlighten us and provide us with an answer to the question of how the Koreans and foreigners should shape and mold their relationship with each other, in the present and the future.
Lecture 3 Korean History: The Rise of Modern Korea and Colonial Experience Dr. Jong Chol An ([email protected]) This is a very brief survey of the modern Korean history with special focus on the rise of modern state and nationalism in Korea, especially during the Japanese occupation of Korea. We deal with its political, social, and cultural dimension from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. We will pay close attention to the Korea's dynamic approaches to new international settings. Also, we deal with Korean understanding of its own identity and position in modern world.
Lecture 4 Understanding Korean Architectural Environment Prof. Young-Min Koo ([email protected]) A city, particularly an old city, can be thought of as a language, and vice-versa: alleys, squares, old or new houses, labyrinth created by the extension of houses on blocks from different periods, new suburbs with uniform houses and straightly aligned streets, etc. To imagine a language is, therefore, the same as to imagine a form of life; that is, a form of culture. This small lecture attempts to read the architectural landscape of Seoul, the capital city of Korea, and her suburbs as a certain type of text, a text that is less original than multi-dimensional where diverse writings are amalgamated and collide. The lecture will discuss different approaches to Korean architectural environment as well. A focus will be given to the process how urban experience and memories have been written and read in each architectural period of Seoul’s history and how its identity as a city has been acquired.
Lecture 5 Women and War in Modern Korean Literature Prof. Youkyung Son ([email protected])
2 The purpose of this lecture is to introduce to international students modern Korean literature especially focusing on the relationship between Korean War and women. Students will read Junghee O’s short stories in Chinatown. We deal with special issue such as war, gender and traumatic memories in terms of memory studies. This two hour lecture will provide students with a deeper understanding of Korean literature and a general overview of modern Korean culture.
Lecture 6 Hot Topics in Contemporary Korean Culture Prof. Aegyung Noh ([email protected]) This course offers a synchronic overview of contemporary Korean culture covering its most current and fiercely debated topics. These include the latest fad for teenage girl bands, sports nationalism, the relation between popular entertainment and politics, and so on. Engaging with the “hot” topics of Korean culture and it culture industry, this course aims to concentrate on Korean culture “now” and thus complement the generally diachronic approach of the courses offered in the Summer School program.
Lecture 7 The Korean Economy Prof. Joung-Yong Lee ([email protected]) This lecture will answer how, within just a half century, Korea transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a leading middle income country. We will discuss hot issues like, 'Asian value', 'market economy', 'state government', 'crony capitalism', 'Asian financial crisis', and 'today's world economic recession'. Cultural factors behind the Korean economic development will be discussed as well.
Lecture 8 Understanding Korean Cultural Values from Psychological Perspectives Prof. Yukari Ariizumi ([email protected]) This lecture will help students understand Korean cultural values from psychological and cross-cultural perspectives. First, students will learn psychological concepts and studies about culture. Second, cross-cultural psychology clarifies the differences and similarities between the Korean people with the other peoples in East Asia, Europe, the
3 United States and Latin America. Third, this course will outline Korean indigenous psychology and provide a review of the studies on parent-child relationships (e.g., filial piety) and academic achievement. These findings of the psychological studies will expand students’ understanding of Korean culture within the global context.
Lecture 9 Korean Independent Animation Prof. Jaehyung JU ( jumong @inha.ac.kr) This animation class provides students with practical understanding of the artistic history and social background of Korean independent animation. Students will have the chance to watch interesting works of short animation and talk about them. This course also helps students experience the expressive power and communication of Korean animation brought out by adding movement and storytelling into visualized images.
Lecture 10 Educational Systems in Korea Prof. Ji-Yeon Lee ( leejy @inha.ac.kr) This two hour lecture provides a general overview of Korean educational system and its curriculum. Students will have the chance to watch some video clips from K-12 classrooms in Korea and discuss any difference as compared to the educational practices of their home countries.
Lecture 11 Korean Dress and Ornaments Dr. Suyon Choe ([email protected]) Korean dress has developed its long-standing uniqueness influenced by surrounding countries. This lecture will look through the history of Korean dress and the related culture by showing the images of headdresses, hair ornaments, accessories, shoes, jackets, vests, pants, skirts, socks, coats, etc. The lecture will be followed by a field trip to National Folk Museum to have a closer view at traditional dresses and ornaments. Research papers will be assigned for each student to choose and write on their favorite topic.
4 Lecture 12 Korean Culture & Korean Cinema Prof. Sang-Hyo Yook ([email protected]) The lecture is composed of two sessions, one is 2 hours of screening session and the other is 2 hours of discussion. Students can have more understanding both on Korean cinema and contemporary history while watching and discussing a Korean film,
Lecture 13 Advertising Industry in Korea Prof. Sanghoon Kim ([email protected]) This lecture will be an introductory course on Korea's advertising industry, the current status of media, advertiser and advertising agency. Students will understand the overall advertising principles in terms of how it works and why it is needed to support free economic system. Korean advertising creative materials will also be shown to students in the class.
Lecture 14 Media in Korea Prof. Daeho Kim ([email protected]) This lecture will be an introductory survey on Korea's media, which consists of several different types of public communication, such as, television, radio and newspapers. Four Nationwide television networks of SBS, KBS, MBC, EBS will be introduced to the students with the public meaning of media and journalism.
Lecture 15 Understanding Korean Mask Dance [Talchum] Prof. Youngsoon Kim ([email protected])
5 This lecture will help students understand Korean Mask Dance [Talchum]. Talchum is a Korean dance performed while wearing a mask and singing. It is not just a dance performed by masked dancers but also a drama with masked characters portraying persons, animals or supernatural beings. These folk drams reflect the antipathy and resentment felt by the common people towards the nobility, due to the latter’s harsh and severe treatment of the commoners. Mask dance dramas have been transmitted from all parts of the country. There are about thirteen different types of Talchum. Among those, the Bongsan Talchum and Songpa Talchum are most well known. Songpa Talchum settled in the area about 200 years ago and at that time it was performed on traditional Korean holidays. The Bongsan Talchum was passed on from the Haeseo area and was played in May.
Lecture 16 Korean Psychology, Culture and Economy Prof. Uichol Kim ([email protected]) This lecture provides a psychological analysis of Korean people, culture and economy. The first part of this lecture provides an analysis of how indigenous, Confucian and Buddhist philosophy and religions influenced Korean mentality. The second part of his lecture will introduce indigenous Korean concept of jung (deep affection and attachment) and hyodo (filial piety) central to understanding the Korean consciousness. These indigenous concepts will be used to provide an understanding of Korean parent- child relationship, family and academic achievement. The third part of the lecture will review the rise of Korean economy and the success of Korean business conglomerate, jaebol.
Lecture 17 Korean Literature in Translation Prof. Eun-Gwi Chung ([email protected]) In this lecture, students will have chances to read some Korean short stories and poems translated in English. Reading the literary text, we will see and discuss how social, cultural, and historical backgrounds of Korea can be understood and elaborated in literary forms different from historical documents, news, or other artistic forms. This lecture will address special issues such as nature, gender, family, and war, all of which have become very important factors and keywords forming modern Korean history.
6 Joining in the lecture, students are hoped to achieve a deeper appreciation of Korean literature and a broader understanding of Korea's rich cultural heritage. In a way of defining and redefining Korean features in Korean literature, a few famous Korean- American writers in other countries will be mentioned briefly.
Lecture 18 Korean Art and Culture Prof. Sang-Hee Sung ( ssung@ inha.ac.kr) It is interesting to find that there are many different things between the East and the West in the way they think and form culture. The same holds true for the field of art. This lecture deals with the cultural differences between East and West with a primary focus on traditional Korean art. There are many merits in traditional oriental painting materials such as rice-paper, ink sticks and brushes. Now we search for the characteristics of Korean traditional art from Yi Dynasty to the modern era using those materials. Samples of the paintings by Korean old masters will be shown in class.
Schedule of the Lecture
Date Time Category Lecture Theme August 3 14:00-16:00 Lecture 1 Korean Politics and Unification August 4 11:00-13:00 Lecture 2 Korean History in the 13th and 14th Centuries 14:00-16:00 Lecture 3 The Rise of Modern Korea and Colonial Experience August 5 11:00-13:00 Lecture 4 Understanding Korean Architectural Environment August 6 11:00-13:00 Lecture 5 Women and War in Modern Korean Literature
7 14:00-16:00 Lecture 6 Korean Literature in Translation August 9 11:00-13:00 Lecture 7 The Korean Economy 14:00-16:00 Lecture 8 Understanding Korean Cultural Values from Psychological Perspectives August 10 11:00-13:00 Lecture 9 Korean Independent Animation 14:00-16:00 Lecture 10 Educational Systems in Korea August 11 11:00-13:00 Lecture 11 Korean Dress and Ornaments 14:00-18:00 Field Trip 1 National Folk Museum August 12 14:00-16:00 Lecture 12 Korean Culture & Korean Cinema August 16 11:00-13:00 Lecture 13 Advertising Industry in Korea 14:00-16:00 Lecture 14 Media in Korea August 17 11:00-13:00 Lecture 15 Understanding Korean Mask Dance August 18 11:00-13:00 Lecture 16 Korean Psychology, Culture and Economy 14:00-18:00 Field Trip 2 TBD August 19 11:00-13:00 Lecture 17 Hot Topics in Korean Contemporary Culture 14:00-16:00 Lecture 18 Korean Art and Culture
Course Policy
Evaluation: This course will be graded on a pass / fail basis.
Attendance: Students are required to attend each lecture on time, and leniency will not be granted for unexcused absences.
Assignment: At the end of the course students are required to submit a 2 page report on any aspect of Korean culture it covered in English. Its due is August 21.
Oral Presentation:
8 Students are encouraged to participate in oral presentation session which is scheduled on the final day of this course. It is one of the highlights of this program. The topic and your turn for the presentation will be eventually arranged.
Plagiarism: We have a strict policy about your copying someone else’s writing to complete assignments, especially from the Web. This will result in a penalty.
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